Bradford takes 2nd at NCAA meet, breaks school record again
Texas Tech coaches told Zach Bradford to stop competing after he clinched the Big 12 championship in the pole vault two weeks ago. The Red Raiders' star had been bothered by a groin-muscle injury that kept him from practicing on a normal schedule the week before.
Bradford was back to his old self Friday night.
The senior from Bloomington, Illinois, finished second in the pole vault at the NCAA indoor track and field championships, breaking his Texas Tech school record again. He topped out at 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches.
He was runner-up to Princeton senior Sondre Guttormsen, who won his third NCAA title after sweeping the pole vault at last year's NCAA indoor and outdoor meets. Guttormsen cleared 19-8 1/4 Friday night, setting the meet record and matching the collegiate record set two years ago by Baylor's K.C. Lightfoot.
By finishing in the top eight at an NCAA championship meet, Bradford achieved first-team all-America status for the sixth time. The first five were with Kansas before he transferred to Texas Tech this school year.
The NCAA indoor was the fourth meet this season in which Bradford has broken the Tech record. The record he set Friday at the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center broke the mark of 19-1 1/2 he set last month at the same venue.
Friday was the first day of the two-day meet.
Bradford's second-place finish was good for eight points for the Red Raiders, who are ranked No. 3 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Tech's chances of a top-four finish that would put the Red Raiders on the podium as a team were damaged, however, when Courtney Lindsey failed to advance to the finals in the 200 meters.
Lindsey ran a time of 20.60 seconds for fourth place in his heat and 10th overall. He came in No. 1 in NCAA Division I this season after running 20.13 to win the Big 12 title two weeks ago in Lubbock.
Tech's Terrence Jones advanced to Saturday's final in the 60 meters, and Caleb Dean and Antoine Andrews advanced to the final in the 60-meter hurdles. Don'Dre Swint ran a 6.59 in the 60, but narrowly missed making the finals, finishing 10th overall.
The Red Raiders have three others competing Saturday on the men's side: Omamuyovwi Erhire in the high jump, Chris Welch in the triple jump and Denim Rogers, who is 13th in the heptathlon through four of the seven combined events.
Demisha Roswell lowered her school record in the women's 60-meter hurdles, going 7.92 for fourth place in the semifinal round. However, sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma didn't make it out of the semifinals in the 60 meters or the 200 meters, though her 200 time of 22.80 was second all-time at Tech.
In addition to Roswell in the hurdles, the Tech women have two entrants in Saturday's triple jump: Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta and Onaara Obamuwagun, who finished first and second in the Big 12 meet.
Tech qualifiers
Here are Friday's results and Saturday's competition schedule of Texas Tech athletes competing at the NCAA indoor track and field championships.
Friday's results
Note: Event finals unless indicated otherwise.
WOMEN
Running events
60 meters semifinal: 12. Rosemary Chukwuma, 7.23 seconds
60-meter hurdles semifinal: 4. Demisha Roswell, 7.92
200 meters semifinal: 10. Rosemary Chukwuma, 22.80
MEN
Combined events
Heptathlon: 13. Denim Rogers, 3,263 points through four events.
Field events
Pole vault: 2. Zach Bradford, 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches
Running events
60 meters semifinal: 3. Terrence Jones, 6.54 seconds; 10. Don'Dre Swint, 6.59
60-meter hurdles semifinal: 3. Caleb Dean, 7.59; 8. Antoine Andrews, 7.67
200 meters semifinal: 10. Courtney Lindsey, 20.60
Saturday's schedule
Field events
4:45 p.m. — Triple jump: Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta, Onaara Obamuwagun
Running events
5:40 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles: Demisha Roswell
MEN
Combined events
11:30 a.m. — Heptathlon: Denim Rogers
Field events
2 p.m. — High jump: Omamuyovwi Erhire
7:45 p.m. — Triple jump: Chris Welch
Running events
8:10 p.m. — 60 meters: Terrence Jones
8:40 p.m. — 60-meter hurdles: Caleb Dean, Antoine Andrews
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Zach Bradford takes 2nd at NCAA meet, breaks school record again
