Wilborn sets personal best, conquers field in Red Raider Open

NCAA champions Jacorian Duffield and Trey Culver along with Olympian Bradley Adkins made the high jump a calling card for the Texas Tech track and field program in recent years.

Caleb Wilborn would like to go where those standard-setters for Red Raiders high-jump royalty have gone, and the Tech sophomore took a step forward in his career Friday. Wilborn not only won the high jump at the Red Raider Open with a personal record, but beat one of the nation's best in the process.

Wilborn's winning jump was 7 feet, 1 3/4 inches. He had never cleared 7 feet in competition, but got 7-0 1/2 on his second attempt and 7-1 3/4 on his third.

"I feel at a loss for words a little bit," Wilborn said, "but very excited, very happy. Not content, but very happy. I'm ready to try to get ready to go even higher this next meet."

The third-place finisher was Southern California's Earnie Sears, a four-time first-team all-American and runner-up at last year's NCAA indoor championships. Sears topped out at 7-0 1/2, but he's won twice before at the Sports Performance Center at bars of 7-5 1/4 and 7-6 1/2.

"Earnie's a great competitor ... absolutely out-of-this-world marks," Wilborn said. "It means a lot to me, because he's such a talented guy, and if that's the company that I'm elevating myself to compete around, it does a lot for me and makes me feel like I'm progressing, too, as an athlete."

The Tech track program was rocked after last season when Georgia hired away James Thomas, who coached Tech high and horizontal jumpers to eight individual NCAA titles in nine years. Tech coach Wes Kittley believes he got the next best thing, bringing in Keith Herston, and so far Tech jumpers have spoken highly of the former Florida State assistant.

"We love coach Thomas," Wilborn said. "Coach Thomas is one of the staples of this program. He made it, honestly, what it is up to this point with coach Kittley, working close together to bring this program to the national ranks that it is now.

"But coach Herston is a fresh and welcome addition. He knows his stuff inside and out. The man is very, very talented, has a track IQ of Lord knows how much for being as young as he is in this field. He's very talented, very detail-oriented and I love him."

Another of Herston's new trainees is Monae' Nichols, who won the women's long jump by going 21-10 1/4. That's the second-best career mark for the senior from Lakeland, Florida. Nichols' personal record is 22-1 3/4 that she recorded in Tech's second meet last year, shortly after she transferred from Bethune-Cookman.

"Wow, I'm extremely happy," she said. "With all the trials and tribulations from last year and actually jumping 6.66 (meters), I still can't believe it. I'm happy I did it, and it felt very easy, so that's good."

Last year, Nichols finished second and third in the long jump at Big 12 championship meets and was a first-team all-American indoors and a second-team all-American outdoors.

She said coming to Lubbock from Florida presented challenges: being far from home, not having her mother in the bleachers for meets, adjusting to the climate and elevation.

And now?

"I feel great," Nichols said. "I'm getting used to the weight room, getting stronger. This new coach is awesome. He knows what he's doing, so I'm putting my full faith and trust into him."

RED RAIDER OPEN

at the Sports Performance Center

Friday's Final Results

WOMEN

Field Events

Weight throw: 1. Priscilla Adejokun, Houston, 72 feet, 0 1/4 inch; 2. Seasons Usual, Texas Tech, 68-2 1/4; 3. Hannah Bradford, Oklahoma State, 62-2 1/4; 4. Kayli Johnson, Texas Tech, 61-6 3/4.

Pole vault: 1. Nastassja Campbell, Arkansas, 14-7 1/4; 2. Elien Vekemans, Arkansas, 14-3 1/4; 3. Chloe Wall, Texas Tech, 13-11 1/4; 5. Ryleigh Redding, Texas Tech, 13-5 1/4.

Long jump: 1. Monae' Nichols, Texas Tech, 21-10 1/4; 2. Nia Robinson, Barton County (Kan.) Community College, 20-3; 3. Virginia Kerley, Texas Tech, 19-8.

