Texas Tech University Athletics
TECH BEGINS INDOOR SEASON WITH HOME MEET
January 14, 2010 | Track and Field
Jan. 14, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech track squads start the 2010 indoor season with high expectations this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Athletic Training Center as it hosts the Texas Tech Open.
The track program starts the season with some hype as the men's team was ranked No. 14 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason rankings. The Red Raiders have All-American and U.S National Team member Gil Roberts returning in the 400M. All-American Omo Osaghe, who was the runner-up last year in the 60M hurdles at the national meet, returns for his senior season and looks to defend his Big 12 title in the 60M hurdles during the indoor season.
The men have a talented squad with transfer Latoy Williams coming in to run the 400M. Williams was the NJCAA 400M champion at South Plains and ran in the 4x400M at the IAAF World Championships for the Bahamas. Freshman Bryce Lamb should bring some valuable points in the long jump and triple jump. He was the No. 1 triple jump recruit in the nation coming out of high school (Chandler H.S./Chandler, Ariz.).
The women's cross country team had its best season after finishing fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and winning its second-straight Big 12 Conference championship. The squad has raised the expectations of the women's track squad as cross country All-Americans Lillian Badaru and Purity Biwott are coming out for the indoor season.
Track & Field News ranked the class of recruits on the women's side as the No. 5 class in the nation. The Lady Raiders bring in the No. 1-ranked pole vaulter in Shade Weygandt (Mansfield H.S./Mansfield, Texas) as well as transfers Erica Alexander (USC), Meshawn Graham (Michigan), Taylor Evans (LSU), Biwott (Wayland Baptist), Caroline Karunde (Wayland Baptist) and Winrose Karunde (Abilene Christian).
Tech will host three indoor meets this season (Jan. 16, Jan. 22-23, Feb. 6) and will travel to Ames, Iowa for this year's 2009 Big 12 Indoor Championships.
The Dash - Four All-Americans return for the 2010 season. The group includes Time Foster, Markus Henderson, Omo Osaghae, and Gil Roberts.
- Tech has won a total of 13 NCAA track and field or cross country individual national titles.
- Junior transfer Latoy Williams, ran the fastest time last season in the NJCAA or NCAA in the 400M with a 44.73.
- The men's hurdle group should be a strong point as Omo Osaghe returns but he has help. Jansen Hyde, Jamele Mason, Brandon Tucker and the 2009 NJCAA 400M hurdle champ Bryce Brown gives Tech one of the best group of hurdlers not only in the conference but in the nation.
- Sophomore stud Terra Evans returns to lead the women's sprints after being the only freshman in Division I to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 100M.
- The Terry and Linda Fuller Track recieved the American Sports Builders Association's Facility of the Year Award in Decemeber.
- Two No. 1 recruits coming out of high school will be wearing Texas Tech gear for the first time as Shade Weygandt and Bryce Lamb will compete in their first meet.
Players Mentioned
