This Thursday, Tech will host a late afternoon/evening track meet to finish the regular season, just 8 days before the Big 12 meet kicks off on the same Tech track. Unfortunately, I won't be able to work the meet - I will be en route to another school out-of-state where I will be working another D-I conference meet. However, I am really juiced about working the Big 12, which will start just 10 days from now. It will be an incredible meet!
In this meet, it appears to me that the Tech athletes fall into 4 distinct groups. In looking at the results, keep these 4 groups in mind. Here are the groups and the Tech athletes that I think fall into to each category:
ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR REGIONALS - some of these kids won't compete on May 7 at all. Some will compete in only one event, to stay sharp for conference. A few are regionally qualified in one event, but need to qualify in another one and this meet is the perfect place to do that.
MEN
Harrison Benjamin - Sr - SP; Anthony Flemons - Jr - LJ (really needs to qualify for regionals THIS WEEK in the TJ); Gilbert Limo - So - SC (needs to qualify in the 1500 as well); Jamele Mason - Fr - 110H, 400H; Brett McDaniel - So - DT; Rodney Mims - Sr - 400; Omo Osaghae - Jr - 110H, 200; Brian Porter - Jr - PV; Waylon Randolph - Jr - LJ; Gil Roberts - So - 200, 400; Darrell Roddick - Jr - LJ, TJ, HJ; Justin Turner - Jr - HJ; and both relays.
WOMEN- Amanda Alley - Jr - PV; Lillian Badaru - Jr - 1500, 5K; D'Andra Carter - Sr - DT, SP; Trudy Clarke - Jr - 400; Asia Diaz - Sr - 800, 1500; Terra Evans - Fr - 100 (great meet to qualify in the 200); Sandra Iwunze - Jr - 400H (still needst to qualify in the 100H); Patience Knight - Sr - SP, DT; Sage Lasater - Fr - PV; Kelsey Lloyd - So - HJ (still needs to qualify in the 400H); Ozie Okolie - Jr - HT (could still qualify in the DT), Tori Smith - Jr - 100H; and both relays.
STILL NEED TO QUALIFY FOR THE REGIONAL MEET - there are still some key people in this group. You hope that many of these athletes qualify here - at a low-key home meet - and that they don't have to worry about it at the conference meet. I think that everyone in this group will compete at conference.
MEN - Lamont Adams - So - 400; Paden Behrens - Jr - JT (the javelin will actually be competed at South Plains College - the new runway is not ready); Zach Dawson - Fr - 1500; Tim Foster - Jr - 400; Markus Henderson - Fr - 200; Cory Higgins - Jr - 1500, Silas Kembois - Jr - 800 and/or 1500; Bill Lawhorn - So - 100, 200, and/or 400; Nathan Lowry - Sr - 110H; Tyler Menges - Jr - SP; Nathan Milles - So - SC; Zach Plinario - So - 400H; Brandon Tucker - Fr - 110H; Julius Walker - Jr - 100; Brandon Washington - So - 400 or 800; Kelly Wilson - So - PV. Of this group, Tech really nees Markus, Julius and Brandon to have a good meet!
WOMEN - Janell Appelhans - Jr - LJ; Amanda Dowdy - Fr - HJ; Jessie Gibbs - So - PV; Michelle Guzman - So - 5K (I can't imagine Michelle trying to run a hard 5K the week before confernce - she will probably run something like the 1500 and work HARD to qualify for regionals in the 5K at conference); Shannon Jackson - So - 800; Kearci Jobe - So - 800; Gladys Kipsang - Jr - 800 or 1500; Kaci Westervelt - Fr - SC.
FIGHTING FOR THE CHANCE TO COMPETE AT CONFERENCE - this is a tough group to be a part of, since probably each of them are on the bubble in the coaches minds - "do we take them to the conference meet?". With the meet in Lubbock, some marginal kids who might NOT get to compete, might get the chance this year. One note, the decathletes, soph Chuck Zavala and freshman Nick Green (probably) will compete at conference even though neither of them have competed in the decathlon this year yet.
