Tech women take 2nd at Big 12 outdoor with program-best 162 points

In the Big 12 Conference outdoor track and field championships, probably no one gave the Texas Tech women a chance of denying top-ranked Texas its third consecutive team title.

But the Red Raiders sure made the Longhorns earn it.

Texas racked up 172 1/2 points in the three-day meet at the Fuller Track Complex, and Tech was right behind with 162. The point total was a program-best for the Tech women in a Big 12 outdoor championships, and the only other time they were runners-up was in 2009.

"In my 23 years, this is the best performance (by a Tech women's team) ever at a Big 12, coming within 10 points of winning it," Tech coach Wes Kittley said. "I think if you ask Texas, this is probably their best team ever. For us to get this close and have the meet we had, I'm just so impressed with our ladies. They came to strap it on and to have a great meet."

Texas swept the team titles. The Longhorn men's team, also ranked No. 1, scored 161 points to 127 for Oklahoma and 118 for Tech.

The sprinters and jumpers showed the way for the Red Raider women. On Sunday's final day of competition, Demisha Roswell set a meet record and Sidney Sapp personal and school records in winning the 100-meter hurdles and the high jump, respectively.

Roswell breezed through the hurdles in a wind-legal 12.44 seconds, breaking the meet record of 12.63 that Nebraska's Priscilla Lopes held since 2006. Unofficially, the time tied for fourth in NCAA history, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Sapp cleared 6 feet, 2 1/4 inches. She's a senior from Del City, Oklahoma, and it was her first conference title.

"It means a lot, because I felt like I was going through kind of a rough patch before," Sapp said. "And so to get a new PR and to become conference champion and to hold the school record means a lot. It really boosts my confidence going into regionals. I'm so grateful and excited for what's to come."

Two-time NCAA champion Zarriea Willis set the previous Tech women's high jump outdoor record at 6-2, and also holds the indoor mark at 6-2 1/4.

Among those Sapp beat was Texas star Tyra Gittens, the national field athlete of the year in 2021.

"I just try to stay focused and not really look at other people," Sapp said, "because when you look at other people, it can get in your head and mess up your jumps. So I just tried to focus on myself and do my best."

The Red Raiders scored 24 points in the triple jump with a 1-2-3 finish from Ruth Usoro, Ruta Lasmane and Onaara Obamuwagun on Sunday. That was after they'd gotten 22 points Saturday night in the triple jump with a 1-2-5 showing from Monae' Nichols, Usoro and Lasmane. Unofficially, Nichols' wind-legal mark of 22 feet, 10 1/2 inches tied for third-best in NCAA history, according to USTFCCCA records.

"It's a favor from God," Usoro said, "and it's blessing. Because we've always prayed for this. We've worked hard, and we put God first in everything we've done.

"I'm just grateful for this team and I'm so impressed and humbled that God would take us to place first, second and third in the triple jump. I'm just thankful, and I'm proud of my teammates."

Usoro won the seventh Big 12 title (four triple jump, three long jump) in her three-year Tech career, counting indoor and outdoor championships.

Maliek Kendall was the only individual champion for the Tech men. The senior from Grandview, Missouri, took the 110-meter hurdles in a wind-legal 13.45, a personal record and a time that moved him to ninth in NCAA Division I this season.

"My goodness, what a phenomenal run by him," Kittley said.

It was the first Big 12 title for Kendall, who has been runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles indoors three years in a row.

In winning Sunday, he fulfilled a pledge that he made during the indoor season.

"This is my last season to be able to compete for Texas Tech, Big 12 and to make a mark for myself," Kendall said in February. "I have come so far, and I want to make a moment for myself, and I will."

With NCAA regional competition coming up in two weeks at Arkansas and the NCAA outdoor championships two weeks after that at Oregon, Kittley weighed the risk-reward with his men's team and was cautious with some of his top guns.

Three-time Big 12 sprints champion Jacolby Shelton advanced through Saturday's preliminaries in the 100 meters. On Sunday, Shelton ran on the Red Raiders' third-place sprint relay, but was scratched from the finals of the 100.

