Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Sets Sights on New Mexico Team Invite
January 29, 2016 | Track and Field
Natalie Thompson set a PR in the women's high jump last weekend at the Texas A&M Quadrangular.
Jan. 29, 2016
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech track & field heads to Albuquerque for the first of back-to-back meets, beginning with the New Mexico Team Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Along with host New Mexico, the Red Raiders will take on conferences foes Kansas State and TCU, as well as Nebraska, California, Air Force, Colorado State and Utah State in a scored meet. The scoring system follows NCAA Championships scoring where eight places score (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1).
The first field event begin at 9:00 a.m. MST, with the women's weight throw, while running events start at noon MST, beginning with the women's 600-meter run.
The men's team jumped to No. 15 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings this week. The Red Raiders will face three other ranked universities this weekend: Kansas State (W: 4, M: 24), TCU (M: 10) and Nebraska (M: 13).
Champlin, Richards III, Jones & Collins ran 3:07.40 on Saturday, the 10th-fastest indoor 4x400 time @ Tech! #WreckEm https://t.co/41iwIxjqw4
- TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) January 25, 2016
In each of the first two meets, the Red Raiders have found their way into the top 10 all-time marks list in the indoor school record books. At the Arkansas Invitational, Viershanie Latham leaped to the seventh-best mark in the triple jump at 12.57m/41-3. Last weekend at the Texas A&M Quadrangular, the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Steven Champlin, Joseph Richards III, C.J. Jones and Kyle Collins put together the 10th-fastest time in school history at 3:07.40, en route to the event win. Their time also ranks fifth in the NCAA this season.
JUMPMAN JUMPMAN JUMPMAN
Tech's vertical and horizontal jumpers put together another strong outing at the Texas A&M Quadrangular last weekend. Natalie Thompson racked up a first-place finish, as well as an indoor personal-best, after sailing over the bar at 1.76m/5-9.25 in the women's high jump. It was her first indoor win in the event this season and broke her previous best set at the 2015 Big 12 Championships. Kaylee Hinton earned a second-place mark in the women's long jump after reaching 5.71m/18-8.75 on her fourth attempt of the day. Viershanie Latham and Gionna Jackson recorded second and third, respectively, in the women's triple jump. Latham reached a distance of 12.33m/40-5.5, while Jackson landed at 12.13m/39-9.75. Charles Brown also placed third in the men's high jump on Saturday in College Station.
FOUR HORSEMEN
All four members of the indoor first team All-American men's 4x400-meter relay team are back in 2016 and blazed to a strong time last weekend. The quartet of Steven Champlin, Joseph Richards III, C.J. Jones and Kyle Collins motored to a first-place time at 3:07.40 at the Texas A&M Quadrangular. The time is the 10th-fastest in the indoor school record books and ranks fifth in the NCAA this season. In two meets this season, Richards has notched the fastest split in his respective leg in each, running 46.74 in Fayetteville and 46.47 in College Station.
VAULTING TO THE TOP
After taking first at the Arkansas Invitational the week before, Brandon Bray completed another strong showing at the Texas A&M Quadrangular in the men's pole vault. Easing over his opening height of 5.01m/16-5-.25 on his first attempt, Bray needed only two tries to clear 5.16m/16-11 and 5.31m/17-5, the latter being a collegiate best. The mark gave him a second-place finish and ranks 13th in the NCAA. On the women's side, Haley Cook also set a personal-best en route to placing second. Cook used only one attempt to clear each of the first three heights, topping at 3.97m/13-0.25 for the new standard.
BACK-TO-BACK
Chris Caldwell continued his streak of finishing first or second in every indoor hurdle final he's been in at Texas Tech with his performance last weekend. Caldwell was joined by Darien Tennon at the top, as the duo went 1-2 in the men's 60-meter hurdles at 8.00 and 8.12, respectively. Caldwell owns the top mark in the Big 12 this season and the fourth-best in the NCAA at 7.75 seconds. Tech got the sweep in the 60-meter hurdles in both disciplines thanks to Shanice Stewart on the women's side. Stewart charged down the track to a time of 8.53 seconds to earn the event win.
MOVIN' UP
The Texas Tech men's team moved up two spots to No. 15 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings. The Red Raiders debut in the preseason poll at No. 17. Tech is one of four Big 12 schools in the top 16 in this week's poll, as Texas leads the way at No. 2, followed by TCU (10) and Oklahoma State (16). On the women's side, Texas and Kansas State are at the top of the leaderboard at third and fourth, respectively, while Baylor also checks into the poll at No. 11. The Red Raiders will face three other ranked universities this weekend: Kansas State (W: 4, M: 24), TCU (M: 10) and Nebraska (M: 13).
ABQ
The Red Raiders return to Albuquerque next week for their first two-day meet of the season, the New Mexico Classic, on Feb. 5-6 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Players Mentioned
