Texas Tech Track and Field Preview #4: Distance/Middle Distance

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Like I have done in the last several years, I will break up the previews into multiple parts -- trying to preview the entire team at one time is just too onerous for anyone to read. The order this year will be: 1) Sprints (100, 200, 400, relays), 2) throws (SP, DT, HT, WT, and JT) , 3) hurdles (100H/110H, and 400H), 4) Middle distance/long distance, (800, 1500, steeple, 5K, and 10K) and 5) jumps (HJ, LJ, TJ), vault, multis. This year, I have decided to combine middle distance and long distance. It seemed to make more sense to me.

In 2021, the men's middle distance/long distance crew ran really well indoors -- it was the first time I remember the Tech Distance Medley Relay qualifying for nationals in years - but, they fell apart outdoors and did not contribute anything to the Red Raider effort. The women did not have any impact indoors or outdoors outside of Joanna Archer. The men at least 1 potential point-scorer, but they do have quite a bit of potential coming back, if the returnees can step up. The women have some big additions in the middle distances.

MEN - losing Taki Hedeilli is tough, he was brilliant indoors -- national qualifier in the mile, won the 1000 at the Big 12 meet and was runnerup in the mile -- but he never contributed at all outdoors. Taki still scored 38 points in 2 indoor Big 12 meets.

RETURNEES:

• Sven Cepus - Jr - ran extremely well indoors, winning the Big 12 600y run, but fell short outdoors, not scoring a point at the Big 12. Still, Sven has scored 24.5 points in 2 indoor and 2 outdoor meets at Tech and is still capable of being a national class half-miler. And, he is one of the middle distance runners at Tech who can run a strong leg on the 4x4 relay
• Marco Vilca - So - some to Tech at midterm last year and looked good indoors, but struggled outdoors. Marco is another returnee who has run a solid leg on the 4x4. In the indoor meet, he got 4th in the 600 yard and 5th in the 800. Having a full fall to run at Tech this year could propel him national-class status.
• Owen Likins - So - Probably the best American HS recruit Tech has had in a several years, Owen exploded on the scene indoors in 2021 -- getting 2nd in the 1000 and 5th in the mile, but he struggled to have an impact outdoors. He fought through an injury in the 2021 XC season that may hinder him from having a strong 2022 indoors, but if he CAN overcome that injury, he will be a big contributor
• Paul Sherrill - So - another American HS recruit who looked good indoors - running on the distance medley relay at the Big 12 meet. He struggled with injuries outdoors and sustained another injury in the summer which kept him from running at all during the 2021 XC season. I hope he can come back this spring to have some impact outdoors.
• EJ Rush - RS-Fr - the third strong American HS recruit last year, EJ also ran well indoors (running on the DMR relay), but ended up redshirting outdoors. He looked pretty good in XC this past fall, when he was the best Red Raider finisher at conference.
• Alfred Chawonza - RS-So - looked good in 2020 indoors (placing on the DMR), but seemed particularly impacted by losing his 2020 outdoor season to the pandemic. Did not even runs indoors, then finished a distant 21st in the 800 outdoors in 2021. Still, if he gets back where he was in 2021, he could be a contributor.
• Eric MacLean - Sr - Eric was the only Red Raider to run a long distance event outdoors at conference for Tech - getting 16th in the 10K run on the track
• Tech has a lot of other distance runners -- Ret Taylor (2nd best Tech finisher in the XC meet last fall); Luke Estes; TJ Gregg; Walker Hendricks; Jaden Tumale; Thomas Velvin; and Kirk Zuber. There is some potential that a few of them could get to run at the conference meet indoors or outdoors.

NEWCOMERS

• Rayon Buttler - Jr - a quality addition from Jamaica who won the JUCO 800 indoors in 2020 for Western TX and who got 5th in the indoor SEC 800 for South Carolina last year. He has also run 46 second splits in the 400, so he becomes another candidate to run on the 4x400 relay
• Samuel Ashley - Fr - 1st in the 4A 1600 for Canyon, Samuel could be a strong addition for the Red Raiders in a few years
• Isaac Hastings - So - from DeSoto originally, he ran for South Plains last year and did not run particularly well. But, his HS times indicate he could contribute for Tech at some point
• Demetrius (DJay) Guerrero from Amarillo Tascosa (won the Dist 3-5A 800) and Soham Patil from Frisco Heritage (8th in the 5A 800 at state) both have some long-term potential with steady improvement

I have heard that Tech may add an international or two at midterm, but won't know that for certain until they show up on the roster in the next few weeks.

WOMEN - Nokuthula Dlamini is gone -- she was a big contributor in 2019 and 2020, then disappeared from the roster completely indoors for most of the season in 2021, only to reappear mid-season outdoors and never come close to her former self. I am mystified as to what happened to Nokuthula. Claudrice McKoy showed lots of potential transferring to Tech last year from a JUCO, but disappeared outdoors and is now on the Missouri State roster.

RETURNEES

• Joanna Archer - Jr - looked good outdoors getting 5th in the Big 12 800, after getting 7th indoors in the 800 and running on the Tech 4x400 and DMR. Potential of being a national qualifier in the 800, if she can improve running alongside some of the newcomers
• Binta Ka - Jr - scored for Tech for the first time in 2021 on the indoor DMR, but did not run at conference outdoors and her XC placing fell off drastically from 2020 to 2021 (38th to 59th)
• Sharon Chumo - Jr - a JUCO transfer who has not been able to compete well at the D1 level thus far
• Sydney White - Sr - also scored a half-point at the conference indoor meet (2 points for getting 7th, divided by the 4 members of the relay), but did not run at conference outdoors
• Other Tech distance runners include Jazmyn Martinez (who improved a lot in XC this past fall); Kaitlyn Irving; Kyra Young; and Edna Rotich

NEWCOMERS - some big additions here

• Michaela Lewis - a Jr from Jamaican originally, who won the SWAC 800 and 1500 for Alabama State and has run some great times in the 800 - PR of 2:03.71. She is very close to being a national qualifier and training with Joanna Archer and some of her fellow newcomers, she could legitimately challenge 2 minutes flat in the 800 -- a national podium contender time
• Fanny Arendt - the Luxembourg 800 meter champ indoors and outdoors, she has a PR of 2:06 and will give Tech 3 half-milers who might run under 2:05 and I am fairly certain she is the first Tech recruit in any sport from Luxembourg
• Helena Rahmaan - from Montgomery, TX and a Soph transfer from UT - she placed 8th in the Big 12 1000 in 2020, but got shoved aside by some of the Longhorn newcomers. She transferred to Tech and was, by far, the top Red Raider XC runner in the fall. She has run a 4:31 1500 and could be a prospect for conference points immediately.
• Torrye Tyler, from Brock - was the 3A champ in the 800 and 3rd in the 400 at the state meet - has some speed and could help the Red Raiders in future years with steady improvement
• Sydney George from McKinney North; Taylor Limbaugh from Schulenberg (2nd in the 2A 1600); and Melanie Jacobs from Aberdeen, SD (1st in the SD 3200 as a HS soph) all have some long-term potential

Tech could score some big conference points in the 800 and 1500 -- and that is particularly important indoors where there are more middle distance races (600 yard, 800, 1000, mile). It will take huge improvement to get points from the steeple, 5K or 10K outdoors and the 3K and 5K indoors. But, there is some interesting prospects in those races as well.

 

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