Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Duffield & Adkins Make History, Go 1-2 Again
June 12, 2015 | Track and Field
June 12, 2015
EUGENE, Ore. -- When something happens that has never been done in history, you know it was a special day.
JaCorian Duffield and Bradley Adkins duplicated their feat from NCAA Indoors, going 1-2 in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, in front of 11,168 fans at historic Hayward Field, in Eugene, Ore., on Friday.
At the beginning of the event, it did not look like Duffield & Adkins were going to become the first teammates since 1939 (Southern California) to go 1-2 at the outdoor championships, or the first teammates to go 1-2 at both the indoor and outdoor championships in history of the NCAA.
Duffield missed his first attempt at the competition's opening height (2.08m/6-9.75), and Adkins cleared the second height (2.12m/6-11.5) on his third attempt. Those heights have been child's play for the pair all season.
However, from there, they caught fire. The pair combined to clear five of their next six jumps, and were sitting 1-2, heading into the bar at 2.25m/7-4.5. From there, Adkins cleared on his first attempt to take the lead, but Duffield struck back with another first-attempt clearance of his own to retake the lead.
Duffield cleared 2.28m/7-5.75 on his first attempt, and that would prove to be enough to take the title. Both Adkins and East Carolina's Avion Jones failed to clear that height, but Adkins took second, based on his first-attempt clearance at the previous height.
This is a special moment," Duffield said. "I don't think it has really hit me yet, especially Bradley and I going 1-2 again. Going into the fall, we knew that if we put in the work, we would be capable of something like this. To come out here and be able to do it is truly a blessing. God is good.
JaCorian Duffield is Texas Tech's third male NCAA outdoor champion, and first NCAA outdoor high jump champion. Duffield is also the first male Texas Tech athlete to claim both an indoor and outdoor national title.
The 18 team points earned gave Tech a ninth-place team finish, marking the first time Tech has had top-10 team finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons in the same year.
"Another incredible NCAA Championship performance from JaCorian and Bradley," Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley said. "To do something that has never been done in NCAA history is incredible. I am so proud of both of them. For JaCorian, our senior leader, what a perfect way for him to end his career here. That propelled us to a top 10 finish as well, which is just amazing. I'm so proud of this program for being top 10 in indoors and outdoors."
Tech freshman Trey Culver nearly topped what has been an amazing postseason run by joining his teammates on the podium. Culver placed 11th (2.16m/7-1.0), earning second team All-American honors.
In the men's discus, Kole Weldon had a best throw of 58.20m/190-11, good enough for 10th place and second team All-American honors, in his last time competing in the scarlet and black. Weldon qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in each year during his decorated Texas Tech career.
Action at the NCAA Championships concludes tomorrow, with Paetyn Revell in the triple jump (4:00 p.m. CST), and Cierra White in the 200 meter dash (5:40 p.m. CST).
TRK: Just as they did in indoors, Duffield and Adkins go 1-2 in the high jump! Unbelievable! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/BGVRWydUYp
-- Blake Zimmerman (@BlakeZ_TTU) June 13, 2015
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