Oh, I sure like posting that title! I have been looking at the meet from every angle and this Red Raider men's team just looks like a winning team. The only school that could possibly head off the Tech mens team is UT and I simply don't know how they will react to their coach getting axed last week -- the week before the indoor conference meet!
MEN -- I can see Tech scoring something like 145-155 points and 123.5 won it last year for UT. I am figuring that with a few key runners not scoring at all - trying to be conservative. UT should be scoring in the 125-135 range (which would have been enough points to win it last year). Iowa State looks like they should score around 90-100 points. TCU (much improved this year), Kansas and K-State all look like they will score in the 70-80 point range. Baylor (60-70 points), Okie Lite (40-50 points) and OU (30-40 points) fight it out for the cellar.
For the Red Raiders, it will be important that the guys competing in 2 events get points in each - Divine Oduduru, Andrew Hudson, Steven Champlin, Charles Brown, Odaine Lewis, Justin Hall, and Duke Kicinski. You will be able to tell that Tech is in really good shape is some of those sitting just outside the top 8 start making the finals -- Todd Mickey in the 1000, Cornelius Kiprotich in the mile, Sean Hooper and Norman Grimes in the 600, Hunter Wigington and Hunter Carlton in the PV.
Here are the men's entries with their current conference rank and the number of entries in each event:
WOMEN - extreme parity in the Big 12 on the women's side, with as many as 6 teams in the hunt for the championship, but Tech is not one of the 6. Those would be OU, K-State, UT, Baylor, Kansas, and Iowa State. Those 6 teams should all be scoring in the 85-105 range - so one no-height or foul from a jumper or a false start in the sprints could change the team scoring!
Tech looks solid and should be able to score in the 70-75 point range. With a little luck, it is not inconceivable that Tech could join that group of 6 at the top. WVU (which does not field a men's team) should score around 40-50 points and a dreadful TCU team will be fighting to break into double digits!
Here are the Tech entries:
MEN -- I can see Tech scoring something like 145-155 points and 123.5 won it last year for UT. I am figuring that with a few key runners not scoring at all - trying to be conservative. UT should be scoring in the 125-135 range (which would have been enough points to win it last year). Iowa State looks like they should score around 90-100 points. TCU (much improved this year), Kansas and K-State all look like they will score in the 70-80 point range. Baylor (60-70 points), Okie Lite (40-50 points) and OU (30-40 points) fight it out for the cellar.
For the Red Raiders, it will be important that the guys competing in 2 events get points in each - Divine Oduduru, Andrew Hudson, Steven Champlin, Charles Brown, Odaine Lewis, Justin Hall, and Duke Kicinski. You will be able to tell that Tech is in really good shape is some of those sitting just outside the top 8 start making the finals -- Todd Mickey in the 1000, Cornelius Kiprotich in the mile, Sean Hooper and Norman Grimes in the 600, Hunter Wigington and Hunter Carlton in the PV.
Here are the men's entries with their current conference rank and the number of entries in each event:
- 60 (18) - Divine O (1), Andrew Hudson (4)
- 200 (22) - Divine O (1), Andrew Hudson (2), Steven Champlin (5)
- 400 (12) - Steven Champlin (3), Tyreek Mathis (5)
- 600 (17) - Vincent Crisp (1), Sean Hooper (9), Norman Grimes (11)
- 800 (9) - Charles Jones (3, but one of the people ranked ahead of him is Vincent Crisp)
- 1000 (13) - Todd Mickey (11)
- Mile (9) - Cornelius Kiprotich is only ranked 15th, but with only 9 entries the event is going straight to finals (no prelims) and obviously, some ranked ahead of Kiprotich are not entered
- 3K (47) - Cornelius Kiprotich (23), Shea Whatley (27), Joacim Zuniga (28)
- 5K (20) - Whatley and Zuniga are both running it, but neither are ranked because they have not run a 5K indoors this year
- 60H (14) - Norman Grimes (3), Dorian Williams (7), Caleb Richmond (14)
- 4x400 - listed as running it is Tyreek Mathis, Steven Champlin, Charles Jones and the big surprise is Sean Hooper in place of Divine O. If Sean is healthy, you could see a spectacular Tech 4x400!
