Red Raiders healing up for Jarvis Scott Open

The Texas Tech men are ranked No. 3, the Texas Tech women are rated No. 15 and that's with neither team having all its big guns firing so far this season.

Some of Tech's top sprinters and jumpers are in various stages of recovery from injuries as the Red Raiders prepare to host the Jarvis Scott Open on Friday and Saturday at the Sports Performance Center. High jumper Caleb Wilborn, a second-team all-American both indoor and outdoor last year, is expected to open up his season this weekend at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque.

"He's had a little hamstring issue bothering him," Tech coach Wes Kittley said, "and he's healthy now."

With Tech hosting the Big 12 championships in two weeks, getting its sprinters right is a focal point. Three-time Big 12 champion Jacolby Shelton and Don'Dre Swint, a first-team all-American in the 60 meters last year at Florida State, are dealing with grade 1 hamstring strains.

Tech coaches also are being careful with Terrence Jones, who tied the NCAA record last year in the 60 meters with a time of 6.45 seconds. The 6-foot-4 Bahamian has yet to compete this season because of a bursa sac inflammation in the pelvic area.

"We feel like we've got him back about 95 to 98 percent," Kittley said. "We're just not going to take a lot of chances on him indoors. We want to make sure we've got him really running well for outdoors.

"We're planning on running him next week, one time, in the 60. I think he'll qualify for nationals, then run him at conference and then go to nationals. That's what our plan is."

Tech plans to rest most of its top competitors next week when it hosts the Matador Qualifier on Feb. 17. Everything is pointed toward optimizing performance at the Big 12 and NCAA championships, and the men's sprinters are a key part of that. Courtney Lindsey, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in the 200, and Caleb Dean, ranked No. 2 in the 60-meter hurdles, will compete on a limited schedule this weekend.

"We want to have at least a chance — it's going to be war with Texas — for the Big 12 championship," Kittley said. "We really want to have a chance there, so we're trying not to run them much before then."

Shelton, one of the Big 12's top 60- and 200-meter men, pulled up lame running a 200 two weeks ago in a race with NCAA champions Matthew Boling from Georgia and Micah Williams from Oregon. Williams pulled up in the same race just before Shelton did.

Shelton is the defending Big 12 indoor champion in the 200 and the two-time defending champion in the 60.

"He is working out, light jogging, doing those things," Kittley said. "I believe next week we start back more medium-paced stuff, and then the next week will be harder and then we'll know. I think we'll know that week of the 17th whether he's going to compete at Big 12 or not."

The most prominent missing piece for the Tech women has been Ruta Lasmane, a four-time first-team all-American in the triple jump. She's not opened up this season because of a stress reaction in her back. She's due for another medical examination next week.

"She's doing really well; I know that," Kittley said. "But she had a real hot spot in the top of her back. It wasn't a stress fracture, but it was a stress reaction, so we're having to be careful with a jumper."

Track & field

What: Jarvis Scott Open

When: Friday-Saturday

Where: Sports Performance Center

Friday's schedule: Field-event start times, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Running-event start times, 5 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Saturday's schedule: Field-event start times, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Running-event start times, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Red Raiders healing up for Jarvis Scott Open