Red Raiders Open Outdoor Season at UTSA Invitational

Red Raiders Open Outdoor Season at UTSA Invitational

March 17, 2017 | Track and Field

Texas Tech heads to San Antonio for a spring break meet to start off the outdoor season.

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech track & field is hitting their first outdoor meet of the season, coming off of a strong appearance at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas. This outdoor meet is taking place at the UTSA Invitational in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18.

Live stats for this two-day meet are available at www.sidearmstats.com/utsa/track/.

ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
The Red Raiders returned six student-athletes to the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this year in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech also had two bring back their first All-American titles. The Red Raiders who competed at nationals now have a total of 12 first team and 13 second team All-American honors. Repeat National High Jump Champion, Trey Culver received the second of his two indoor first team All-American accolades with his first place bar of 2.26m/7-5. Culver also holds an outdoor first team All-American honor as well as one second team outdoor honor, bringing the total to four. Steven Champlin, Kyle Collins and C.J. Jones were again part of the indoor first team All-American 4x400 relay. This performance proved to be the No. 2 first team indoor title for all three. Collins is the returner with the most All-American titles bringing in a total of five. Senior Viershanie Latham made her second appearance at the indoor championships to grasp the first of her first team All-American titles. Latham's 13.39m/43-11.25 triple jump mark proved to be a Texas Tech indoor all-time best as well as a personal best. Zarriea Willis and Andrew Hudson both made their first All-American marks bringing in first team honors for their performances in the women's high jump and men's 4x400 relay. Hudson also claimed a second team honor in the men's 200m dash clocking a 20.84 run.

"That's one of my strongest suits is my competitive nature...I'm going out there for gold, I'm going to win" #WreckEm #HighJumpU #StayTuned pic.twitter.com/l3hvVm0Yss
— TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) March 16, 2017

RETURNING OUTDOOR BIG 12 CHAMPIONS
There are four returning outdoor Big 12 Champions for the Red Raiders this season. C.J. Jones claimed his 800-meter crown with his 1:47.93 time. Benard Keter paced an 8:41.21 3,000-meter steeplechase and claimed his first-place finish. A 7.75m/25-5.25 long jump mark secured Charles Brown's 2016 outdoor title. Last but not least Trey Culver hit his high jump bar of 2.23m/7- 3.75 to finish No. 1.

LAST TIME OUT
The Red Raiders last competed at the UTSA Invitational in 2015. Trey Culver grasped a first place finish in the men's high jump clearing 2.10m/6-10.75. 2. Viershanie Latham hit a triple jump mark of 11.92m/39-01.25 for second place overall. Reece Timmons jumped at outdoor collegiate-best height of 3.95m/12-11.50 in the women's pole vault. Following Timmons was Blake Wood and Tayler Jameson in the three and four spots. Jocelyn Caro and Jasmine Torres went 2-3 in the 3,000--meter race with times of 10:09.67 and 10:32.64 respectively. Darien Tennon had a fifth place finishing time of 10.63 in the men's 100-meter dash. Tennon also finished sixth in the men's 400-meter hurdles clocking a 52.91 time.

ON THE DOCKET
Next up Texas Tech Track & Field will hit the road and head over to Abilene, Texas for the ACU Invitational on March 24-25.