Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Team Prepped for Outdoor Start in Arizona
March 21, 2007 | Track and Field
March 21, 2007
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LUBBOCK, Texas - Two weeks after the completion of the 2007 indoor track and field season, the Red Raider team is ready to spring into the outdoors with a trip to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Shootout on Sat., March 24th. The meet will follow the format of a conference challenge, pitting two teams from the Big 12 (Tech and Kansas State), Pac-10 (Arizona and California) and the SEC (South Carolina, Florida men and Arkansas women) against each other.
Not only will a majority of the team get its outdoor start on Saturday, but Big 12 pentathlon champion Julianne Kennedy will receive her first look at the heptathlon competition for this season. Kennedy, a Sherman, Texas, native, will start the event at the 2007 Jim Click Combined Events on Thurs., March 22, at 9:30 a.m MT. The heptathlon will roll into Friday with action beginning at 11 a.m.
The rest of the Red Raiders will compete on Sat., March 24th, with Ozie Okolie in the hammer throw set to get things underway at 10 a.m. MT. Jumping events are tentatively scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. with the women's pole vault in which indoor national qualifier Lindsey Walesheck, sophomore Amanda Alley and junior Kelley Schulz will be competing. At 12:30 p.m. the running events will get their start as Katie Leonard and Asia Diaz will run in the 3000M steeplechase.
A number of Tech members will also be competing at the Abilene Christian Oliver Jackson Open on Sat., March 24th.
For complete Red Raider results, please visit the official Texas Tech athletic website at www.texastech.com following each day's conclusion.
SWITCHING GEARS: OUTDOOR SEASON
With the indoor season now a thing of the past, the Red Raiders will be switching gears to the outdoor season. While competing for automatic and provisional marks during indoor, the Techsters will now be looking for regional marks. There are four regions, the East, Mideast, West and Midwest, which Tech is categorized under. The top five finishers in the regional events will qualify for the national meet. The Red Raiders are scheduled to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional on May 25-26 in Des Moines, Iowa, while the NCAA Championships will take place on June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif.
HE'S OVER - HE'S IN!
Even before Texas Tech completed the indoor season, two Red Raiders had already qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional set to be held on May 25-26 in Des Moines, Iowa. Seth Harris, TJ McLarty and Brian Porter all took part in the Tarleton Relays on Thurs., March 8th, the day before NCAA Indoor Championships began.
Porter, the freshman from Maypearl, Texas, took first place with an all-time personal best mark of 17'-0.75", marking his first time soaring over 17 feet. Harris finished behind Porter in second place after clearing a height of 16'-6.75". By clearing the height of 16'-6.75" both Porter and Harris already earned themselves a place in the regional event in May.
CAPPING OFF THE INDOOR SEASON
Texas Tech put a cap on the 2007 indoor season with an exclamation mark as sophomore Sally Kipyego captured two national titles in distance events and three other Red Raiders became first-time indoor All-Americans. Along with individual accolades and achievements is the accomplishment of the women's team with their highest-ever finish as they placed 10th in the nation.
Kipyego, the transfer from South Plains College, buffed up her trophy case when she ran to victory in the women's 5000M on the first day of the championships then doubled her efforts with the 3000M title on Saturday. With the first-place finishes, Kipyego became the all-time leader in national titles in Texas Tech track and field history with three, surpassing former distance runner Leigh Daniel who finished her Tech career with two. The Marakwet, Kenya, native also joins Texas' Marshavet Hooker as the only Big 12 female athletes to win two indoor titles in the same year.
Along with Kipyego, three other Red Raider competitors earned their first indoor All-America accolades. In the men's 5000M, Kevin Chelimo, who earned All-American honors during cross country, finished in sixth place to put an end to his indoor career. Two-time outdoor All-American Marlon Odom also pulled the curtain on his indoor career during the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, as the senior placed fifth in the 60M hurdles. The Killeen, Texas, native ran a school-record time of 7.73 to earn All-America status. Lacy Wilson returned to the national stage in the women's high jump after qualifying for the 2005 indoors. Wilson, a senior from Shamrock, Texas, finished 11th but became an All-American due to international athletes competing in the event.
The remaining Tech competitors were all taking part in their first NCAA Indoor Championships. School-record holder Lindsey Walesheck placed 15th in the women's pole vault with a height of 13'-1.5", while Julianne Kennedy finished 14th in the women's pentathlon with 3868 points. Irene Kimaiyo, competing in a tough 3000M field against teammate Kipyego, ran a time of 9:30.70 to finish 16th.
On the men's side, the 4x400M relay was .03 of a second from All-American status. The team, consisting of freshmen Brandon Washington, Tim Foster, sophomore Rodney Mims and senior Bryan Scott, clocked a time of 3:08.71 to finish ninth behind Nebraska who ran a time of 3:08.68. Freshman Anthony Flemons fouled on each of his three attempts in the men's triple jump.
RECORD PACING INDOOR
During head coach Wes Kittley's time at Texas Tech a lot of school records have been broken. "A lot" meaning that out of 46 total indoor records, 31 of them have been during the Kittley Era. During the 2007 season alone, the Red Raider set and reset 13 new school records in nine different events. Thirteen new records ties for the most of any Kittley-led indoor season at Tech as the women set 10 of those and the men three. In 2002 and 2005, the men and women combined for 12 new records with the men setting five and the women seven in each of those years.
The following women's records now stand in the Tech books: Mile (Sally Kipyego, 4:38.18), 3000M (Sally Kipyego, 8:56.72), 5000M (Sally Kipyego, 15:39.51), High Jump (Lacy Wilson, 6'-0"), Pole Vault (Lindsey Walesheck, 13'-5.25"), Pentathlon (Julianne Kennedy, 4025 pts), Distance Medley Relay (Diaz, Cox, Kipsang, Kipyego, 11:18.07).
On the men's side, Kevin Chelimo set the 5000M record at 13:48.67, while Marlon Odom twice set the 60M hurdle record with a best time of 7.73.
RECAPPING LAST OUTDOOR
As Tech closed the book on the 2007 indoor season, opening the book will reveal some highlights of last year's 2006 outdoor season. More than several Red Raiders counted their accolades at the end of the season as Texas Tech finished with six All-Americans, two regional champions, two Big 12 champions, 13 All-Midwest and 42 All-Big 12 performers.
On the men's side, hurdler Marlon Odom shined in the 110M hurdles as he championed the event at the Midwest Regional as well as the Big 12 Championships. His run during the regionals set a wind-aided school-record as he blazed through the event with a clocking of 13.45. With his automatic bid into the championships, Odom ran to a sixth-place finish to earn his second All-American award to go along with his All-Midwest and All-Big 12 from the previous meets of the season. Also faring well at the national meet were fellow hurdlers Shawon Harris and Bryan Scott, as both attained All-America honors in the 400M hurdles as Harris placed 10th and Scott eighth. In his final season as a Red Raider, pole vaulter Sage Thames earned his second All-America distinction as he placed 9th with a height of 17'-6.5".
For the women, then-senior Althea Chambers was a threat in the 800M as she titled the event at the Big 12 Championships, earning her All-Big 12 honors. At the NCAA Championships, Chambers earned her first All-America honor after finishing sixth with a time of 2:05.64. Sabrina Taylor became an All-American after placing 10th in the women's long jump with a leap of 20'-5.75".
