Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Championships
Men's Team Holding Own at NCAA Championships
June 12, 2003 | Track and Field
June 12, 2003
Sacramento, Calif. - Day two of the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships closed out with the running of the men and women's 1,600-meter relay where the men's team ran their way into Saturday's finals and put the finishing touches on what was a very successful day of competition for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Jonathan Johnson used a 1:47.05 semifinal time to win his heat of the 800 and automatically advanced to his second consecutive outdoor final in the two-lap event. Using South Carolina's Otukile Lekote as a rabbit, the Abilene, Texas, native broke free at the 600-meter mark and never trailed posting the fastest semifinal time of the day. There will be a new champion in the event as the two-time defending champion, Lekote, failed to qualify for Saturday's finals.
Jason Young secured his position in the finals on his second throw of the day at 190-feet, 6-inches. Young's mark was the second best mark of the qualifying round, but will have no bearing as all 12 finalists will start with no marks in the finals. Auburn's Gabor Mate, who entered the meet with the best collegiate mark, placed 15th in today's qualifying round and will not advance to the finals.
Albert Booker placed third in his heat of the 400 this afternoon with a clocking of 46.43. With only the top two finishers automatically qualifying for the finals Booker had to wait to see if his time would be one of the next six fastest marks. The Trent, Texas, native would be the final selection into the semifinals of the 400 which is scheduled to be run at 10:40 (CST) Friday.
Chad Pharis also competed in a qualifying round this afternoon, in the high jump. The Big 12 champion and Mid-West region runner-up was jumping well clearing the first two heights on one attempt. After a miss at 7'-0.25" the sophomore was successful on his second attempt. Pharis would not clear 7'-1.75" but only nine of the remaining 18 athletes were successful at the height so the NCAA Rules Committee allowed all 19 athletes who cleared the previous height to advance to Saturday's finals.
With South Carolina's Jonathan Fortenberry having to be helped off the track during the open 400, Tech looked to be the clear-cut favorite to win its heat of the 1,600-meter relay. The quartet of Matt Stewart, Julieon Raeburn, Johnson and Booker won their heat in a new school record time of 3:03.26 and will be in Saturday's finals as the top seed. This marks the second consecutive race in which the men's record has been broken.
Despite running the second fastest time in school history, the fastest time of the year and the ninth fastest time of the semifinals, the women's relay team of Tori Polk, Rachelle Evans, Karletha Cook and Licretia Sibley did not qualify for the finals. The mark of 3:34.95 was fourth in their heat and just the top two heat finishers advanced to the finals.
The final individual for the women's team competed tonight in the 1,500. Brionne Yosten came back from sitting out her freshman season and competed in the NCAA championships a year later. The sophomore ran a 4:23.52 clocking and did not qualify for the finals, but had the biggest turn around of all the Tech athletes.
In other preliminary action, Sibley posted a 53.50 finish in the open 400, while Reaburn clocked a 21.49 finish in the 200 as neither athlete advanced to the semifinals.
Friday will see just two Red Raiders compete as freshman Bobby Most will go for a title in the pole vault and Booker will run in the semifinals of the 400.
Players Mentioned
