No ordinary day: Three Texas Tech records fall at Red Raider Open

Texas Tech track and field athletes need to be at their best when they host the Big 12 indoor championships in late February and go to Albuquerque for the NCAA meet in mid-March.

Perhaps they can bottle and save some of their performances from Friday.

Hurdler Demisha Roswell, pole vaulter Zach Bradford and the Tech men's 1,600-meter relay team broke school records in the Red Raider Open at the Sports Performance Center. In addition, Rosemary Chukwuma, who broke the school record in the 60 meters last week, now has the second-fastest time in NCAA Division I in that event and the fastest in the 200 with the time she ran Friday, 22.99 seconds.

The men's pole vault was the last event going and Bradford treated those still around by shattering Brandon Bray's 3-year-old school record twice — when he cleared 18 feet, 7 1/4 inches and when he went 18-9 1/4 moments later. Bradford easily topped 18 for the second week in a row, putting more distance between himself and a disappointing 2022 season when losing his grip on a pole shook his psyche for a period of time.

"Finally glad to say I'm back to where I should be. Like I said last week, last year was a fluke," said Bradford, who failed to achieve first-team all-American status for the first time in six NCAA championships. "This year I've been doing really good. Coach (Tom) Slagle is keeping me on track, and teammates here are pushing me hard. It's kind of reminding me of who I should be. How I should be jumping reminded me of who I actually am, and that really helped today."

Bradford was a three-time Big 12 champion and a five-time first-team all-American at Kansas before he transferred to Tech in August. He's made himself more visible with changing hair designs: scarlet, black and bleached last week, and a purple-and-white-bleached stripe pattern Friday.

Reminded purple depicts Kansas State, his former instate rival, Bradford said, "The bottle said black, and it came out purple, so I know not to use this for conference.

"That was kind of a mistake, but it's second time doing it, so we're learning."

Caleb Dean, Courtney Lindsey, Shaemar Uter and Nylo Clarke ran the 1,600 relay in 3 minutes, 4.52 seconds, taking down an 18-year-old Tech record. Dean is a transfer from Maryland, Lindsey a returning all-American, Uter a freshman from Jamaica and Clarke a second-year transfer from Missouri.

"I was pretty pumped," Tech coach Wes Kittley said. "We were hoping for a 3:05. ... Just really impressed with how aggressive they ran."

Dean and Lindsey put a big distance between Tech's team and those from Kentucky, Texas A&M and Arizona State on the first two legs.

"This is a good all-around effort, and I'm really happy with everybody and their performance," Dean said. "We worked really hard for this, and we executed."

The old Tech record of 3:04.75 was set by a team whose last two legs were Andrae Williams and Michael Mathieu, who went on to win four Olympic medals between them representing the Bahamas.

Dean has been quite the acquisition from the NCAA transfer portal. He won the 60-meter hurdles in the Corky Classic last week, finished second in the 60 meters Friday in a personal record 6.60 and ranks in the top 10 in Division I in both. And his best event is the 400 hurdles outdoors.

Kentucky's Jordan Anthony won the 60 in 6.55. Dean and Tech teammate Don'Dre Swint, a transfer from Florida State, both ran 6.60.

For a woman competing in the 60-meter hurdles, looking up at the scoreboard and seeing a sub-8-second time for the first time can be an emotional rush.

Roswell says, rather than chasing a goal time, she just wants to run fast and win. She was fast enough to get the school record for the second week in a row — she clocked 7.99 in the Corky Classic and 7.98 Friday — but not fast enough to keep up with Masai Russell. The Kentucky graduate student broke the collegiate record with a 7.75.

"After she got out, I was like, 'Oh my god. She's gone now,' " Roswell said. "I'm really, really proud of her, because she has come a long way, just like me."

Russell's and Roswell's times convert to 7.77 and 8.00 to account for Lubbock's 3,200 feet of altitude.

Roswell is coming off a 2022 outdoor season in which she won the Big 12 championship in the 100-meter hurdles and achieved first-team all-America status with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA meet. She's a senior from Kingston, Jamaica.

"For this entire season, I just want to stay healthy," she said. "I'm trying to actually go home to make my (national) team so I can get a (professional) contract. This is my last year here at Tech, so I'm just hoping for the best."

The Red Raiders are home again next week for the Texas Tech Open & Multis, a three-day meet starting Thursday. The top visiting teams entered are perennial track power Oregon and Georgia.

