Audio from @J. Lopez who was in attendance to take in Texas Tech men and women bringing home Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships this evening.
Wes Kittley Opening Statement: "Yeah, guys, how fun was that? Had the opportunity for the girls to, you know, win the first time. And I got to mention them first, because, you know, we've been so close so many times for them to really, you know, the moment, it was not too big for them today. I was so proud of how we came roaring, event after event after event. And I just couldn't be more proud of our ladies. They really wanted to win this thing, and they did it in dominant fashion.
And then our men, you know, three peat, it's hard to win one, much less three in a row, and we just really had a solid meet. Wasn't a lot of exceptional things, but we didn't need them. We just needed everybody do their job. And, like I say, and then you put the men and the women together. When you win one, it's pretty special."
Q: You say Friday is for filling up lanes and Saturday is for filling up trophy cases...
Wes Kittley: "Well, that's right, we'll keep expanding in there if we need to. That's not a problem."
Q: What did you see from some certain people on the women and on the men's side that lifted something that you didn't expect?
WK: "You know, I just think we really came together, especially today. Yesterday, we had a little bump in the road in the pole vault and a few things, but we still, we were solid, and we qualified well. But today they just, I think they were just locked in so much. And then when we got the first race, did well, then it was just like everything started feeding off the next race, and then it did well, and then the next jump, and then it was just over and over and over they kept, you know, just feeding off each other, and, like I say, they didn't let the moment get too big. And that's a big deal, because you got to get here and you got to accomplish this before that happens."
Q: What does it say when you have so many personal bests and people stood and they made a stand?
WK: "Yeah, well, you know, when you put 16 teams in this facility, the best facility in the country, you're gonna have some exceptional things. And it's a championship atmosphere. You know, the crowd is just incredible. I think we put on the best meet of anybody. And so these kids just really respond to it. And they love running home."
Q: In the middle of the afternoon the women were a couple of points behind BYU. Did it seem like a slingshot in the end?
WK: "It really did. And I think, you know, Fanny (Arendt), went in ranked fifth, and I think when she won that 800 we already were having a good meet. But I think it just really put a shot in everybody that just like, Okay, we're gonna win this meet. I think the kids started believing. And then every event we got farther into the meet, they just kept believing more.
That whole group, you know, the long jump, the triple jump, the high jump. I mean, it was, it was pretty exceptional today, and the girls knew those were big events for us, because BYU, who we thought on paper, was going to beat us. They're all distance, so we knew we had to offset some of their big distance points with some of our jumps."
Q: The other day, when we spoke, you were hig praising Fanny (Arendt) because you personally have coached her. How proud of you for her this moment. And what'd you say to her when she was coming around the backstretch there?
WK: "Wow. Let me tell you, that kid has come so far. She ran 207 last year, 207 the first year. And, you know, to see her improve like she has done, I am just so incredibly proud of her. Yeah, I get to coach her personally, but you know, she has been dialed in, and she was just, you know, she was so confident today, and but to let those girls who went out just like crazy and her to be patient, and she just ran a very even race, and then you saw her mow 'em down at the end. It's pretty special for me and her together."
Q: We talked about the importance of having a team, a broad based team, but your men win the championship easily. I think only one individual first place.
WK: "That could be, yes, I really don't know. Really hadn't thought of that. I know we had second in the Shot Put with Trey (Wilson). We had some other good things, but that's probably right, yes, but we were seconds and thirds. And, you know, like I say, it's tough. You got 16 teams, and we've got four more that came in this year. And, like I say, I don't know that our men had the greatest meet we've had all year, but we were very solid."
Q: So next step starts nationals
WK: "Yeah, we got to let them get rested up and get the little kinks out. Hopefully we're not too beat up. I know Sean had a little significant injury, but we'll see how he is. And just get this group ready, get them healthy, and then, you know, about 10 days we'll be headed to Virginia Beach."
Q: What does that mean for you?
WK: "Oh, I'm so excited. I'm hoping we got, I know we got two or three more in that meet during this meet, but like, Fanny is about 16th, so we're 17th, so she's right on the bubble, but I really hope she makes it."
Q: Speaking of Fanny she ran a strong lineup in the four by four. Was that for rankings purposes?
WK: "You know, on the women's side, we've just been putting the best team together that we could and they wanted to have some pride and run the best they've run all year, which they did. And then on the men's side, you know, we're ranked eighth. They only take 12 teams. We don't know what the SEC and the Big 10 and the ACC is even tomorrow, their final. So we just felt like we needed to protect that. We're a little tired with our two quarter milers. But, you know, we run 3:05 or whatever we run. It wasn't quite as good as we run all year, but we wanted to show some pride into the meet, long as we were healthy"
Q: 26 years doing this. How's this Gatorade bath compared to the rest?
WK: "Well, this one's really special, because the women and the men won it together, and we made history doing that, the women made history today by winning their first and, yeah, this old man is enjoying it and is gonna enjoy it for a while."
Q: We spoke briefly, while you're watching the girls run, I asked you which ring you were wearing you said last year's championship, you have two this year. Which one are you gonna wear more often?
WK: "I'll swap out every week. I think maybe, something like that. I'm definitely gonna wear that women's one because it's special that we finally got it done."