- Distance Medley Relay -- 1200 leg from Todd Mickey, 400 from Caleb Richmond, 800 from Vincent Crisp (the top ranked halfmiler in the Big 12) and the 1600 leg from Cornelius Kiprotich, who won't have to run the mile prelim and will be fresh for this race
- HJ (10) - Trey Culver (1) and Jake Benninghof (4)
- PV - Brandon Bray and Drew McMichael (tied for 2nd), Hunter Wigington (10) and Hunter Carlton (11)
- LJ - Charles Brown (1), Odaine Lewis (4), Justin Hall (5)
- TJ - Charles Brown (1), Odaine Lewis (6), Justin Hall (8)
- SP - Duke Kicinski (4)
- WT - Duke (6)
- Heptathlon - Clark Griffith (2) and Erin Lopez (unranked, but he was 4th in this event last year at the conference meet)
WOMEN - extreme parity in the Big 12 on the women's side, with as many as 6 teams in the hunt for the championship, but Tech is not one of the 6. Those would be OU, K-State, UT, Baylor, Kansas, and Iowa State. Those 6 teams should all be scoring in the 85-105 range - so one no-height or foul from a jumper or a false start in the sprints could change the team scoring!
Tech looks solid and should be able to score in the 70-75 point range. With a little luck, it is not inconceivable that Tech could join that group of 6 at the top. WVU (which does not field a men's team) should score around 40-50 points and a dreadful TCU team will be fighting to break into double digits!
Here are the Tech entries:
- 60 (19) - Tiffani Johnson and Kaylor Harris go in tied for 5th best, Daja Gordan (11), and Talajah Murrell (20)
- 200 (22) - Daja Gordan (9), Sara Limp (12), Tiffani Johnson (18)
- 400 (21) - Sara Limp (4), Taylor Rockwell (17)
- 600 (13) - Maygen Smith (4), Faith Roberson (13)
- 800 (10) - Lauren Younger is only ranked 21st, BUT there are only 10 entries and many of those ranked ahead of her are running other races -- Lauren could get into the finals
- 1000 (13) - Jessica Gallardo (16)
- Mile (16) - Nokuthula Dlamini is unranked because she has not run the mile this year, but she could definitely make the finals
- 3K (54) - Nokuthula Dlamini (12), Hattie Schunk is unranked
- 5K (17) - Hattie Schunk (15)
- 60H (17) - Kaylee Hinton (9), Ivy Walker (10), G'Auna Edwards (13) -- note that the pentathlon should finish with the 800 meter run just about 30 minutes before Kayla and GiGi run in these prelims. It will be tough on them!
- 4x400 (9) - ranked 7th with Taylor Rockwell, Sara Limp, Kirsten Johnson, Maygen Smith
- Distance Medley Relay (10) - Lauren Younger runs the 1200 meter leadoff leg, Kirsten Johnson on the 400, Maygen Smith on the 800, and Nokuthula Dlamini on the anchor 1600
- HJ (17) - Zarreia Willis (1), Cyre Virgo (5), G'Auna Edwards (10), and Kaylee Hinton (12)
- PV (20) - Taylor Jameson (12)
- LJ (20) - Kaylee Hinton (4), G'Auna Edwards (6), Zuliat Alli (7), Ivy Walker (9), Talajah Murrell (11)
- TJ (15) - Brianna Johnson (5), Chelsey Cole (9), Paetyn Revell (10)
- SP (14) - Crystal Onwukaife (7)
- WT (14) - Season Usual (13)
- Pentathlon - Kaylee Hinton (2), G'Auna Edwards (4) and Rose Njoku (9)
