Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Tech Sending 16 to NCAA Outdoor Championships
May 28, 2011 | Track and Field
May 28, 2011
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 5 Red Raiders and No. 18 Lady Raiders qualified a total of 16 student-athletes to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after wrapping up competition at the NCAA West Preliminary.
"I was really pleased with the day," head coach Wes Kittley said after the meet. "On the men's side we qualified everybody we needed to for the national meet. Our women competed really well in the relays and Kelly (Closse) in the discus and I felt like it was a good day."
The Tech men's hurdle crew will have the most entries at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 110M hurdles. Shane Brathwaite, Omo Osaghae and Brandon Tucker all advanced to the semi-final round. Brathwaite (13.79) and Osaghae (13.32) grabbed automatic berths by finishing in the top three of their heats, while Tucker got in with his time of 13.74.
The five combined hurdlers (110M hurdles and 400M hurdles) Tech has running at the NCAA Outdoor Championships are the most in the nation by one school.
In only his second triple jump competition of the season, Bryce Lamb quickly punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Lamb leaped 52'-8.75" (16.07M) on his second attempt and finished second overall. His jump is a season best for the sophomore.
The women's 4x100M relay of Tara Thomas, Erica Alexander, Candace Jackson and Taylor Evans for the second-straight year will be making a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The squad ran a 44.89 and placed third.
The women's 4x400M relay of Jackson, Alexander, Evans and Lloyd ran a 3:37.27 and placed third in its heat by out leaning Iowa. The third place finish gives Tech an automatic berth to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Kelly Closse will be pulling double duty at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Closse threw a personal best of 174'-5" (53.46M) to place fourth in a very talented field. She will also be competing in the shot put.
Julian Wruck advanced to his second-straight NCAA Outdoor Championships. The sophomore finished second in the discus with a throw of 191'-10" (58.47M). Wruck placed third at last year's NCAA Championships.
The men's 4x400M relay finished in second in the second heat of the competition. Latoy Williams, Brathwaite, Jamele Mason and Gil Roberts ran a 3:06.30 to advance to the semi-final round.
The women's hurdle crew just missed out on putting two into the semi-final round. Katie Grimes ran a 13.42 to finish in 13th and Kelsey Lloyd finished in 13.57 to place 15th. The top 12 advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Ifeatu Okafor did not advance in the women's discus. Her best throw of the day was 152'-8" (46.53M).
The NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 8-11.
Players Mentioned
