Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Indoor Championships
Lady Raider Relay Team Garners Top 8 Finish
March 11, 2012 | Track and Field
Complete Men's Results | Complete Women's Results | 
4x400 Relay Reaction | Quotes
March 10, 2012
NAMPA, Idaho - The Lady Raider 4x400 relay team, which entered Saturday with two of the top-five times in school history, continued its historic season with a top-eight finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The team placed second in the opening heat of the event, beating out Illinois and East Carolina with a time of 3:34.61. With the time the squad placed seventh overall.
"It was just a really exciting race," head coach Wes Kittley said. "The kids competed really hard."
The women's 4x400 relay team is comprised of Taylor Evans, Candace Jackson, Erica Alexander and Olivia Lewis. The squad capped off the 2012 indoor season by recording three of the top-five times in school history.
The relay team also grabbed a fourth place finish at the Big 12 Indoor meet earlier in the year.
"I'm proud of them," assistant coach Dion Miller said. "This group has run consistent all year. If you run consistent, you will see the good times at the end of the year."
Alexander, Evans and Jackson entered the year fresh off an outdoor season in which they garnered second-team All-American honors in the 4x400 relay. Meanwhile, Alexander is also a first-team All American performer in the indoor distance medley relay.
 The 2012 Lady Raider indoor 4x400 relay team with coach Dion Miller  | |
In the women's shot put competition, senior Kelly Closse finished 13th with a toss of 16.15 meters. The throw was her third-best mark of the season. Closse also finished 12th in the weight throw on Friday.
The Red Raiders, which completed competition on Friday, finished 40th overall in the team standings with five points. The Lady Raiders finished 55th overall with two points.
Texas Tech will begin its outdoor season next weekend by competing at the Willie Williams Classic in Tucson, Ariz.
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Players Mentioned
