Tech gets underway with the first XC meet this Friday - a dual meet against NM State, run at altitude in Ruidosa. This meet has become the kickoff XC event for the past several years for Tech - a low-key meet run at around 7,000 feet. The team goes up and trains the entire long weekend at altitude - a good way to start the season.
Frankly, the news does not look all that good for the Texas Tech XC teams this year. The women fell off terribly last year and while they may be a little bit better, there is still a lot of ground to make up. The men will probably drop several spots in the Big 12 standings this year. This is what I see looking at the rosters.
WOMEN - the Lady Raiders really struggled last year, falling all the way to 9th place and that was with Jocelyn Caro (since graduated) finishing in the top-10. In the preseason standings, Tech is ranked 13th in the Mountain Region - which looks pretty accurate to me.
MEN - last year, the men moved up to 5th place in the Big 12 standings, but moved up there because Tech men finished 1-2 in the whole conference race. Benard Keter has used up his eligibility and Miguel Bautista has mysteriously disappeared from the squad, with one more year of eligibility to use. Tech also lost Eduardo Trevizo, who ran pretty good as a freshman in XC - he transferred to UTA.
I think that the Red Raiders tried to get a Kenyan in for this year, plus an Englishman, but I don't think either one are on campus. Could they get them in by midterm? Maybe, but that won't help this fall's XC team.
There will be a WHOLE lot more to write about in the winter, when the full roster for Tech track and field is revealed. The Tech men's and women's track and field teams should be TERRIFIC. But, for now, Tech will have to spend the fall trying to find a few distance runners who can help Tech win the Big 12 T&F title in the spring.
Frankly, the news does not look all that good for the Texas Tech XC teams this year. The women fell off terribly last year and while they may be a little bit better, there is still a lot of ground to make up. The men will probably drop several spots in the Big 12 standings this year. This is what I see looking at the rosters.
WOMEN - the Lady Raiders really struggled last year, falling all the way to 9th place and that was with Jocelyn Caro (since graduated) finishing in the top-10. In the preseason standings, Tech is ranked 13th in the Mountain Region - which looks pretty accurate to me.
- Returnees - Jasmine Torres (Sr - was 30th last year and 20th in 2015); Hattie Schunk (Sr - 53rd last year); Denae Chapman (So - was 60th as a freshman, but was injured in that race and ended up redshirting all of the indoor/outdoors seasons and is just now beginning to run with intensity again); Rianna Randolph (Jr - 73rd last year); Jessica Gallardo (So - 81st last year); Bret Leigh Nance (So - 84th last year); Kaylee Amershek (Jr - 86th last year).
- Newcomers - Nikki Dlamini - JC transfer from Monroe College in NYC - she was 7th in the JC XC last fall; Lauren Offerman - Fr from Loveland, CO - 16th CO 5A XC; Karyss Betzen - Fr from Canyon Randall - 11th 5A XC; Kaitlyn Tharp - Tr Jr from D-II TAMU-Kingsville - 17th Lone Star Conf XC; Arianna Lopez - Fr from Southlake Carroll - 50th 6A XC; Jazmyn Martinez - FR from Miami Ferguson - 42nd FL 4A.
MEN - last year, the men moved up to 5th place in the Big 12 standings, but moved up there because Tech men finished 1-2 in the whole conference race. Benard Keter has used up his eligibility and Miguel Bautista has mysteriously disappeared from the squad, with one more year of eligibility to use. Tech also lost Eduardo Trevizo, who ran pretty good as a freshman in XC - he transferred to UTA.
I think that the Red Raiders tried to get a Kenyan in for this year, plus an Englishman, but I don't think either one are on campus. Could they get them in by midterm? Maybe, but that won't help this fall's XC team.
- Returnees - Clark Blunt (Sr - 42nd last year); Ebenether Wondaferew (Sr - 50th last year); Joacim Zuniga (Jr - 63rd last year, but 49th in 2015); Shea Whatley (So - 76th last year); plus, Todd Mickey (Jr - did not finish the race in 2016, after getting 63rd in 2015 - he apparently was injured in the race last year and is another one who redshirted indoors/outdoors last track season). I think particularly Whatley, who ran pretty well outdoors last spring, could see big improvement in XC this fall.
- Redshirts - there are a couple of kids who redshirted last fall who show some promise - Reagan Mead of Cleburne (7th 5A XC in 2015) and Matt Munoz of El Paso Eastwood (26th 6A XC in 2015).
- Newcomers - not really any great distance recruits: Grayson Barber, FR from Colleyville Heritage (7th 5A XC) appears to be the one who could challenge for a top-5 spot; Caleb Hughes, FR from Flower Mound (59th 6A XC); Michael Benoit - Jr transfer from McMurry, where he was 35th last year at the NCCAA XC met; Luke Phillips - Fr from Clear Lake (2nd Dist 24-6A XC); and Connor Hughes, Jr-TR from South Plains - 83rd JC XC.
There will be a WHOLE lot more to write about in the winter, when the full roster for Tech track and field is revealed. The Tech men's and women's track and field teams should be TERRIFIC. But, for now, Tech will have to spend the fall trying to find a few distance runners who can help Tech win the Big 12 T&F title in the spring.
