Tech Track and Field Traveling for First Time
January 31, 2008 | Track and Field
Jan. 31, 2008
LUBBOCK, TX - Texas Tech for the first time this season will be traveling to compete in the United Heritage Invitational at Nampa, ID and the Washington Invitational in Seattle, WA. The Tech sprints and field events will be running at the United Heritage Invitational events will begin Friday at 10:30 a.m. (PST) with the heptathlon and pentathlon. The Red Raider's distance runners will be competing in Seattle and their first event starts at 10:45 a.m. (PST) with the mile.
The Red Raiders will be looking to improve on their ranking from the USTFCCCA poll that came out Wednesday. The men, after being absent from the preseason poll, jumped up to #5 behind Shawon Harris' nation's fourth best time of 7.77 in the 60M hurdles. Tech also has the second fastest time in the nation in the men's 4X400M relay with a time of 3:09.05.
The Lady Raiders will be looking to show its preseason rank of seventh is closer to mark than the 25th rank received in the poll released Wednesday. Sally Kipyego leads the Lady Raiders last week by running the fastest time in the nation in the 3000M with a time of 9:05.45. Kelley Schulz is making noise nationally as she has the 18th highest mark in the pole vault as she cleared 12'11.50".
Tech will have 24 athletes competing this weekend. A full list of competitors at this weekend's events can be found on page two of the track notes. For complete results, please go to www.texastech.com.
NCAA Marks Reached Texas Tech had seven athletes earn NCAA provisional marks and one automatic this past weekend. Sally Kipyego highlighted the weekend by running a NCAA automatic time of 9:05.45 in the 3000M at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Shawon Harris ran two NCAA provisional marks as he ran a 7.38 in the prelims and a 7.22 in the finals. Kelley Schulz cleared a season best of 12'11.50' to qualify provisionally, as did Patience Knight with a throw of 50'08.75 in the shot put. The men also had Brian Porter in the qualify in the pole vault with a height of 17'6.50" and Lyle Leong cleared 7'2.25" in the high jump. The men's 4X400M relay team of Bill Lawhorn, Shawon Harris, Gil Roberts and Lamont Adams run a NCAA provisional mark and second fastest time in the nation with a 3:09.05.
Records Broken Tech saw a few records rewrote during the Texas Tech Invitational. Ozie Okolie broke the ATC weight throw record by throwing 60'07.25. Shawon Harris' set two a new school and ATC record with his NCAA provisional time of 7.22.
USTFCCCA Rankings The first regular season ranking for the indoor track season were released by the USTFCCCA. The Tech men vaulted up to 5th after being unranked in the preseason poll. The Tech women dropped to 25th after starting the season 7th. Both will be looking to improve on those rankings this upcoming weekend.
-TTU-
Players Mentioned