Wes Kittley Opening Statement: "Yeah, guys, how fun was that? Had the opportunity for the girls to, you know, win the first time. And I got to mention them first, because, you know, we've been so close so many times for them to really, you know, the moment, it was not too big for them today. I was so proud of how we came roaring, event after event after event. And I just couldn't be more proud of our ladies. They really wanted to win this thing, and they did it in dominant fashion.
And then our men, you know, three peat, it's hard to win one, much less three in a row, and we just really had a solid meet. Wasn't a lot of exceptional things, but we didn't need them. We just needed everybody do their job. And, like I say, and then you put the men and the women together. When you win one, it's pretty special."
Q: You say Friday is for filling up lanes and Saturday is for filling up trophy cases...
Wes Kittley: "Well, that's right, we'll keep expanding in there if we need to. That's not a problem."
Q: What did you see from some certain people on the women and on the men's side that lifted something that you didn't expect?
WK: "You know, I just think we really came together, especially today. Yesterday, we had a little bump in the road in the pole vault and a few things, but we still, we were solid, and we qualified well. But today they just, I think they were just locked in so much. And then when we got the first race, did well, then it was just like everything started feeding off the next race, and then it did well, and then the next jump, and then it was just over and over and over they kept, you know, just feeding off each other, and, like I say, they didn't let the moment get too big. And that's a big deal, because you got to get here and you got to accomplish this before that happens."
Q: What does it say when you have so many personal bests and people stood and they made a stand?
WK: "Yeah, well, you know, when you put 16 teams in this facility, the best facility in the country, you're gonna have some exceptional things. And it's a championship atmosphere. You know, the crowd is just incredible. I think we put on the best meet of anybody. And so these kids just really respond to it. And they love running home."
Q: In the middle of the afternoon the women were a couple of points behind BYU. Did it seem like a slingshot in the end?
WK: "It really did. And I think, you know, Fanny (Arendt), went in ranked fifth, and I think when she won that 800 we already were having a good meet. But I think it just really put a shot in everybody that just like, Okay, we're gonna win this meet. I think the kids started believing. And then every event we got farther into the meet, they just kept believing more.
That whole group, you know, the long jump, the triple jump, the high jump. I mean, it was, it was pretty exceptional today, and the girls knew those were big events for us, because BYU, who we thought on paper, was going to beat us. They're all distance, so we knew we had to offset some of their big distance points with some of our jumps."
Q: The other day, when we spoke, you were hig praising Fanny (Arendt) because you personally have coached her. How proud of you for her this moment. And what'd you say to her when she was coming around the backstretch there?
WK: "Wow. Let me tell you, that kid has come so far. She ran 207 last year, 207 the first year. And, you know, to see her improve like she has done, I am just so incredibly proud of her. Yeah, I get to coach her personally, but you know, she has been dialed in, and she was just, you know, she was so confident today, and but to let those girls who went out just like crazy and her to be patient, and she just ran a very even race, and then you saw her mow 'em down at the end. It's pretty special for me and her together."
Q: We talked about the importance of having a team, a broad based team, but your men win the championship easily. I think only one individual first place.
WK: "That could be, yes, I really don't know. Really hadn't thought of that. I know we had second in the Shot Put with Trey (Wilson). We had some other good things, but that's probably right, yes, but we were seconds and thirds. And, you know, like I say, it's tough. You got 16 teams, and we've got four more that came in this year. And, like I say, I don't know that our men had the greatest meet we've had all year, but we were very solid."
Q: So next step starts nationals
WK: "Yeah, we got to let them get rested up and get the little kinks out. Hopefully we're not too beat up. I know Sean had a little significant injury, but we'll see how he is. And just get this group ready, get them healthy, and then, you know, about 10 days we'll be headed to Virginia Beach."
Q: What does that mean for you?
WK: "Oh, I'm so excited. I'm hoping we got, I know we got two or three more in that meet during this meet, but like, Fanny is about 16th, so we're 17th, so she's right on the bubble, but I really hope she makes it."
Q: Speaking of Fanny she ran a strong lineup in the four by four. Was that for rankings purposes?
WK: "You know, on the women's side, we've just been putting the best team together that we could and they wanted to have some pride and run the best they've run all year, which they did. And then on the men's side, you know, we're ranked eighth. They only take 12 teams. We don't know what the SEC and the Big 10 and the ACC is even tomorrow, their final. So we just felt like we needed to protect that. We're a little tired with our two quarter milers. But, you know, we run 3:05 or whatever we run. It wasn't quite as good as we run all year, but we wanted to show some pride into the meet, long as we were healthy"
Q: 26 years doing this. How's this Gatorade bath compared to the rest?
WK: "Well, this one's really special, because the women and the men won it together, and we made history doing that, the women made history today by winning their first and, yeah, this old man is enjoying it and is gonna enjoy it for a while."
Q: We spoke briefly, while you're watching the girls run, I asked you which ring you were wearing you said last year's championship, you have two this year. Which one are you gonna wear more often?
WK: "I'll swap out every week. I think maybe, something like that. I'm definitely gonna wear that women's one because it's special that we finally got it done."
