Tech Ready for Big 12 Championships

February 23, 2011 | Track and Field

Feb. 23, 2011

LUBBOCK, Texas - The No. 17 Lady Raiders and No. 18 Red Raiders track teams will travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the Big 12 Indoor Championships to start this Fri., Feb. 25 at the Devaney Sports Center.

Tech comes into as the fifth ranked Big 12 team on the women's side according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association while the men are fifth as well.

Purity Biwott (800M), Caroline Karunde (mile), Bryce Lamb (long jump, triple jump), Shade Weygandt (pole vault) and the women's distance medley relay all looking to defend their titles. Weygandt and Lamb both set meet records in their respective events last year.

Darrell Roddick will be after titles in the high jump and triple jump. He currently leads the Big 12 with a jump of 16.09M/52'-9.50" in the triple jump while he is third on the high jump list with a mark of 2.22M/7'-3.25".

Kelly Closse is a name to watch throughout the weekend. Closse has the best throw in the weight with a 20.17M/66'-2.25" and sits fifth in the shot put with a throw of 16.29M/53'-5.50". Her teammate Ifeatu Okafor is one spot ahead of her in fourth in the shot put. Okafor has a season-best throw of 16.36M/53'-8.25".

The Big 12 Indoor Championships will begin on Fri., at 10:30 a.m. and Sat., at 10 a.m.

USTFCCCA Rankings
The Texas Tech men head into the Big 12 Indoor Championships at No. 18 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Assocation rankings and the women are No. 17.

National Descending Order List
Markus Henderson, 60M, 8th
Bryce Brown, 60M H, 8th
Darrell Roddick, High Jump, 8th
Bryce Lamb, Long Jump, 5th
Darrell Roddick, Triple Jump, 8th
Women, DMR, 10th
Shade Weygandt, Pole Vault, 3rd

Repeat Performances
Purity Biwott (800M), Caroline Karunde (mile), Bryce Lamb (long jump, triple jump), Latoy Williams (600Y), Shade Weygandt (pole vault) and the women's distance medley relay will all be looking to defend their Big 12 titles this weekend. Weygandt and Lamb were both named Big 12 Indoor Freshman of the Year last season. Lamb became the only Big 12 student-athlete to win Freshman of the Year, Big 12 High-Point Performer of the meet and Big 12 Performer of the Year.

NCAA Qualifiers
One Red Raider and one Lady Raider have automatically qualified so far for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bryce Lamb booked his ticket on his very first jump of the season. Lamb jumped 7.98/26'-2.25" at the Texas Tech Invitational. Shade Weygandt qualified for the NCAA Champs at the Texas Tech Invitational clearing 4.40M/14'-5.25".

School Records Broke
Three school records have been set so far this season. Terra Evans set the 60M record at the Tyson Invitaitonal with a time of 7.37. Kelsey Lloyd's school record came in the 55M hurdles. The senior ran a 7.79 at the Texas Tech Invite. Shade Weygandt further raised the bar on the pole vault school record. She cleared 4.40M/14'-5.25" at the Texas Tech Invite.

Last Year's Big 12 Championships
The Lady Raiders finished second last year at the Big 12 Indoor Championships scoring 115 points. It was the most points scored in program history. The Red Raiders placed fifth with 74.5.

Top Freshman
Kyal Meyers moved up the Big 12 list in his final meet before the Big 12 Championships. The freshman cleared 5.25M/17'-2.75". He is the top freshman in the NCAA tied at No. 22 on the national list.

Returning All-Americans
The Texas Tech track team will have 16 student-athletes returning from last season that earned All-America honors. A total of 26 honors were gained by those 16 student-athletes.

Family Connections
Texas Tech has some unique family connections in the track and field family. The Lady Raiders have two sets of twins on the team with Caroline and Winrose Karunde and Terra and Taylor Evans. The Karunde are both transfers to the program with Caroline from Wayland Baptist and Winrose from ACU. Terra has been here from the start of her collegiate career while her sister Taylor transferred from LSU this past summer.

Hurdle All-Americans
The Red Raiders have had an All-American hurdler every year since 2005. The streak began with Marlon Odom in 2005 in the 110M hurdles. Odom earned All-America honors in the 110M hurdles in 2006 and 2007 while also earning the honor in the 60M hurdles in 2007. Other names such as Bryan Scott, All-American in the 400M hurdles in 2006 and 2007, and Shawon Harris, All-American in 2006 in the 60M hurdles and 600M hurdles, have kept the streak alive. Harris was also named an All-American in the 110M hurdles and 60M hurdles in 2008. Omo Osaghae continued the streak for Tech in the 110M hurdles in 2008 and then the 60M hurdles in 2009. Osaghae recently was named All-American in the 60M hurdles making it five years in a row that Tech has had an All-American hurdler. Bryce Brown and Jamele Mason continued the streak earned All-America status in the 400M hurdles.

13 NCAA Individual Champions
Tech has compiled 13 NCAA Individual Champions in its program history. The most recent was from D'Andra Carter as she won the 2009 NCAA Discus title in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was the first field event national title in program history and the 12th title on the female side.