Most, Johnson Win Big 12 Track Titles

Monday, May 19

Austin, Texas

All Day

Texas Tech Athletics

Big 12 Championships

Jonathan Johnson successfully defended his Big 12 title in the 800-meter run.

May 19, 2003 | Track and Field

May 19, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas - Monday night brought the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships to a close at Mike A. Myers Stadium with the Texas Tech men's team scoring 90 points in a fourth-place finish and the women's team scoring 32.5 points, finishing 10th.

The 90 points scored by the men's team is the most a Red Raider track team has ever scored, while the fourth-place finish equals the best finish by a men's team at a conference championship since 1960 team finished fourth in the Southwest Conference.

Jonathan Johnson became the second individual champion of the meet for Tech as he raced to a 1:48.13 finish in the 800-meter run, successfully defending his title from a year ago. He becomes the first repeat Big 12 champion for the Tech men.

"It feels good to come out and beat last year's time by a couple of seconds and defend my title," said Johnson. "My strategy for this race was to get out in front, set the pace and keep from getting into trouble by staying ahead of the pack."

While Johnson was running away with the 800 title, Bobby Most was trying to join Chad Pharis as the first two Big 12 champions in field events for Tech. Trailing in misses, Most passed after failing to clear 17-feet, 8.5-inches on his first attempt. The field was narrowed down to two after Oklahoma's Austin Landreth missed on the same height. OU's Mike Westlund cleared 17'-8.5" on his second attempt giving him three attempts at 18'-0.5" to Most's two. Most made true on his final attempt, while the Sooner passed to the next height after a pair of unsuccessful attempts. A miss an 18'-4.5" for Westlund secured the title for the freshman from Laredo, Texas.

"This was a good competition," state Most. "I've been jumping with these guys for the last year-and-a-half and we push each other each time out. There's great camaraderie between us. I just try to do my best every time out. There's always good crowd support at the vault and this is one of top tracks in the county. I had a good jump to win."

The 13 points scored in the pole vault moved Tech into fourth-place over Missouri by four points with just the 5,000 and the 1,600-meter relay left to be contested.

The Tigers scored two points in the 5,000 so the fourth spot would come down to the relay. Missouri ran a 3:10.85 as it finished third in its heat. Tech was not in the clear though as Albert Booker was suffering for blisters on the soles of his feet and was questionable for the relay. Booker was able to outlast the pain as he put Tech into second running a 47.1 split. Juleion Raeburn would take the stick and outrun everyone to the breakline on his way to 45.9 split. Matt Stewart would keep the Red Raiders in the lead holding off a strong push from the home town Longhorns as the race was in the hands of Johnson. Johnson fought off Aaron Collins of Texas into the third turn. The Abilene, Texas, native continued to hold off Collins through turn four. By this time Baylor's Darold Williamson was beginning to make his move. With less than 50 meters to go, Williamson was able to overcome Johnson and Collins as Tech finished second in a time of 3:04. 63.

Booker finished the meet with 13 points after placing second in the open 400 and eighth in the 200.

The men's team made the most of its chances to score points on the final day as the 400-meter relay raced to a second-place finish, Aki Heikkinen finished fourth in the javelin, Stewart scored in the open 400, Carlos Francis placed fifth in the 100, Marlon Odom was eighth in the 110-hurdles and Dwayne Benoit was sixth in the 1,500.

The men's eight medals tied with Texas for third behind Texas A&M (10) and Nebraska (9).

The women's team got 10 points from the 5,000 as Brionne Yosten and Bridgett Tidwell placed third and fifth, respectively. The 5,000 was the second event of the day for Yosten to score in as she also placed fifth in the 1,500.

The team took a blow to its scoring chances when Licretia Sibley injured her hamstring during the 400-meter relay's sixth-place finish.

Rachelle Evans managed to place third in the 400, while Karletha Cook was sixth in the 400-hurdles.

Both teams will take a week off to prepare for the Midwest Regional meet in Lincoln, Neb., May 30-31.

2003 Big 12 ChampionsChad Pharis (High Jump)Bobby Most (Pole Vault)Jonathan Johnson (800m)

2003 All-Conference HonorsMen                                 WomenJason Young (2nd, Hammer/ 3rd, Discus) Tracie Akerhielm (6th, 10,000m)                                    Bridgett Tidwell (8th, 10,000m/5th, 5,000m)Chad Pharis (1st, High Jump)           Ashley Ramsey (t-7th, Pole Vault)Mike Beasley (7th, High Jump)         Brionne Yosten (5th, 1,500m/3rd, 5,000m)Dwayne Benoit (6th, 1,500m)          Rachelle Evans (3rd, 400m/6th, 4x100)Marlon Odom (8th, 110-hurdles)         Karletha Cook (6th, 400-hurdles)Albert Booker (2nd, 400m/8th, 200m)  Licretia Sibley (6th, 4x100)Matt Stewart (6th, 400m)          Latoya Fry (6th, 4x100)Carlos Francis (5th, 100m)          Ashley Mitchell, Rachelle Evans,Jonathan Johnson (1st, 800m)          Licretia Sibley, Latoya Fry (6th, 4x100)Albert Booker, Julieon Raeburn,         Katie Leonard (8th, 3,000m steeplechase)Carlos Francis, SirDon Lewis (2nd, 4x100)Albert Booker, Julieon Raeburn,Matt Stewart, Jonathan Johnson (2nd, 4x400)Bobby Most (1st, Pole Vault)Jared Thornhill (6th, Pole Vault)Aki Heikkinen (4th, Javelin)
Final StandingsMen                                WomenTexas, 132                         Texas, 188Texas A&M, 113                         Nebraska, 130.67Nebraska, 108                          Kansas State, 83.33Texas Tech, 90                         Missouri, 83Missouri, 80                           Baylor, 81Oklahoma, 59                           Kansas, 59.5Colorado, 56                           Texas A&M, 44Baylor, 52                         Colorado, 42Kansas, 43                         Oklahoma, 36Kansas State, 42                   Texas Tech, 32.5Iowa State, 27                         Iowa State, 26Oklahoma State, 8                  Oklahoma State, 11