There is a good thread going about the national track meet and I certainly agree with Prevost that this year the NC is the Red Raiders to lose. The Red Raiders are strong, strong, strong. The Red Raiders are the favorite on both Flotrack and Track and Field News. This is particularly true because took care of business so well at the West Prelim - every single Red Raider performed to expectations.
So, if you are scoring along at home (or at meet in Austin), the magic number for the Red Raiders is 65. The winner of the national meet last year won with only 52 points and in 2017, it took 61.5. If Tech can score 65 points, I simply don't see anyone capable of beating us. So, how does Tech get to 65 points? Here is what it will take:
I will be busy during the actual meet times, so I hope that some of the other Red Raiders who are in attendance or those watching on ESPN 3 will post some updates. I will definitely wrap things up each evening.
So, if you are scoring along at home (or at meet in Austin), the magic number for the Red Raiders is 65. The winner of the national meet last year won with only 52 points and in 2017, it took 61.5. If Tech can score 65 points, I simply don't see anyone capable of beating us. So, how does Tech get to 65 points? Here is what it will take:
- Between Divine Oduduru and Andrew Hudson, we need 21 points in the 100 and 200. The prelims are tomorrow (Wednesday) for both races and first both need to make the finals in both races. Last year, Tech only garnered 10 points in the short sprint as Divine won the 200.
- The 4x1 relay needs to gather in 5 points (4th place). The relay has consisted of Keion Sutton, Divine O, Andrew Hudson, and freshman Jacolby Shelton. Will the Red Raiders run a healthy Derrius Rogers and freshman Kesean Carter in the prelims to save Divine and Andrew for their 100/200 prelims? It might be possible, but it will be a gamble that Tech can still make the finals.
- Jumps are CRUCIAL to Tech winning this thing. Odaine Lewis (who scored 14 points last year at nationals) and Charles Brown (who scored 4 points) are both jumping in both the LJ and TJ and Justin Hall is in the LJ. Jake Benninghoff just squeezed into the HJ competition. Tech needs to score 18 point in the 3 jumps combined. The LJ is tomorrow and we will know very quickly if the Red Raiders are on course. If we score big in the LJ tomorrow, I feel like it will propel Odaine to big points in the TJ on Friday.
- Throws - Werner Bouwer throws tomorrow in the javelin and Duke Kicinski throws on Friday in the DT. Tech needs at least 5 points from the 2 throwers combined.
- 800 - Tech has 2 seasoned competitors in the 800 - Jonah Koech (7th last year competing for UTEP) and Vincent Crisp, who just missed scoring last year as he got 10th place. Tech needs 5 point combined from these 2.
- Norman Grimes will be Tech's guy in the 400H and we need 6 points from Norman, who has run terrifically all year.
- In the pole vault, Tech has 2 vaulters in the competition - Drew McMichael and Brandon Bray. Both are capable of scoring, but I think we only need 3 points from the 2 vaulters. The big question in the vault will be whether freshman Mondo Duplantis, from LSU, vault the incredible height of 20 feet. Mondo vaulted 19-8 at the SEC meet.
- Freshman Axel Hubert could pick up some points in the decathlon, which will have its first day tomorrow and will finish up on Thursday. Tech only needs 2 points from the Frenchman.
I will be busy during the actual meet times, so I hope that some of the other Red Raiders who are in attendance or those watching on ESPN 3 will post some updates. I will definitely wrap things up each evening.