Middle-distance man Moad Zahafi, ranked No. 1 in Division I in the 800 meters, knocked out a 1:46.81 for the top time in Saturday's preliminaries, but was scratched from Sunday's final.

And with the team title decided, Kittley also withdrew his team from the meet-ending 1,600 relay.

"When we figured we couldn't catch Texas, we took Moad out of the 800," Kittley said. "He's got a little bit of a soreness that I didn't want to chance. Jacolby hurt himself at our last meet, and we weren't even going to run him in this meet, but did and he had two good runs, and we decided we didn't want to take another chance.

"So we came out of it pretty healthy with those guys."

Shelton tweaked a hamstring at the Red Raiders' last home meet, but it turned out to be less serious than feared.

"We got to see today that there's not anything wrong with him," Kittley said.

BIG 12 OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Fuller Track Complex

Friday-Sunday

WOMEN

Team totals: 1. Texas, 172 1/2 points; 2. Texas Tech, 162; 3. Oklahoma, 101 1/2; 4. Baylor, 92; 5. Iowa State, 73; 6. Oklahoma State, 55; 7. Kansas, 53; 8. Kansas State, 41; 9. West Virginia, 38.

Combined Events

Heptathlon: 1. Kristine Blazevica, Texas, 6,064 points; 2. Callie Jones, Texas Tech, 5,864; 3. Bailey Golden, Oklahoma State, 5,802; 6. Aria Tate, Texas Tech, 5,344.

Field Events

Hammer throw: 1. Lauren Jones, Oklahoma, 222 feet, 1 inch; 2. Emma Robbins, Kansas State, 217-1; 3. Antonella Creazzola, Iowa State, 205-1.

Javelin: 1. Rhiley Fritz, Texas, 164-9; 2. Callie Jones, Texas Tech, 162-9; 3. Sydney Juszczyk, TCU, 159-11; 4. Maria Sotomayor, Texas Tech, 146-3.

Shot put: 1. Kayli Johnson, Texas Tech, 58-4 3/4; 2. Payden Montana, Oklahoma, 56-6 1/2; 3. Marilyn Nwora, Texas, 56-5 1/4.

Pole vault: 1. Olivia Lueking, Oklahoma, 14-7 1/2; 2. Tuesdi Tidwell, Baylor, 14-1 1/4; 3. Kasey Staley, TCU, 14-1 1/4; 7. Ryleigh Redding, Texas Tech, 13-7 1/4.

Long jump: 1. Monae' Nichols, Texas Tech, 22-10 1/2 (wind: 1.0 meters per second); 2. Ruth Usoro, Texas Tech, 22-3 (wind: 0.8 mps); 3. Tyra Gittens, Texas, 21-6 3/4; 5. Ruta Lasmane, Texas Tech, 21-0 3/4.

Discus: 1. Alexandra Emilianov, Kansas, 198-5; 2. Lauren Jones, Oklahoma, 185-0; 3. Seasons Usual, Texas Tech, 183-1; 5. Malin Smith, Texas Tech, 175-10.

High jump: 1. Sidney Sapp, Texas Tech, 6-2 1/4; 2. Rylee Anderson, Kansas, 6-0; 3. Tyra Gittens, Texas, 5-10 3/4.

Triple jump: 1. Ruth Usoro, Texas Tech, 45-9 (wind: 2.3 mps); 2. Ruta Lasmane, Texas Tech, 45-3 3/4 (wind: 4.2 mps); 3. Onaara Obamuwagun, Texas Tech, 44-11 3/4 (wind: 1.5 mps).

Running Events

10,000 meters: 1. Gabby Hentemann, Oklahoma State, 34 minutes, 18.58 seconds; 2. Dana Feyen, Iowa State, 34:19.80; 3. Winrose Chesang, Iowa State, 34:44.44.

3,000 steeplechase: 1. Ceili McCabe, West Virginia, 10:12.87; 2. Lona Latema, Kansas, 10:20.75; 3. Janette Schraft, Iowa State, 10:30.85.

5,000: 1. Dana Feyen, Iowa State, 16:27.62; 2. Isabel Hebner, Texas, 16:27.99; 3. Lona Latema, Kansas, 16:39.99.