The Sports Performance Center also is hosting the Wes Kittley Under Armour High School Classic, which began Friday night and resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday.

RED RAIDER OPEN

at the Sports Performance Center

Friday's Final Results

WOMEN

Field Events

Weight throw: 1. Hannah Bradford, Oklahoma State, 62 feet, 4 1/4 inches; 2. Hannah Hall, Miami, 62-3; 3. Malin Smith, Texas Tech, 60-11 1/4; 5. Field Gatlin, Texas Tech, 57-2.

Pole vault: 1. Ariadni Adamopoulou, Oklahoma State, 13-5 1/4; 2. Ryleigh Redding, Texas Tech, 13-5 1/4; 3. Johanna Duplantis, LSU, 13-1 1/2; 4. (tie) Olivia Cade, Texas Tech, 12-7 1/2.

Long jump: 1. G'Auna Edwards, Texas A&M, 20-9; 2. Joniar Thomas, Texas A&M, 20-4 1/2; 3. Zhane Smith, Texas Tech, 20-2 1/4.

Shot put: 1. KeAyla Dove, North Texas, 56-1 1/4; 2. Hannah Hall, Miami, 54-10 1/4; 3. Field Gatlin, Texas Tech, 51-5 1/2.

High jump: 1. Sidney Sapp, Texas Tech, 5-11 3/4; 2. G'Auna Edwards, Texas A&M, 5-8; 3. Maddie Meiner, Oklahoma State, 5-8; 4. (tie) Mara Hering, Texas Tech, 5-6.

Triple jump: 1. Ashley Moore, Miami, 42-5 1/2; 2. Ella Anttila, Abilene Christian, 41-10; 3. Christina Warren, Arizona State, 41-6; 6. Tamiah Washington, unattached (Texas Tech), 40-3 1/2.

Running Events

400 meters B section: 1. Sanu Jallow, Texas A&M, 54.40 seconds; 2. Leeah Burr, Texas A&M, 54.91; 3. Kendahl Tucker, North Texas, 56.07.

200 B section: 1. Tierra Robinson-Jones, Texas A&M, 23.61; 2. Hannah Douglas, LSU, 24.25; 3. Morgan Smalls, LSU, 24.26; 5. Adriane Nwonumah, Texas Tech, 24.32; 6. Zariere Dumas, Texas Tech, 24.32.

600 yards: 1. Michaela Rose, LSU, 1 minute, 17.58 seconds; 2. Bailey Goggans, Texas A&M, 1:21.09; 3. Gabriella Grissom, Miami, 1:21.21.

Mile: 1. Lena Lebrun, Arizona State, 4:48.52; 2. Abbey Santoro, Texas A&M, 4:53.70; 3. Grace Plain, Texas A&M, 4:54.43.

60 hurdles: 1. Masai Russell, Kentucky, 7.75 (collegiate record; old record, Brianna Rollins-McNeal, Clemson, 7.78 in 2013, and Grace Stark, Florida, 7.78 in 2022); 2. Demisha Roswell, Texas Tech, 7.98 (school record; old record, Roswell, 7.99, last week); 3. Leah Phillips, LSU, 8.14.

60: 1. Kiara Grant, Clemson, 7.09; 2. Marybeth Sant-Price, FK Elite Track Club, 7.18; 3. Sedrickia Wynn, Texas State, 7.35.

400: 1. Dajour Miles, Kentucky, 52.45; 2. Kennedy Wade, Texas A&M, 52.76; 3. Kiah Williams, Central Florida, 53.61.

800: 1. Emma Maurel, Miami, 2:08.76; 2. Brynne Sumner, Clemson, 2:09.05; 3. Lorena Rangel Batres, LSU, 2:09.59.

200: 1. Rosemary Chukwuma, Texas Tech, 22.99; 2. Daija Lampkin, Central Florida, 23.42; 3. Beyonce Defreitas, Central Florida, 23.54.

3,000: 1. Irene Rono, Abilene Christian, 9:50.69; 2. Hannah Spears, Texas Tech, 10:17.49; 3. Elle Mezzio, Miami, 10:24.89.

1,600 relay: 1. Texas A&M (Tierra Robinson-Jones, Kennedy Wade, Sanu Jallow, Jania Martin), 3:31.34; 2. LSU, 3:31.42; 3. Miami, 3:35.84.

