Tech's Nichols takes fourth at U.S. championships
Texas Tech track and field all-American Monae' Nichols finished fourth in the women's long jump on Thursday's first night of the U.S. outdoor championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Nichols' best mark was a wind-legal 21 feet, 7 1/4 inches.
Quanesha Burks, the 2015 NCAA champion and a 2020 U.S. Olympic team member, won the gold medal with a wind-assisted jump of 23-2.
Finishing second and third were Florida's NCAA champion Jasmine Moore (wind-assisted 22-3 3/4) and Tiffany Flynn (wind-legal 21-1 1/2), a former Mississippi State all-American who was fourth at this year's IAAF World Championships indoors.
Hayward Field hosted the NCAA championships two weeks ago, is the site of the U.S. championships and also will host the outdoor World Championships from July 15-24.
Nichols, who is completing her Tech career, finished fourth at the NCAA championships.
Three middle-distance runners with West Texas ties advanced to the semifinals of the men's 800 meters. Jonah Koech and Vincent Crisp, members of Tech's NCAA championship team of 2019, advanced automatically with top-three finishes in the same heat. They were second and third in 1 minute, 47.10 seconds and 1:47.18, respectively.
Koech now runs for the U.S. Army and Crisp for Under Armour.
Former Midland High star Bryce Hoppel won his heat in 1:48.12.
Another Tech ex, C.J. Jones of Under Armour, had the best time of those who failed to advance, 1:48.45.
In the first round of the men's 100, former South Plains College star Fred Kerley won his heat in 9.83, his personal record and good for the world lead this year. Tech's Courtney Lindsey finished seventh in the same heat with a 10.36, failing to advance to the semifinals.
Former Tech all-American Benard Keter advanced to the semifinals of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, running 8:28.92 for eighth. Running on the same track last summer at the U.S. Olympic trials, Keter finished second to claim a spot on Team USA for Tokyo, where he finished 11th.
South Plains exes Vernon Norwood and Khaleb McRae made it through the first round of the men's 400. Norwood won his heat in 45.34, the third-best time among 29 starters. McRae also advanced automatically with a second-place finish in his heat, running a 46.10.
Norwood was U.S. champion in the 400 in 2016 and is a five-time global gold medalist on Team USA 1,600-meter relays.
McRae anchored Alabama's 1,600-meter relay to a third-place finish in a school-record time at the recent NCAA championships.
The meet continues through Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech's Monae' Nichols takes fourth at U.S. championships