MEN - David Boston - Jr or Sr - 1500; Jamaal Butler - Jr - 400; Logan Culotta - So - SC; Matt Davidson - Fr - 800; Bernard Hammonds - So - TJ; Travon Hill-Chadwick - Sr - LJ; Jeremy Kight - Jr - SC; Chase Wade - Jr - SC.
WOMEN - Devin Bailey - So - 800; Veronica DiLullo - Jr - LJ, TJ; Brintney Green - Fr - 800; Roxie Greve - Fr - 100H; Addison Lemaster - Fr - 1500 or 5K; Jamie Simanek - Fr - 100H.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST MEET OF THE SEASON FOR THESE KIDS - some of these kids are redshirts, therefore, definitely won't compete after May 7 for Tech. There are at least 4 kids still on the roster who I suppose are redshirting, but who have not run at all this year, even unattached - freshmen hurdler Tucker Schneeman, freshman discus thrower Clayton Smith, freshman thrower Darrell Gibbs and junior steeplechaser Jake Szot. Not sure if we will see them at this meet or not.
MEN - Eric Ayala - Sr - 5K; Noel Conrad - Sr - SC; Jeremy Doddridge - Fr RS - PV; Aaron Greer - Jr - 1500 or 5K; Jansen Hyde - Sr (ineligible due to grades) - 110H; Paul Julmeus - Fr - 800; Zach Quinones - Jr (ineligible to # of hours completed); Brian Winn - Jr - JT (redshirting due to injury.)
WOMEN - Michelle Edman - Jr - 5K; Tori Epperson - Jr - 1500; Amanda McKeehan - Fr - SC; Caroline McKeehan - Fr - 400H; Ifeato Okafor - Fr - SP; Katherine Priebe - So - 5K; Kayla Sayegh - So - 5K; Kylee Singleton - Fr - PV.
Sometime over the weekend, I will try to post something that talks about who help themselves and who hurt themselves at the May 7 meet. Review the results on Friday, May 8 and you can probably come up with a pretty good idea of who falls into which group.
In this meet, it appears to me that the Tech athletes fall into 4 distinct groups. In looking at the results, keep these 4 groups in mind. Here are the groups and the Tech athletes that I think fall into to each category:
ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR REGIONALS - some of these kids won't compete on May 7 at all. Some will compete in only one event, to stay sharp for conference. A few are regionally qualified in one event, but need to qualify in another one and this meet is the perfect place to do that.
MEN
Harrison Benjamin - Sr - SP; Anthony Flemons - Jr - LJ (really needs to qualify for regionals THIS WEEK in the TJ); Gilbert Limo - So - SC (needs to qualify in the 1500 as well); Jamele Mason - Fr - 110H, 400H; Brett McDaniel - So - DT; Rodney Mims - Sr - 400; Omo Osaghae - Jr - 110H, 200; Brian Porter - Jr - PV; Waylon Randolph - Jr - LJ; Gil Roberts - So - 200, 400; Darrell Roddick - Jr - LJ, TJ, HJ; Justin Turner - Jr - HJ; and both relays.
WOMEN- Amanda Alley - Jr - PV; Lillian Badaru - Jr - 1500, 5K; D'Andra Carter - Sr - DT, SP; Trudy Clarke - Jr - 400; Asia Diaz - Sr - 800, 1500; Terra Evans - Fr - 100 (great meet to qualify in the 200); Sandra Iwunze - Jr - 400H (still needst to qualify in the 100H); Patience Knight - Sr - SP, DT; Sage Lasater - Fr - PV; Kelsey Lloyd - So - HJ (still needs to qualify in the 400H); Ozie Okolie - Jr - HT (could still qualify in the DT), Tori Smith - Jr - 100H; and both relays.