Shot put: 1. Marilyn Nwora, Texas, 52-8 3/4; 2. Annina Brandenburg, Abilene Christian, 52-2; 3. Priscilla Adejokun, Houston, 50-9 1/2; 5. Kayli Johnson, Texas Tech, 47-9 1/4.

High jump: 1. Rachel McCoy, unattached, 6-0 1/2; 2. Abigail O'Donoghue, LSU, 6-0 1/2; 3. Sidney Sapp, Texas Tech, 6-0 1/2; 4. (tie) Zarriea Willis, unattached, 5-11 1/4.

Triple jump: 1. Kyndal McKnight, LSU, 41-3 1/4; 2. Ella Anttila, Abilene Christian, 41-1 1/2; 3. Destiny Lawrence, Houston, 40-9 3/4.

Running Events

3,000 meters section B: 1. Sarah Bertry, New Mexico Junior College, 11 minutes, 0.68 seconds; 2. Taylor Limbaugh, Texas Tech, 11:18.44; 3. Joan Kimalel, New Mexico JC, 11:22.73; 4. Esmeralda Espinoza, South Plains College, 11:54.67.

400 section B: 1. Whitney Williams, SMU, 54.53; 2. Lexye Price, Texas Tech, 54.63; 3. Sammy Watson, Adidas, 55.02; 4. Nayanna Dubarry-Gay, Texas Tech, 55.17.

200 section B: 1. Ashanti Denton, Arkansas, 24.07; 2. Deshana Skeete, New Mexico JC, 24.11; 3. Christina Ollison, Oklahoma State, 24.54; 4. Success Umukoro, South Plains College, 24.56.

600 yards: 1. Alyssa Brewer, Southern California, 1:20.69; 2. MIchaela Rose, LSU, 1:20.78; 3. Tamara Woodley, Oklahoma State, 1:23.03.

Mile: 1. Quinn Owen, Arkansas, 4:51.15; 2. Irene Rono, Abilene Christian University, 4:55.69; 3. Steffi Jones, SMU, 5:05.18.

60 hurdles invitational: 1. Deynne Charlton, Puma, 7.99; 2. Demisha Roswell, Texas Tech, 8.02; 3. Rushelle Burton, Adidas, 8.10.

60 hurdles: 1. Alia Armstrong, LSU, 7.96; 2. Masai Russell, Kentucky, 8.01; 3. Yoveinny Mota, Arkansas, 8.13.

60 invitational: 1. Marybeth Sant-Price, FKElite, 7.08; 2. Tamara Clark, Adidas, 7.35; 3 Virginia Kerley, Texas Tech, 7.41.

60: 1. Julien Alfred, Texas, 7.10; 2. Abby Steiner, Kentucky, 7.17; 3. Jada Baylark, Arkansas, 7.21.

400: 1. Kennedy Simon, Texas, 52.15; 2. Rosey Effiong, Arkansas, 52.56; 3. Rhasidat Adeleke, Texas, 52.61.

800: 1. Brooke Jaworski, Texas, 2:06.13; 2. Valery Tobias, Texas, 2:06.14; 3. Michaela Travers, Oklahoma State, 2:10.13; 4. Michaela Lewis, Texas Tech, 2:11.13.

200 invitational: 1. Tynia Gaither, Adidas, 23.44; 2. Ashley Spencer, Nike, 23.70; 3. Shiann Salmon, Adidas, 23.95.

200: 1. Kynnedy Flannel, Texas, 22.97; 2. Kevona Davis, Texas, 23.20; 3. Amber Anning, LSU, 23.38.

3,000: 1. Kaitlyn Gearin, SMU, 10:16.14; 2. Mia Olsen, SMU, 10:17.81; 3. Damaris Chewon, New Mexico JC, 10:25.64.

1,600 relay: 1. Kentucky (Masai Russell, Abby Steiner, Karimah Davis, Alexis Holmes), 3:28.62; 2. Arkansas, 3:29.09; 3. Texas, 3:31.26.

MEN

Field Events

Weight throw: 1. Gabriel Oladipo, Texas Tech, 70 feet, 5 3/4 inches; 2. Jon Nerdal, LSU, 66-0 1/4; 3. Jacob Mechler, Texas Tech, 64-10 1/2; 6. Konnor Wood, Texas Tech, 58-3 1/4.

