Track Concludes Regular Season, Prepares for Big 12 Championships

Thursday, May 8

Abilene, Texas

All Day

Texas Tech Athletics

ACU Invitational

Albert Booker broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash at the ACU Open.

Track Concludes Regular Season, Prepares for Big 12 Championships

May 09, 2003 | Track and Field

May 9, 2003

Lubbock, Texas - A handful of members from the Texas Tech men and women's track and field teams traveled South to Abilene, Texas, Thursday for a final tune-up before the start of the Big 12 Conference Outdoor Championships next weekend in Austin, Texas.

Sophomore Albert Booker (Trent, Texas) broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash as he edged out teammate Jonathan Johnson (Abilene, Texas) for first place posting a mark of 45.72. Johnson clocked a season-best 46.20 finish. Booker also moved up to fifth in the Big 12 in the 200 with a time of 20.79. All three marks are NCAA regional qualifying times.

Freshman Bobby Most (Laredo, Texas) broke the 18-foot mark in the pole vault for the second time of the outdoor season as he placed second with a height of 18-feet, 0-inches. Ken Wilson (Lewisville, Texas) recorded his best elevation of the year at 16'-6". Chad Pharis (Vernon, Texas) took top honors in the high jump with a mark of 7'-0.25".

Geralda Dukuly (Grand Prairie, Texas) recorded a pair of regional qualifying marks in the long and triple jumps as she jumped 19'-7.5" and 40'-11", respectively. Megan Schuessler (Llano, Texas) had a pair of gold-medal tosses as she won the shot put with a throw of 45'-2.25" and the discus with a fling of 155'-6". Katie Leonard (Burkburnett, Texas) finished first in the steeplechase.

Complete results can be found at http://www.acu.edu/sports/track/schedule/00acuopen.html.

Last year at the Big 12 Championships both the men and the women's team placed seventh scoring 66 and 61 points, respectively. Johnson will be looking to repeat as conference champion in the 800, while the men's 400-meter relay will try and defend its title.

Heading into the conference championships next weekend the Red Raiders have a combined 29 athletes who have qualified for the Midwest Regional meet in Lincoln, Neb., May 30-31.