Tech's Wilborn earns spot in NCAA championships
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Caleb Wilborn achieved second-team all-America status during track and field's college indoor season that concluded in March.
Then he failed to crack the 7-foot barrier in any of the first four meets he was entered during the outdoor season. But the Coronado and recent Texas Tech graduate is putting it all together again at the right time.
Wilborn, a Red Raiders junior, clinched a berth in the NCAA outdoor championships with his performance Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary meet. He cleared 7 feet, 1 3/4 inches, his personal best outdoors.
The competition concluded when there were 12 jumpers left — the number who advance to the national meet June 8-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Wilborn stood seventh at the time. Also in that group was former Plainview and South Plains College athlete Bryson DeBerry, who was eighth at 7-feet, 1/2 inch.
Wilborn finished ninth in March at the NCAA indoor meet, one spot short of first-team all-America status. He took third place this year in both the Big 12 indoor and outdoor meets, jumping a lifetime best 7-2 1/2 in the indoor at Iowa State.
Two weeks ago at the Big 12 outdoor, Wilborn said he was "in a little bit of rut" early in the outdoor season, topping out between 6-9 1/2 and 6-11 1/4 in four spring meets, but was getting right again.
On Friday, he cleared the first three heights on first attempts. Then he got 7-0 1/2 and 7-1 3/4, both on third attempts. That was enough to earn him a spot in the NCAA outdoor championships for the first time.
Friday was day three of the four-day meet hosted by Arkansas at John McDonnell Field. Seven Tech men made it out of the regional in six individual events.
The Tech men's 400-meter relay won its heat to advance automatically to Eugene. Adam Clayton, Courtney Lindsey, Ashton O'Conner and Jacolby Shelton ran 38.82 seconds, fourth-fastest among 24 relays spread over three heats.
Arkansas is one of two regional sites narrowing the field of athletes for the NCAA outdoor championships. The East Preliminary meet is taking place in Bloomington, Indiana.
In individual events at each regional, 48 athletes are whittled to 12 to advance to Eugene. The regionals also determine the top 12 in relay events.
Lindsey advanced in both the 100 meters and the 200, and middle-distance man Moad Zahafi set a facility record while running the fastest time in the 800, hitting the line in 1 minute, 44.65 seconds.
Malik Metivier won his heat of the 400-meter hurdles in 48.98, second-best for the round and fourth fastest in Tech history.
The other Red Raiders who qualified for Eugene were Terrence Jones in the 100 meters and Chris Welch and Jalen Seals in the triple jump.
In the 100, Jones ran 10.03 and Lindsey a wind-assisted 10.11, third- and sixth-best in the competition. Jones' time was fifth fastest in Tech history, and four-time NCAA champion Divine Oduduru ran the four times better than his.
Lindsey won his quarterfinal of the 200 in 20.15, a personal record and second among the 24 starters.
In the triple jump, Welch uncorked a 54-footer on his first attempt, a personal record, and finished fourth. Seals went 52-10 1/4 for seventh.
Tech's Denim Rogers, Maliek Kendall and Taylor Rooney narrowly missed the top 12 in the 110-meter hurdles.
In Thursday night's action, four Tech women clinched berths in Eugene. Senior Chloe Wall posted the top height in the pole vault, and Monae' Nichols, Ruth Usoro and Ruta Lasmane finished second, fourth and eighth, respectively, in the long jump.
Wall topped out at 13 feet, 9 3/4 inches. It will be the first trip to the NCAA outdoor for the senior from Farmersville. She finished 10th at this year's NCAA indoor, good for second-team all-America status.
In the long jump, Nichols went 21-7 1/2, Usoro went 21-2 3/4 and Lasmane's best mark was 20-8 1/2.
Sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma advanced to Saturday's quarterfinal round in both the 100 meters and the 200. She won her heat of the 100 in 11.32 seconds, fourth best overall, and won her heat of the 200 in 22.94, third best overall.
Tech began the week with 27 entries on the men's side and a nation-best 36 on the women's.
NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY
at Fayetteville, Arkansas
Friday's results
Texas Tech and area athletes' results only
E—qualified for NCAA championships June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon
MEN
Field Events
Discus: 19. Gabriel Oladipo, 175 feet, 8 inches.
High jump: 7. E-Caleb Wilborn, 7-1 3/4; 8. E-Bryson DeBerry, Texas-Arlington (formerly Plainview HS and South Plains College), 7-0 1/2; 17. (tie) Jack Scarborough, 6-10 3/4; 25. (tie) Asani Hylton, Stephen F. Austin (formerly South Plains College), 6-10 3/4.
Triple jump: 4. E-Chris Welch, 54-0 (wind: 0.5 meters per second); 7. E-Jalen Seals, 52-10 1/4 (0.8 mps).
Running Events
400-meter relay: 4. E-Texas Tech (Adam Clayton, Courtney Lindsey, Ashton O'Conner, Jacolby Shelton), 38.82 seconds.
110 hurdles: 13. Denim Rogers, 13.76 (wind: negative 0.4 meters per second); 14. Maliek Kendall, 13.77 (wind: negative 0.4 mps); 16. Taylor Rooney, 13.78 (wind: 0.4 mps).
100: 3. E-Terrence Jones, 10.03 (wind: 0.7 mps); 6. E-Courtney Lindsey, 10.11 (wind: 2.3 mps); 15. Emmanuel Yeboah, Texas A&M (formerly Western Texas College), 10.20 (wind: 0.7 mps); 21. Jacolby Shelton, 10.30 (wind: 2.3 mps).
800: 1. E-Moad Zahafi, 1 minute, 44.65 seconds (facility record); 13. Marco Vilca, 1:47.90.
400 hurdles: 2. E-Malik Metivier, 48.98; 5. E-Moitalel Mpoke, Texas A&M (formerly South Plains College), 49.35; 18. Oskar Edlund, 51.64.
200: 2. E-Courtney Lindsey, 20.15 (wind: 0.0 mps).
1,600 relay: 21. Texas Tech (Ryan Champlin, Eran Siboni, Marco Vilca, Sven Cepus), 3:11.01.
WOMEN
Thursday's Late Results
Texas Tech and area athletes' results only
E—Qualified for NCAA championships June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon
Q—Automatic qualifier to Saturday's round based on place.
q—Qualified for Saturday's round based on mark or time.
Field Events
Shot put: 15. Kayli Johnson, 55-0 1/4; 21. Malin Smith, 53-3 3/4.
Long jump: 1. E-Deborah Acquah, Texas A&M (formerly Western Texas College), 21-10 (wind: negative 0.4 meters per second); 2. E-Monae' Nichols, 21-7 1/2 (wind: 0.5 mps); 4. E-Ruth Usoro, 21-2 3/4 (wind: 0.5 mps); 8. E-Ruta Lasmane, 20-8 1/2 (wind: 1.7 mps); 42. Callie Jones, 19-0 3/4 (wind: negative 0.8 mps).
Pole vault: 1. E-Chloe Wall, 13-9 3/4; 14. Ryleigh Redding, 12-11 3/4; Sarah Tackitt, no height.
Running Events
100: 4. Q-Rosemary Chukwuma, 11.32 (wind: negative 0.7 mps); 17. Q-Virginia Kerley, 11.50 (wind: 0.1 mps); 29. Kiah Dubarry-Gay, 11.62 (wind: negative 0.6 mps).
400: 17. Q-Knowledge Omovoh, 53.16; 22. q-Nayanna Dubarry-Gay, 53.37.
800: 17. q-Michaela Lewis, 2:06.36; 24. Q-Joanna Archer, 2:07.24.
400 hurdles; 20. q-Sylvia Schulz, 58.50; 30. Lexye Price, 59.54.
200; 3. Q-Rosemary Chukwuma, 22.94 (wind: 1.0 mps); 21. Q-Kiah Dubarry-Gay, 23.49 (wind: negative 0.1 mps); 35. Aneesa Scott, 23.80 (wind: 0.3 mps).
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech high jumper Caleb Wilborn earns spot in NCAA championships