MEN

Field Events

Weight throw: 1. Decio Andrade, Miami, 69 feet, 4 inches; 2. Johnathan Witte, LSU, 69-0 3/4; 3. Jacob Mechler, Texas Tech, 64-5 1/4; 4. Konner Wood, Texas Tech, 61-1 3/4; 6. Chris Samaniego, Texas Tech, 60-4 1/2.

Long jump: 1. Jalen Seals, unattached (formerly Texas Tech), 24-10 1/2; 2. Brandon Hicklin, LSU, 24-6 1/4; 3. Jared Holmes, TCU, 23-7 1/4.

Shot put: 1. John Meyer, LSU, 63-3 1/4; 2. Tyler Richardson, Abilene Christian, 55-6 1/2. 3. Devin Roberson, Texas Tech, 52-10 1/4.

Pole vault: 1. Zach Bradford, Texas Tech, 18-9 1/4 (school record; old record, Brandon Bray, 18-5 1/4 in February 2020); 2. Zach Davis, Texas A&M, 17-9 3/4; 3. Logan Fraley, Texas Tech, 17-1 3/4; 5. (tie) Warren Miller, Texas Tech, 16-8.

High jump: 1. Kaithon McDonald, unattached (Texas Tech), 7-0 1/2; 2. Jeremy Cody, Arizona State, 6-10 3/4; 3. Luca Meinke, Texas Tech, 6-10 3/4; 5. Denim Rogers, Texas Tech, 6-6 3/4; 6. (tie) Cole Omlin, Texas Tech, 6-4 3/4.

Triple jump: 1. Russell Robinson, Miami, 53-8 1/4; 2. Gavin Champ, TCU, 48-10; 3. Chadrick Williams, Texas Southern, 48-8.

Running Events

3,000 meters B section: 1. Neal Helgerson, Abilene Christian, 8 minutes, 48.41 seconds; 2. Koket Jimata, Texas State, 8:56.15; 3. Kevin Castruita, Abilene Christian, 8:59.16.

400 B section: 1. Sam Presnal, Texas A&M, 48.64; 2. Felipe Medrado, Texas A&M, 48.72; 3. Christian Rosales, Texas A&M, 49.03.

200 B section: 1. Auhmad Robinson, Texas A&M, 21.36; 2. Simbarashe Maketa, TCU, 21.43; 3. Eric Hemphill, Texas A&M, 21.57.

600 yards: 1. Ashton Hicks, LSU, 1 minute, 9.31 seconds; 2. Marco Vilca, Texas Tech, 1:09.43; 3. James Smith, Texas A&M, 1:09.69.

Mile: 1. E.J. Rush, Texas Tech, 4:07.10; 2. Enrique Borrego, Miami, 4:13.78; 3. Jared Gilley, unattached, 4:14.45; 4. Demetrius Guerrero, unattached (Texas Tech), 4:14.70; 5. Paul Sherrill, unattached (Texas Tech), 4:15.50.

60 hurdles: 1. Giano Roberts, Clemson, 7.73; 2. Matthew Sophia, LSU, 7.73; 3. Sincere Rhea, Miami, 7.73; 6. Taylor Rooney, unattached (Texas Tech), 7.94.

60: 1. Jordan Anthony, Kentucky, 6.55; 2. Caleb Dean, Texas Tech, 6.60; 3. Don'Dre Swint, Texas Tech, 6.60.

400: 1. Justin Robinson, Arizona State, 46.05; 2. Dominick Yancy, Texas State, 46.48; 3. Ashton Schwartzman, Texas A&M, 47.00.

800: 1. Dayton Carlson, Arizona State, 1:48.77; 2. Ayman Zahafi, Miami, 1:49.00; 3. Oskars Bambals, Miami, 1:49.37.

200: 1. Kennedy Lightner, Kentucky, 20.64; 2. Brandon Miller, Kentucky, 20.80; 3. Jack Marshall, Abilene Christian, 20.84.

3,000: 1. Isaac Hernandez, unattached (Texas Tech), 8:32.22; 2. Austen Cannon, Miami, 8:35.76; 3. Jose Gonzalez, Texas Southern, 8:36.71.

1,600 relay: 1. Texas Tech (Caleb Dean, Courtney Lindsey, Shaemar Uter, Nylo Clarke), 3:04.52 (school record; old record, Johnny Jacob, Terry Beard, Andrae Williams, Michael Mathieu, 3:04.75 in March 2005); 2. Kentucky, 3:06.72; 3. LSU, 3:07.17.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: No ordinary day: Three Tech records fall at Red Raider Open