By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Home meets at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium are always special. That word, though, doesn't come close to adequately describing this weekend's Michael Johnson Invitational. 
            The field itself makes it one of the top invitational meets in the country this year, with five top-25 teams competing on both the men's and women's sides. Headliners include the top-ranked Texas Tech men and No. 2 Texas A&M men and women, while Baylor is 12^thin the men's rankings and 25^thon the women's side. 
            "I think it's on par with what we've had when you bring Texas, A&M, Tech, TCU, K-State's coming down," Harbour said of a field that also includes Arkansas, Abilene Christian, SFA, Sam Houston State, Barton County and the Northern Illinois women. "We've got an outstanding group. There's going to be a lot of great competition across the board. You've got some of the top vaulters in the nation coming in. The quarter is always great. But, across the board, I think we'll turn in some of the top national marks this weekend."
            This is also the final home meet for 26 Baylor seniors, including All-American quarter-milers Wil London and Kiana Horton. The two-day meet begins Friday with field events at noon and the 5,000-meter runs at 7 and 7:25 p.m., but the seniors will be recognized at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, before the evening running session. 
            "It's my last one, so I'm a little nervous, but all my family is coming to support," Horton said. "It's a bittersweet feeling, but it's time to put on a show for everyone who came out all the years that I've been here, all the supporters, all the fans we have. It's amazing what kind of crowd MJ can bring out. We're going to have great weather, so there should be no excuse."
            A Waco native who won the Meet of Champions on this same track four years ago as a senior at Waco High, London said "it hasn't hit me yet" that this is his last home meet. 
            "I've lived in Waco all my life, and I have all my family coming here," London said. "I know if they're coming here, they want to see a show. I'm always prepared to give them one. . . . I get to walk out there with my mom and my dad and all the other seniors. It'll be great. For all of us to go out there and give our all for our last time here, it'll be fun."
            While London and Horton have earned All-America honors and set school records, Harbour said this year's senior class doesn't have "a lot of what you would consider a ton of points at conference or nationals . . . but it's a big group and they've all contributed. They've all been a part of the Baylor Track & Field family."
            The packed weekend also includes the dedication of a new family pavilion at 3:30 p.m. Saturday; a dinner Friday night and retirement recognition at 5:50 p.m. Saturday for Clyde Hart, director of track and field, who is leaving Baylor after 56 years; and presentation of the Legends Award at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. 
            While this will be Hart's final home meet on staff at the stadium that bears his name, "I foresee him being around in some way," Harbour said. 
            "It's not like he's not ever going to come back. I think there's going to be ways that we can get him back here and keep him a part of it. I think that's something he would like and I know we would as well. From that standpoint, I think it makes it a little bit easier for him, just knowing that there's always going to be a door open and we can find something for him to do."
            Saturday's busy schedule kicks off with the men's discus at 9 a.m. There is an afternoon running session starting at 1 p.m. and then an evening session that begins at 5 p.m. with the 3,000-meter steeplechase and wraps up around 8 p.m. with the men's and women's 4x400-meter relays. 
 



WACO, Texas – Baylor track & field hosts the 2019 Michael Johnson Invitational Friday and Saturday (April 19-20) at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium in what will be the final home meet for the 2019 senior class as well as Coach Hart.
 
"It's another great opportunity for our athletes," head coach Todd Harbour said. "A home meet, and it's always one of the top invitationals in the country. It's proven that over the last few years, and it will be that again this year. There are a lot of neat things on the side with the retirement dinner for Coach Hart on Friday, the pavilion dedication and senior recognition on Saturday. We have a lot of good things going with the meet, and the meet is going to be outstanding."
 
With the meet extended to two days this season, things will get started at noon CT Friday with the men's hammer throw. Friday's field events will conclude with the women's javelin at 6 p.m. CT, and the evening will kick off running events for the weekend with the women's and men's 5,000m beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
 
Saturday will be an event-filled day as the men's discus open gets things started at 9:30 a.m. CT. Running events will begin at 1 p.m. CT with the women's and men's 1500m open. The Baylor senior recognition will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT, Coach Hart's retirement recognition will be at 5:50 p.m. CT, and the Legends Award will be announced at 7:30 p.m. CT. The meet will conclude at 7:40 p.m. CT with the women's' and men's 4x400-meter relays.
 
The Baylor men's team enters the weekend No. 12 in the country, while the women's team is ranked No. 25. The No. 1 and No. 2-ranked schools on the men's' side (Texas Tech, Texas A&M) will be in Waco, as well as the No. 2-ranked Texas A&M women's team.
 
Texas (No. 13) and Arkansas (No. 24) are also in the men's rankings, while Kansas State (No. 11), Texas (No. 15) and Texas Tech (No. 18) are all ranked on the women's side. Abilene Christian, SFA, Sam Houston State, Northern Illinois (women), TCU, and Barton County CC will also be in action in one of the most competitive fields in the country.
 
"We have quite a few ranked teams, and it's going to be great competition across the board in all of the events," Harbour said. "We're very excited and ready to go. Looks like the weather is going to be super, so can't wait to get this meet weekend here."
 
Tickets to the 2019 Michael Johnson Invitational can be purchased at BaylorBears.com/MJtickets. The meet will be streamed live for paid subscribers at FloTrack.com, and live results will be provided at deltatiming.com.
 
For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.