Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Texas Tech Wraps Up Day One Of NCAA Outdoors
June 10, 2015 | Track and Field
Kyle Thompson placed 12th in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, on Wednesday.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Texas Tech track & field earned a couple of top-20 finishes on day one of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, in Eugene, Ore., on Wednesday.
In the men's pole vault, Kyle Thompson cleared 5.30m/17-4.50 on his second attempt, which was good enough for 12th place, and second team All-American honors. Thompson is the first male Red Raider to earn All-American honors in the pole vault since 2012.
"I just wanted to leave it all out there," Thompson said. "It was such an honor to compete here. It was my goal all season. Coach [Tom] Slagle and I made some adjustments to take me to the next level this year, and now we'll tweak some more things for next year's indoor season. I know I can accomplish even more than what I did this year."
In the men's long jump, Jerome Wilson had a best leap of 7.44m/24-5.0, good enough for 19th place and honorable mention All-American honors. His third leap looked to be his best of the day, but his hand hit the sand a good distance behind where the rest of his body landed, giving him a shorter mark.
The Red Raider quartet of Joseph Richards III, Kyle Collins, C.J. Jones and Steven Champlin was in great position to advance to the 4 x 400m relay final, but Jones went down with a cramp on the final turn of the third leg, and Tech did not advance. All four members of the relay are slated to return next year.
"I'm thrilled for Kyle Thompson," Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley said. "He wasn't supposed to be here entering regionals, but he stepped up in a big way. I'm so happy that both he and Jerome Wilson were able to compete here in their final outdoor seasons. I'm looking forward to seeing what our women can accomplish tomorrow."
Action at the NCAA Championships continues tomorrow, with the women's running event prelims, and select field event finals.
Players Mentioned
