T&F Report: Pat Henry details A&M's success at NCAA West First Round

Texas A&M is gearing up for the NCAA Outdoor Championships next week in Eugene, Ore. With 13 entries on the men's side and 12 on the women's side, legendary head coach Pat Henry joined TexAgs Live to discuss his team and their chances at the final meet.

Key notes from Pat Henry interview

• The NCAA Championships are coming up. We are excited and a well-qualified group. We had a great regional championship at Texas A&M. We are in a good spot, and we advanced across the board with our people, with the exception of one or two who didn't have an excellent performance. We had people step up and have better performances. Everything has equaled out. We are happy where we are at.
   
• This is an elite meet. You have to be a great athlete to score at this championship and be in the top eight. To have more people there gives you more opportunities. It is such an elite meet. You know you can see what will happen, and if people perform at their respective levels, we will be a team in the mix. We have the ability to be in the mix and win a championship. It takes a great performance on that day. It is a tough thing.
   
• I thought we had the talent where we are right now. We had a good group last year. On the men's side last year, we went to the championship. The women's side is better this year. On the men's side, we were very, very close. We had a disqualification that caused most of our issues. On the ladies' side, we have gotten better. We have good recruiting. Going into these championships, they have us ranked in that top group. If we have a great meet, we can win.
   
• It gives that opportunity because both men and women 4x100s and 4x400s qualified. That's a big accomplishment to have itself and have all four relays in. It gives you a shot, and we have a lot of individuals in the meet, but the relay is always great. You can do it right, and with small mistakes, you are out of it. That's the fun of it.
   
• I think one of the things I’m pleased with is that we went into the championships healthy. We got through regionals healthy. That's a testament to hard work all year long. Our season starts and training is on the first day of class in August and going into June. We are not in a three to four-month season. We go year-round. Staying healthy is difficult when pushing yourself. It's very difficult when you are competing hard to be successful. Taking a chance at what you're doing in training when it's happening in competition is very difficult in our sport.
   
• Winni Bii is a triple jumper. When it was time for her, she jumped 45-feet-11, and it was great. Only three jumps compared to six, the pressure was on.
   
• Aleksandr Solovev is our pole vaulter. He had a great meet, jumping well. Sofia Yakushina was off this week because we don't do a multi at the regional. It's too hard to do. They qualify as the top 12 during the year, and she leads the country. She's automatically in the championship. She didn't have to do much. Our sprinters had a great meet for men and women all around. Our hurdlers did a great job, and we've advanced the way it takes to be successful in that meet.
   
• Well, I have been fortunate enough to win championships, and I've seen what kind of team takes to win a championship. This is one of those teams that has the opportunity to win. It takes a certain group of young people to buy in and have their best day on the same day. It sounds easy, but for everyone to have the absolute best day, it takes a total team commitment. When it's just you running and representing the team, that takes another individual who's not just worried about themself but their contribution to the team. It's what makes this championship what it is.