Look at that: Tech sprinters, hurdlers dominate Big 12 qualifying
For Texas Tech to have a chance at breaking Texas' two-year grip on the Big 12 men's indoor track and field championship trophy, the Red Raiders need a mountain of points from their sprints and hurdles group, one of their deepest and strongest units.
They virtually assured themselves of the latter on Friday's first day of the meet at the Sports Performance Center.
Tech claimed five of the eight spots for the final of the 60-meter hurdles and six of the eight for the final of the 60, highlighted by a sizzling season opener from Terrence Jones. There was no shortage of whooping it up as the red wave crossed the finish line in those heats, checked the scoreboard and saw a slew of big Qs and small qs — automatic qualifiers and time qualifiers — next to their names.
"That's what we were hoping to get out of this thing," Tech sprints/hurdles coach Calvin Robinson said. "You always hope for something, but rarely does it ever happen like that, so it's nothing but excitement. The guys are energized. We're at home. We're trying to protect the house."
Caleb Dean (7.62 seconds), Denim Rogers (7.73) and Antoine Andrews (7.75) qualified 1-2-3 in the 60 hurdles, and Mike Dingle (7.97) and Samuel Alves (7.98) got the last two spots. Were they to finish Saturday in the same positions they qualified, that would be worth 27 points.
"That's the best hurdle group in the country right there," Rogers said.
In the 60 meters, Jones (6.46), Dean (6.58), Courtney Lindsey (6.58), Don'Dre Swint (6.59), Nylo Clarke (6.62) and Adam Clayton (6.63) qualified 1-2-4-5-7-8. That order in a final would count for 30 points.
Jones, the 6-foot-4 Bahamian, tied an NCAA record last year when he knocked out a 60 in 6.45. But he's been sidelined this winter and carefully brought back from a pelvic inflammation.
His 6.46 was the fastest time in NCAA Division I this season by five one-hundredths of a second, a sizable gap. And it was his first race of the year.
"Yeah, but last time was first race of the year," Robinson said, referring to Jones' 6.45. "I mean, that's what we do. We train for it. We expect it. And now he's been there before, so he'll be able to come back and bounce back and hopefully do it again tomorrow."
Not surprisingly after a season opener, Jones suggested there's more in the tank.
"It's good to knock the rust off, first race," he said. "I came close to my PR (personal record), but I didn't execute the race as good as I wanted to. My start was a little bit iffy, but overall it's a good race. I executed. I did what my coach told me to do, so I'm pretty happy about it."
Jones cinched a spot in the 60 at next month's NCAA championships. Even when Jones was out, Tech coach Wes Kittley predicted his star sprinter would qualify for national the first time he competed.
He did — and nearly matched the NCAA record again.
"It's kind of like a feeling of deja vu," Jones said. "I never forget that feeling. I try to always let that feeling stick with me, so that I can perform at my best. When I looked and saw that 6.46, I knew I was close to where I need to be and close to where I want to be."
Dean, Tech's impact transfer from Maryland, matched his personal record in the 60 hurdles and set a personal record in the 60. He came into the week sixth in Division I in the former and 16th in the latter. After this weekend's conference meets, the top 16 in individual events and the top 12 in relays qualify for the NCAA meet.
"I think that'll probably get me (in)," Dean said, "but I'm just going to try to run faster tomorrow to secure my spot for the 60 dash, and hopefully I can do the double at NCAA indoors."
The sprinters claimed more lanes in Saturday's final for the men's 200. Lindsey (indoor personal record 20.32), Clayton (20.83) and Clarke (21.01) qualified 1-5-8. For NCAA rankings purposes, Lindsey's 20.32 converts to 20.39 to account for Lubbock's 3,200 feet of altitude and he moves from fourth in Division I going into the week to third, pending results from other conference meets this weekend.
Not all the developments in regard to Tech's sprints/hurdles group were positive, however. Tech didn't enter Jacolby Shelton, who's missed a month with a hamstring strain, so the high-point scorer at last year's Big 12 meet was cheering his teammates. Shelton was two-time defending Big 12 champion in the 60 and also won the 200 last year.
In addition to qualifying second for the 60 hurdles final, Rogers also is second after the first four events in the heptathlon with 3,231 points, so the graduate student from Midland Lee is positioned to deliver points for the Red Raiders in two events.
The transfer from Houston Christian isn't unaccustomed to the workload.
"Before I got to Texas Tech, I was doing more than the open hurdles and the hep," Rogers said. "I was doing the hep, the high jump, open hurdles, open pole vault, all in one conference meet.
"So I can handle the hurdles along with the hep. That's no problem. It's no big deal to me. If we need points, I'm game to get it. I was like, 'Let's go get it and get us some points for the team and win.' "
Rogers is ranked 10th in Division I in the heptathlon, in good position to make the NCAA indoor.
In Friday's late events, Zach Bradford won his fourth consecutive Big 12 title in the pole vault, earning the top spot on the podium at the past two conference championships indoor and the past two outdoor. He transferred to Tech after winning the first three for Kansas.
"Honestly, it means a lot," Bradford said. "I've been holding back the tears because last year I had a struggle of a year. It was like I was winning conference by a height, but that was like the highest I could jump at that time.