400 relay: 1. Texas (Julien Alfred, Rhadisat Adeleke, Kevona Davis, Kynnedy Flannel), 42.35 (meet record); 2. Texas Tech (Virginia Kerley, Kiah Dubarry-Gay, Demisha Roswell, Rosemary Chukwuma), 42.75; 3. Baylor, 43.65.

1,500: 1. Taylor Roe, Oklahoma State, 4:17.00; 2. Hayley Jackson, West Virginia, 4:23.02; 3. Kassidy Johnson, Kansas State, 4:23.79; 7. Halena Rahmaan, Texas Tech, 4:34.65.

100 hurdles: 1. Demisha Roswell, Texas Tech, 12.44 (wind: 1.5 meters per second) (meet record); 2. Ackera Nugent, Baylor, 12.45; 3. Alexis Duncan, Baylor, 12.93.

400: 1. Stacey Ann Williams, Texas, 50.21; 2. Kennedy Simon, Texas, 50.68; 3. Rhasidat Adeleke, Texas, 50.70; 7. Nayanna Dubarry-Gay, Texas Tech, 53.38.

100: 1. Julien Alfred, Texas, 10.80 (wind: 2.4 mps); 2. Kevona Davis, Texas, 10.83; 3. Rosemary Chukwuma, Texas Tech, 10.88; 8. Kiah Dubarry-Gay, 11.40.

800: 1. Aaliyah Miller, Baylor, 2:02.31 (meet record); 2. Gabija Galvydyte, Oklahoma State, 2:03.79; 3. Honour Finley, Kansas, 2:05.05; 4. Michaela Lewis, Texas Tech, 2:05.49; 6. Joanna Archer, Texas Tech, 2:08.46.

400 hurdles: 1. Gontse Morake, Baylor, 56.19; 2. Sylvia Schulz, Texas Tech, 58.10; 3. Milan Young, Texas, 59.07.

200: 1. Kynnedy Flannel, Texas, 22.23 (wind: 2.0 mps) (meet record); 2. Kevona Davis, Texas, 22.26; 3. Rosemary Chukwuma, Texas Tech, 22.33; 8. Aneesa Scott, Texas Tech, 23.30.

1,600 relay: 1. Baylor (Mariah Ayers, Kavia Francis, Gontse Morake, Imaobong Nse Uko), 3:26.92 (meet record); 2. Texas Tech (Nayanna Dubarry-Gay, Knowledge Omovoh, Kiah Dubarry-Gay, Aneesa Scott), 3:32.63; 3. Kansas State, 3:35.08.

MEN

Team totals: 1. Texas, 161 points; 2. Oklahoma, 127; 3. Texas Tech, 118; 4. Baylor, 86; 5. Kansas, 74; 6. Oklahoma State, 72; 7. Iowa State, 67; 8. Kansas State, 56; 9. TCU, 49.

Combined Events

Decathlon: 1. Kristo Simulask, Oklahoma, 7,926 points; 2. Alexander Jung, Kansas, 7,606; 3. Tejaswin Shankar, Kansas State, 7,592; 5. Denim Rogers, Texas Tech, 7,520; 7. Gary Haasbroek, Texas Tech, 7,149.

Field Events

Hammer throw: 1. Bayley Campbell, Oklahoma, 230-2; 2. Kade McCall, Kansas State, 220-10; 3. Edward Jeans, Oklahoma, 219-9; 5. Gabriel Oladipo, Texas Tech, 211-0.

Javelin: 1. Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi, Baylor, 255-10; 2. Markim Felix, Texas Tech, 232-0; 3. Garrett Wade, Texas Tech, 218-2.

High jump: 1. Vernon Turner, Oklahoma, 7-3 1/4; 2. Kason O'Riley, Oklahoma, 7-2 1/4; 3. Caleb Wilborn, Texas Tech, 7-0 1/2; 6. Jack Scarborough, Texas Tech, 6-11.

Long jump: 1. Johnny Brackins, Baylor, 26-5 1/2 (wind: 0.9 meters per second); 2. Jalen Seals, Texas Tech, 25-8 (wind: 1.5 mps); 3. Stacy Brown, Texas, 25-5 1/2.