STILL NEED TO QUALIFY FOR THE REGIONAL MEET - there are still some key people in this group. You hope that many of these athletes qualify here - at a low-key home meet - and that they don't have to worry about it at the conference meet. I think that everyone in this group will compete at conference.
MEN - Lamont Adams - So - 400; Paden Behrens - Jr - JT (the javelin will actually be competed at South Plains College - the new runway is not ready); Zach Dawson - Fr - 1500; Tim Foster - Jr - 400; Markus Henderson - Fr - 200; Cory Higgins - Jr - 1500, Silas Kembois - Jr - 800 and/or 1500; Bill Lawhorn - So - 100, 200, and/or 400; Nathan Lowry - Sr - 110H; Tyler Menges - Jr - SP; Nathan Milles - So - SC; Zach Plinario - So - 400H; Brandon Tucker - Fr - 110H; Julius Walker - Jr - 100; Brandon Washington - So - 400 or 800; Kelly Wilson - So - PV. Of this group, Tech really nees Markus, Julius and Brandon to have a good meet!
WOMEN - Janell Appelhans - Jr - LJ; Amanda Dowdy - Fr - HJ; Jessie Gibbs - So - PV; Michelle Guzman - So - 5K (I can't imagine Michelle trying to run a hard 5K the week before confernce - she will probably run something like the 1500 and work HARD to qualify for regionals in the 5K at conference); Shannon Jackson - So - 800; Kearci Jobe - So - 800; Gladys Kipsang - Jr - 800 or 1500; Kaci Westervelt - Fr - SC.
FIGHTING FOR THE CHANCE TO COMPETE AT CONFERENCE - this is a tough group to be a part of, since probably each of them are on the bubble in the coaches minds - "do we take them to the conference meet?". With the meet in Lubbock, some marginal kids who might NOT get to compete, might get the chance this year. One note, the decathletes, soph Chuck Zavala and freshman Nick Green (probably) will compete at conference even though neither of them have competed in the decathlon this year yet.
MEN - David Boston - Jr or Sr - 1500; Jamaal Butler - Jr - 400; Logan Culotta - So - SC; Matt Davidson - Fr - 800; Bernard Hammonds - So - TJ; Travon Hill-Chadwick - Sr - LJ; Jeremy Kight - Jr - SC; Chase Wade - Jr - SC.
WOMEN - Devin Bailey - So - 800; Veronica DiLullo - Jr - LJ, TJ; Brintney Green - Fr - 800; Roxie Greve - Fr - 100H; Addison Lemaster - Fr - 1500 or 5K; Jamie Simanek - Fr - 100H.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST MEET OF THE SEASON FOR THESE KIDS - some of these kids are redshirts, therefore, definitely won't compete after May 7 for Tech. There are at least 4 kids still on the roster who I suppose are redshirting, but who have not run at all this year, even unattached - freshmen hurdler Tucker Schneeman, freshman discus thrower Clayton Smith, freshman thrower Darrell Gibbs and junior steeplechaser Jake Szot. Not sure if we will see them at this meet or not.
MEN - Eric Ayala - Sr - 5K; Noel Conrad - Sr - SC; Jeremy Doddridge - Fr RS - PV; Aaron Greer - Jr - 1500 or 5K; Jansen Hyde - Sr (ineligible due to grades) - 110H; Paul Julmeus - Fr - 800; Zach Quinones - Jr (ineligible to # of hours completed); Brian Winn - Jr - JT (redshirting due to injury.)
WOMEN - Michelle Edman - Jr - 5K; Tori Epperson - Jr - 1500; Amanda McKeehan - Fr - SC; Caroline McKeehan - Fr - 400H; Ifeato Okafor - Fr - SP; Katherine Priebe - So - 5K; Kayla Sayegh - So - 5K; Kylee Singleton - Fr - PV.
Sometime over the weekend, I will try to post something that talks about who help themselves and who hurt themselves at the May 7 meet. Review the results on Friday, May 8 and you can probably come up with a pretty good idea of who falls into which group.
