This past weekend was a very good meet for the Red Raiders. It was a small meet, with four teams -- Tech, Nebraska, Wichita State, and Kansas State. The fields in virtually every event were small, but highly competitive. The weather was perfect -- very little wind and the temp was in the 70's. That made for some great performances and as has become common, the great performances were led by Divine Oduduru. NOTE: Tech T&F lost their track SID 2 weeks ago -- she left the program in mid-season to take a job in Dallas. That explains why a spectacular school record can be overlooked in the school write-up -- Tech is trying to get through the rest of the season with interns who are unfamiliar with the program.
MEN
This next home meet for Tech will be a very low-key meet. I would imagine that virtually none of the Red Raiders who will be going to the conference meet will compete this Saturday. The Big 12 allows each school to bring 32 competitors in each gender and there may be a few kids who are on the bubble who will be given the chance to state their case for being in that team of 32. Mostly, you will see kids competing this Saturday who this represents their last meet of the year.
MEN
- Divine runs a school record 20.15 in the 200 -- beating the old record by over .3 of a second. The guy continues to amaze me. This was after he ran a leg on the 4x100 relay that tied the school record from earlier this season.
- Odaine Lewis is busting out as a premier jumper -- he triple jumped a PR of 53-1.75, which puts him #5 in the Big 12 and #5 in the West Region (the Big 12 is THE triple jump conference in the nation this year). This was after his long jumped 26-0 -- his 2nd best LJ of the year
- Norman Grimes ran his best 400 hurdles of the year -- a 50.39 that puts him #2 in the Big 12 and #8 in the West Region.
- Both Brandon Bray and Drew McMichael vaulted 17-7.75; then, the both passed at 17-11.25 and went straight to 18-1.25, where they both missed. Still puts them #3 in the Big 12.
- Charles Jones (1:49.15) and Vincent Crisp (1:49.54) ran a very controlled, comfortable 800 and yet both still broke 1:50. Are then both prepared to run a 1:45?
- Andrew Hudson runs his first 200 of the outdoor season -- cruising to an easy 20.78, #5 in the Big 12.
- Tyreek Mathis runs his first 400 of the outdoor season, a solid 47.03
- Braden Darrow, a walkon shot putter, does not get to throw very often in competition, but he set a big PR of 54-1.75 in the SP this past Friday and moved up to the #10 shot putter in the Big 12 and stated his case for being included on the traveling team for conference.
- All three decathletes -- Erin Lopez, Colten Gayle and Clark Griffith -- competed in events at the meet this past Friday. I have been totally befuddled as to why they have not competed in a single decathlon this season. I guess that 1,2 or all 3 of them may compete at the conference meet.
- There were some downers for me at the meet as well: Werner Bouwer in the javelin and Sean Hooper in the 400, were both entered, but did not run. Tech really needs both of these guys to make a run at the conference championship. And, Trey Culver "only" high jumped 6-11, but what was worse is that the freshman high jumper from India and Kansas State went 7-6.
- The Red Raider 4x100 ran their fastest time of the season, a 44.21. This relay is composed of 2 juniors - Tiffani Johnson and Sara Limp - and 2 freshmen, Kaylor Harris and Daja Gordon. And, they are running the fastest times for a Tech sprint relay in 8 years.
- Freshman heptathlete G'Auna Edwards has stunning LJ of 20-9, which now ranks her #3 in the Big 12 and is the first time over 20 feet for G'Auna this year. She also had a PR in the javelin, which is big deal for a heptathlete to improve in multiple events
- Fellow freshman Chelsey Cole got PR's in both jumping events -- the LJ (20-3.5) and the TJ (41-2.25) and she is now ranked top-8 in the Big 12 in both.
- The freshman sprinters had a HUGE meet -- Kaylor Harris ran a PR in the 100H of 13.36, which puts her #5 in the Big 12 and Daja Gordon got PR's in both sprint events -- 11.51 in the 100 and 23.38 in the 200 and she is top 10 in the Big 12 in both as well.
- It was a good meet for the high jumpers -- Zarreia Willis jumped over 6 feet outdoors for the 2nd time with a jump of 6-0.5 and Cyre Virgo is getting so close to 6 feet, as she jumped a PR of 5-11.25. They are ranked 1-2 in the Big 12.
- The junior sprinters also had a big meet -- Tiffani Johnson ran a PR in the 100 (11.39) and tied her PR in the 200 (23.30); and Sara Limp ran her 2nd fastest 400 of the year, dipping under 53 flat again with a 52.63 -- #3 in the Big 12.
- There is a huge competition this year for spots on the 4x400 relay and Jadsia Warden (54.35) and Taylor Rockwell (54.53) both ran PR's trying to make a case that they need to be on that 4x400.
- Kaylee Hinton got a season best in the LJ (20-3) and Ivy Walker finally jumped over 20 feet, with a leap of 20-0.5. The LJ was really, really good to the Red Raider women.
- Freshman Faith Roberson broke 59 in the 400 hurdles with a 58.41 and Kirsten Johnson also dipped under 60 flat again with her 2nd best time of the year, a 59.60
- Redshirt freshman Brianna Johnson keeps inching up her PR in the TJ -- jumping 40-3.5 as she eases back from an injury that scuttled her first season at Tech.
This next home meet for Tech will be a very low-key meet. I would imagine that virtually none of the Red Raiders who will be going to the conference meet will compete this Saturday. The Big 12 allows each school to bring 32 competitors in each gender and there may be a few kids who are on the bubble who will be given the chance to state their case for being in that team of 32. Mostly, you will see kids competing this Saturday who this represents their last meet of the year.