Shot put: 1. Adrian Piperi, Texas, 69-9 3/4; 2. Jalil Brewer, Texas, 62-8 3/4; 3. Cooper Campbell, Oklahoma, 62-5 3/4; 6. Gabriel Oladipo, Texas Tech, 59-7 3/4.

Discus: 1. Devin Roberson, TCU, 188-2; 2. Sean Stavinoha, Texas, 187-6; 3. Patrick Larrison, Kansas, 181-7; 4. Gabriel Oladipo, Texas Tech, 180-7; 6. Jacob Mechler, Texas Tech, 172-1.

Pole vault: 1. Zach Bradford, Kansas, 18-1; 2. Clayton Simms, Kansas, 17-9; 3. Kyle Rogers, Kansas, 17-5; 8. Logan Fraley, Texas Tech, 17-1.

Triple jump: 1. Chengetayi Mapaya, TCU, 55-3 (wind: 1.9 mps); 2. Chris Welch, Texas Tech, 53-11 (wind: 2.3 mps); 3. Jalen Seals, Texas Tech, 53-7 (wind: 2.4 mps).

Running Events

10,000 meters: 1. Haftu Knight, Texas, 29 minutes, 21.90 seconds; 2. Ryan Ford, Iowa State, 29:22.99; 3. Thomas Pollard, 29:28.11.

3,000 steeplechase: 1. Ryan Smeeton, Oklahoma State, 8:47.87; 2. Will Muirhead, Oklahoma State, 8:53.36; 3. Victor Shitsama, Oklahoma State, 8:57.62.

5,000:1. Alex Maier, Oklahoma State, 14:03.74; 2. Yaseen Abdalla, Texas, 14:07.60; 3. Chad Johnson, Iowa State, 14:08.62.

400 relay: 1. TCU (Bryson Stubblefield, Tinotenda Matiyenga, Kundai Maguranyanga, Robert Gregory), 38.50 (meet record); 2. Texas, 38.73; 3. Texas Tech, 38.76.

1,500: 1. Fouad Messaoudi, Oklahoma State, 3:42.00; 2. Ryan Schoppe, Oklahoma State, 3:42.87; 3. Crayton Carrozza, Texas, 3:44.66.

110 hurdles: 1. Maliek Kendall, Texas Tech, 13.45 (wind: 1.9 mps); 2. Elijah Morris, Baylor, 13.51; 3. Johnny Brackins, Baylor, 13.62; 4. Taylor Rooney, Texas Tech, 13.63; 7. Kyle Lind, Texas Tech, 14.12.

400: 1. Jonathan Jones, Texas, 44.43 (meet record); 2. Richard Kuykendall, Oklahoma, 45.25; 3. Willington Wright, Texas, 45.34.

100: 1. Micaiah Harris, Texas, 9.93 (wind: 2.4 mps); 2. Isaiah Cunningham, Baylor, 9.97; 3. Demarius Smith, Oklahoma, 10.12.

800: 1. Yusuf Bizimana, Texas, 1:48.55; 2. Darius Kipyego, iowa State, 1:48.83; 3. Peter Smith, Iowa State, 1:48.85; 4. Marco Vilca, Texas Tech, 1:49.25; 5. Sven Cepus, Texas Tech, 1:51.16.

400 hurdles: 1. Nathaniel Ezekiel, Baylor, 48.42 (meet record); 2. Isaiah Levingston, Oklahoma, 48.82; 3. Malik Metivier, Texas Tech, 49.53; 5. Oskar Edlund, Texas Tech, 50.60; 8. Noah Burton, Texas Tech, 53.88.

200: 1. Micaiah Harris, Texas, 19.72 (wind: 3.8 mps); 2. Courtney Lindsey, Texas Tech, 19.81; 3. Robert Gregory, TCU, 20.00.

1,600 relay: 1. Baylor (Hasani Barr, Matthew Moorer, Jayson Baldridge, Dillon Bedell), 3:02.73; 2. Kansas State, 3:04.27; 3. TCU, 3:05.02.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech women take 2nd at Big 12 outdoor with program-best 162 points