Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
University of Arkansas Invitational
Women's 4x400 Team Sets School Record
February 13, 2004 | Track and Field
Feb. 13, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Texas Tech track team competed today in the highly competitive Razorback-Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., with 18 teams, nine men and nine women, ranked in the top 25. Tech claimed six top-five marks with three provisional qualifying marks on the day.
Freshman Benson Cheserek (Nairobi, Kenya) proved successful away from home in the men's 3000 unseeded race. Cheserek, with a career best time, finished in second with a time of 8:19.50 beating his previous time by more than 18 seconds.
Senior Tracie Akerhielm (Sulphur Springs, Texas) finished right outside the No. 5 Tennessee women who claimed the top three spots in the women's 3000 unseeded race. Akerhielm finished in fourth with a time of 9:55.22.
School record holder freshman Lacy Wilson (Shamrock, Texas) finished fourth in the high jump with a mark of 5'-8.75" (1.75m). In the pole vault, junior Jared Thornhill (Snyder, Texas) went the distance with a first-place finish and a provisional qualifying mark of 17'-5.00" (5.31m), also a career-high. Freshman Sage Thames (Wolfforth, Texas) tied for sixth with a mark of 16'-2.75" (4.95m).
Tech would not leave Fayetteville without setting a school record. Sophomore Tori Polk (Hewitt, Texas) was the opening leg for the No.10 4x400 team and handed off to junior Shereefa Lloyd (Clarendon, Jamaica), with Tech in fourth place. Lloyd edged Tech's position to third before handing off to senior Rachelle Evans (Dallas, Texas). Evans kept the pace at third before junior Licretia Sibley (Fort Worth, Texas) took over for the final leg. On the backstretch, Sibley bolted past both TCU and Arizona State to finish in first with a time of 3:37.04, the team's second provisional qualifying time of the season.
The men's 4x400 team was the final event and the No. 7 Tech team finished in style. Junior Matt Stewart (Odessa, Texas) was the opening leg for Tech and ran neck to neck with the lead leg from Big 12 opponent Oklahoma. Stewart moved Tech to the lead before handing off to junior Albert Booker (Trent, Texas). Booker kept the lead and when handing off to junior Derron Herah (Spanish Town, Jamaica), the team was even with Holyfield International. Herrah dropped to second before junior Jonathan Johnson (Dallas, Texas) took over. Johnson kept the pace but could not take back the lead and the team finished in second, first among college teams, with a provisional qualifying time of 3:09.41, its second of the season.
Johnson will continue competition tomorrow at 2:20 p.m., running in the 800 at the 2004 Golden Spikes Tour. It will be televised at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Tech will have an off weekend next weekend before heading to Lincoln, Neb., for the Big 12 Championships. The women finished 11th and the men, seventh, last season at the conference championships.
Complete results can be found at www.texastech.com and www.flashresults.com.
Players Mentioned
