Tech Track Heads to Big 12 Outdoor Championships
May 15, 2003 | Track and Field
May 15, 2003
Lubbock, Texas - The Texas Tech men and women's track and field teams will travel to the state capitol this weekend for the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Track and Soccer Field on the campus of the University of Texas.
This weekend's meet will be memorable for a pair of Red Raider seniors, regardless of the outcome. Buster McLain was cleared to compete in the pole vault Monday 10 weeks after breaking his left wrist March 7 at the ISU Last Chance Meet. The Gruver, Texas, native is coming back after two surgeries which saw the placement and removal of 12 pins to repair six bones. For Julieon Raeburn this weekend will bring an end to a long journey as the Trincity, Trinidad, native will walk across the stage and become the first in his family to graduate from college. Raeburn will participate in commencement ceremonies Saturday, before catching up with the rest of the team later that night.
On the track, the 18th-ranked men's team looks to be stronger than ever. Jonathan Johnson has fully recovered from a foot injury suffered during the indoor season and will look to defend his conference title in the 800-meter run. Johnson's 1:47.62 run at the Mt. SAC Relays currently ranks second in the NCAA and first in both the Midwest region and the Big 12. The men's 400-meter relay team is the other defending conference champion. The team of Albert Booker, Carlos Francis, SirDon Lewis and Raeburn was on the track for the first time of the season in the home finale posting a 39.97 finish. Their time ranks second in the conference and sixth in the Midwest region.
Booker looks to be the key for the men's team as he is in the top five of the conference performance list in the 200 and 400 and runs legs on the sprint and 1,600-meter relays.
While the running events need to hold true for Tech to make a run at the top five, the field events is where the men's team will place in the final standing will be determined. During the indoor championships the Red Raiders scored 18 points in the pole vault. Freshman Bobby Most looks to anchor the vaulters as he holds the top elevation in the region as well as the conference. Jared Thornhill and Ken Wilson will also look to score. Jason Young ranks third in the conference in both the discus and the hammer throws and appears primed for a breakout meet.
There are several wildcards that need to find a way to place in the top eight and keep the Red Raiders near the top of the leader board. Those athletes include; Matt Stewart (400m), Chad Pharis and Mike Beasley (high jump), Clifton Eddington (long jump/ triple jump), Kyle Atwood (800m), Dwayne Benoit (1,500m), Francis and Lewis (100m).
The women's team has continued to improve by leaps and bounds since its 15 point, 11th-place finish during the indoor season. Licretia Sibley and Rachelle Evans continue to be solid in the sprints and should hold their own, while Megan Schuessler and Olivia Clardy should score well in the throwing events.
Sibley and Evans are the only two sprinters in the top seven of the Big 12 performance list who are not Longhorns.
Where the women's team could jump us and surprise people is in the mid-distance to distance races. Brionne Yosten is fourth in the conference in the 1,500 after racing to a personal record 16:48.34 at the Drake relays and Tracie Akerhielm and Bridgett Tidwell are fifth and sixth in the 5,000, respectively. Freshman Katie Leonard currently sits in ninth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Geralda Dukuly is coming back from injuries and has already regionally qualified in both the long and triple jumps so she could bring added points to the women's team.
The Big 12 Championships are scheduled to begin on Saturday at 3 p.m. and run through Mon., May 19. Tickets may only be purchased at the Myers Stadium ticket windows on each day of competition. Ticket windows will open one hour prior to the beginning of each day's event. All-Session tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for youth, while individual session tickets are $8 and $5, respectively. Fox Sports Net will also air the championships via tape delay over 10 Fox affiliate stations nation wide beginning Fri., May 23.
Start lists and results will be available at www.texassports.com.
Players Mentioned