Long jump: 1. Steffin McCarter, Nike, 25-8 1/4; 2. Shakwon Coke, Barton County (Kan.) Community College, 25-7 1/4; 3. Jalen Seals, Texas Tech, 24-8 1/4.

Shot put: 1. Adrian Piperi, Texas, 68-10 1/2; 2. Jalil Brewer, Texas, 64-2 1/2; 3. John Meyer, LSU, 63-4 3/4.

Pole vault: 1. Colton Naffziger, Texas Tech, 17-5 3/4; 2. Christyan Sampy, Houston, 17-1 3/4; 3. Gary Haasbroek, Texas Tech, 16-10.

High jump: 1. Caleb Wilborn, Texas Tech, 7-1 3/4; 2. Rahman Minor, Kentucky, 7-0 1/2; 3. Earnie Sears, Southern California, 7-0 1/2; 4. (tie) Kudakwashe Chadenga, South Plains, 6-10 3/4; Jack Scarborough, Texas Tech, Jequan Hogan, Texas Tech, 6-10 3/4.

Triple jump: 1. Jadon Brome, Houston, 50-10 1/4; 2. Chadrick Williams, Texas Southern, 50-2; 3. Sean Germany, unattached, 49-2 1/2.

Running Events

400 meters section B: 1. Kenroy Williams, Kentucky, 47.98 seconds; 2. Joshua White, Houston, 48.06; 3. Caio Almeida, South Plains College, 48.43; 6. Shevoie Reid, South Plains, 48.64.

200 section B: 1. Jon Maas, Texas, 21.42; 2. Almond Small, Barton County (Kan.) Community College, 21.59; 3. Keontae Gaines, South Plains, 21.61.

600 yards: 1. Moad Zahafi, Texas Tech, 1:08.29; 2. Kimar Farquharson, South Plains, 1:09.33; 3. Marco Vilca, Texas Tech, 1:09.85; 4. Sven Cepus, Texas Tech, 1:10.17; 5. Evaldo Whitehorne, South Plains, 1:10.25.

Mile: 1. Brandon Seagreaves, Houston, 4:17.20; 2. Mehdi Yanouri, South Plains, 4:18.16; 3. Christopher Middleton-Pearson, Oklahoma State, 4:18.81; 6. Aron Tanui, South Plains, 4:21.32.

60 hurdles: 1. Eric Edwards, LSU, 7.65; 2. Tai Brown, Kentucky, 7.72; 3. Charles Brockman, Texas, 7.94.

60: 1. Brendon Stewart, Southern California, 6.61; 2. Kasaun James, Southern California, 6.61; 3. Eric Allen, Southern California, 6.64; 5. Courtney Lindsey, Texas Tech, 6.67; 6. Daniel Omah, Texas Tech, 6.74.

400: 1. Dwight St. Hillaire, Kentucky, 46.11; 2. Brian Faust, Kentucky, 46.66; 3. Nicholas Ramey, Southern California, 46.78.

800: 1. Crayton Carrozza, Texas, 1:48.40; 2. Yusuf Bizimana, Texas, 1:48.75; 3. Cole Lindhorst, Texas, 1:48.86.

200: 1. Kennedy Lightner, Kentucky, 20.52; 2. Courtney Lindsey, Texas Tech, 20.56; 3. Jacolby Shelton, Texas Tech, 20.70; 5. Ashton O'Conner, 20.92.

3,000: 1. Dylan Doss, Nomad Running, 8:36.15; 2. Zachary McPhee, South Plains, 8:42.78; 3. Daniel Nickell, Oklahoma State, 8:44.16; 4. Samuel Ashley, unattached (Texas Tech), 8:48.59.

1,600 relay: 1. Kentucky (Brian Faust, Jacob Smith, Dwight St. Hillaire, Kennedy Lightner), 3:06.86; 2. Houston, 3:07.09; 3. Texas, 3:07.21; 5. South Plains, 3:08.44.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Track and field: Wilborn sets personal best, conquers field in Red Raider Open