Tech Primed for Big 12 Indoor Championships
February 22, 2012 | Track and Field
Texas Tech is set to compete at the Big 12 Indoor Championships this weekend.
Texas Tech Notes | 
Kittley Previews the Big 12 Indoor Championships
LUBBOCK, Texas - On the heels of one of the toughest indoor schedules in school history, the Texas Tech track and field team is set to compete at the Big 12 Indoor Championships this weekend in College Station. The squad enters the conference indoor championship meet after spending the previous month participating in some of the elite meets throughout the country including the Texas A&M Mondo Challenge, the New Balance Invitational, the Tyson Invitational and the UNM Don Kirby Collegiate Elite.
Texas Tech enters the Big 12 Indoor Championships with nine athletes ranked in the Top 20 on the national indoor performance list in their respective events, including three in the Top 10. Texas Tech also returns sophomore Kyal Meyers the defending Big 12 Indoor Pole Vault Champion and 2011 Outstanding Freshman of the Year. Bryce Lamb, one of the top long jumpers in the country, also returns for the Red Raiders. Lamb secured wins in both the long jump and triple jump during the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Championships. Meanwhile the junior, who garnered Performer of the Year honors in 2010, was the High Point Scorer at the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Championships.
BATTLE TESTED
The Texas Tech track and field program amped up its schedule for the 2012 indoor season. In what head coach Wes Kittley has described as putting his team `into the fire', the squad has competed in several of the top meets in the country during the indoor season. The elite meets have included the Texas A&M Mondo Challenge, the New Balance Invitational, the Tyson Invitational and the UNM Don Kirby Collegiate Elite in just over one month. Between the Tyson Invitational and the UNM Don Kirby Collegiate Elite, Tech competed against 15 of the Top-25 teams in the nation in one weekend of action. Meanwhile, at the Texas A&M Mondo Challenge, eight teams entered the meet ranked in the Top 25.
CLOSSE HAS RECORD-BREAKING SEASON
Kelly Closse has had an extraordinary 2012 indoor season. The 2011 indoor All-American has re-written the Texas Tech indoor weight throw record book in just over a month time-period. The Les Abymes, France native now owns four of the top-five marks in school history in the weight throw. Three of the marks were set this season. Closse transferred to Texas Tech after capturing five NJCAA Championships at South Plains College in nearby Levelland, Texas. She was also a six-time NJCAA All-American selection.
GRIMES HAS PROVEN CONSISTENCY
Junior hurdler Katie Grimes has had a career-defining 2012 indoor season. The Canyon, Texas native enters the Big 12 Indoor Championships in possession of four of the top-five 60 meter hurdles times in school history. Texas Tech coaches have been most impressed with her consistency throughout the season, and ability to continue to improve her times as the year progresses. Grimes has broken the school record in the 60 meter hurdles in three consecutive weeks (Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb 10).
LAMB BENEFITS FROM QUICK START
Junior long jumper Bryce Lamb wasted little time leaping to the top of the national indoor list. The 2011 Indoor All-American recorded a jump of 26' - 0.75" in his first meet of the season on Jan 20. The mark currently ranks No. 3 on the national indoor list and is just outside the NCAA Automatic Qualifying mark.
Players Mentioned