"And then having this new atmosphere and new team, I started from basically zero. I had a fresh mind, and coach (Tom) Slagle's been great with me, brought me to the top."
Bradford tweaked a groin muscle eight days before in practice. Even with treatment, the injury still bothers him, so Friday was no ordinary competition.
Bradford cleared 18 feet, 5 1/2 inches, his second-lowest winning height in a sensational season. Coaches shut him down after he had clinched the title.
He needed his third attempt to get over 18 1 3/4; otherwise, he would've finished second.
"Before that, Kittley told me, 'No pressure. We're happy with you no matter you do.' 'Kittley, I'm going out there to win,' " Bradford said. "That's what I'm here for. That's why I came to Tech. I wanted to get 10 points for the team so we can get that team title, and hopefully it helps."
The meet concludes Saturday. Combined events are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., field events from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and running events from 2 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.
BIG 12 INDOOR
TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
at the Sports Performance Center
Friday's Results
Event finals only
WOMEN
Team totals (six of 19 events scored): 1. Oklahoma State, 68 points; 2. Oklahoma, 47 1/2; 3. Kansas State, 34; 4. Iowa State, 30; 5. Kansas, 12 1/2; 6. (tie) Texas Tech, Texas, 11; 8. (tie) Baylor, West Virginia, 8; 10. TCU, 4.
Combined Events
Pentathlon: 1. Pippi Lotta Enok, Oklahoma, 4,207 points; 2. Bailey Golden, Oklahoma State, 4,136; 3. Urte Bacianskaite, Kansas State, 4,028.
Field Events
Weight throw: 1. Abby Moore, Oklahoma, 68 feet, 6 inches; 2. Jasmine Greer, Kansas State, 67-8 1/4; 3. Emma Robbins, Kansas State, 66-7 3/4; 6. Malin Smith, Texas Tech, 62-6.
Pole vault: 1. Ariadni Adamopoulou, Oklahoma State, 13-9; 2. Olivia Cade, Texas Tech, 13-9; 3. Olivia Lueking, Oklahoma, 13-5.
Long jump: 1. Sydney Willits, Iowa State, 20-9 1/4; 2. Bailey Golden, Oklahoma State, 20-6 1/4; 3. Shalom Olotu, Kansas State, 20-3 1/2.
Running Events
5,000 meters: 1. Taylor Roe, Oklahoma State, 16 minutes, 8.37; 2. Cailie Logue, Iowa State, 16:18.36; 3. Gabby Hentemann, Oklahoma State, 16:23.07.
Distance medley relay: 1. Oklahoma State (Gabija Galvydyte, Ansley Scott, Kaylie Politza, Billah Jepkirui), 11:12.21 (facility record); 2. West Virginia, 11:23.76; 3. Iowa State, 11:26.72.
MEN
Team totals (five of 19 events scored): 1. Kansas, 41; 2. Texas, 39; 3. Oklahoma State, 29; 4. Texas Tech, 28; 5. Iowa State, 24; 6. Oklahoma, 10; 7. Baylor, 9; 8. TCU, 8; 9. Kansas State, 7.
Combined Events
Heptathlon (through four of seven events): 1. Kristo Simulask, Oklahoma, 3,390 points; 2. Denim Rogers, Texas Tech, 3,231; 3. Tayton Klein, Kansas, 3,098.
Field Events
Long jump: 1. Nikaoli Williams, Oklahoma, 25-4 1/2; 2. Solomon Washington, Texas, 25-1 3/4; 3. Tayton Klein, Kansas, 25-0 1/2; 7. Chris Welch, Texas Tech, 24-0 3/4.
Weight throw: 1. Cam Jones, Iowa State, 76-4 1/4; 2. Jeremiah Nubbe, Texas, 71-3 1/4; 3. Jacob Mechler, Texas Tech, 70-4 1/2; 8. Konner Wood, Texas Tech, 61-4 1/4.
Pole vault: 1. Zach Bradford, Texas Tech, 18-5 1/2; 2. Clayton Simms, Kansas, 18-1 3/4; 3. Ashton Barkdull, Kansas, 17-9 3/4; 7. Logan Fraley, Texas Tech, 17-1 3/4; 8. Kyle Stifflemire, Texas Tech, 17-1 3/4.
Running Events
5,000 meters: 1. Alex Maier, Oklahoma State, 14 minutes, 11.72 seconds; 2. Haftu Knight, Texas, 14:18.75; 3. Will Muirhead, Oklahoma State, 14:18.78; 4. Isaac Alonzo, Texas, 14:19.19.
Distance medley relay: 1. Oklahoma State (Fouad Messaoudi, Charlie Bartholomew, Juan Diego Castro, Ryan Schoppe), 9:31.52 (meet record; old record, Oklahoma State, 9:37.31 in 2015; facility record; old record, Texas Tech, Owen Likens, Chancellor Stephenson, Sven Cepus, Takieddine Hedeilli, 9:36.71 in February 2021); 2. Iowa State, 9:35.49; 3. Texas Tech (Paul Sherrill, Oskar Edlund, Marco Vilca, E.J. Rush), 9:48.55.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Look at that: Tech sprinters, hurdlers dominate Big 12 qualifying
