Texas Tech University Athletics
Friday, March 24
Abilene, Texas
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Texas Tech Athletics
at
ACU Invitational
Track & Field Heads to ACU for Wes Kittley Invitational
March 24, 2017 | Track and Field
This is the fourth-annual Wes Kittley Invitational held by ACU.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech Track & Field will head down the way to Abilene, Texas for the fourth-annual ACU Wes Kittley Invitational on March 24-25.
The meet will start with the decathlon and heptathlon on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. respectively. The discus will follow at 4:30 p.m. and the 5000-meter race at 9 p.m.
Saturday the meet will again start with the men's and women's multi events followed by field events at 11 a.m. and running events at 12:20 p.m.
During his time at Abilene Christian, Kittley won an unprecedented 29 national track and field championships, the most in Divisions I and II combined. His total is only three short of the all-time record held by Division III Kenyon College swimming and diving coach Jim Steen. Kittley won his first national championship in 1985 when his women's Wildcat squad won the Division II outdoor championship, a title he would win again in `86, `87 and `88. When ACU combined their programs in 1993, Kittley was selected to head the men's team, as well. He wasted no time taking a floundering men's program to an elite level, winning the Division II indoor title in his first season. His 15-year tenure at ACU included coaching 10 Olympic qualifiers, three Pan-American Games athletes, five World University Games athletes, 16 athletes who have qualified for the world championships and three United States national champions.
The teams competing are: Oral Roberts, Angelo State, West Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Wayland Baptist and West Texas Junior College.
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RETURN OF THE JAVELIN
Freshman Werner Bouwer garnered Big 12 Track & Field Athlete of the week after his first performance for the Red Raiders. The South African javelin thrower hit a 72.16m/236-9 mark on his second throw to claim first-place at the meet. This mark also qualified as the No. 3 spot in Texas Tech outdoor records, the first top-10 mark in the javelin since 1993. Bouwer was 27 feet ahead of his closest competitor at the UTSA Invitational. This throw currently stands as the fourth farthest in the nation in early outdoor competition.
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PRESEASON RANKS
The men's team came in at No. 12 in the preseason outdoor U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings. This was the second highest preseason ranking for the Texas Tech men in the last five years.
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THIS PAST WEEKEND
The spring break meet at UTSA allowed for many Red Raiders to start off the outdoor season. There were eight personal-best marks on day two of the meet as well as 29 top-three finishes for both days. Drew McMichael, Jocelyn Caro, Kaylee Hinton, Werner Bouwer, Clark Blunt, Crystal Onwukaife and Rianna Randolph all brought home first-place finishes. McMichael had a 5.15m/16-10.75 clearance in the men's pole vault to snatch first. A 4:31.94 personal-best time allowed Caro the 1500m win. Hinton also had a personal best mark to claim her first-place spot hitting 6.02m/19-9 in the women's long jump. Bouwer dominated his competition with his 72.16m/236-9 javelin throw. A solo 3000m steeplechase run of 9:56.75 gave Blunt his No. 1 spot. Onwukaife hit her farthest throw so far as a Red Raider in the women's shot put to claim first with a best-mark of 15.21m/49.11. A 19:07.40 5000m run allowed Randolph the number one spot. Overall the women finished second with 157 points and the men came in third at 132.
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LAST TIME OUT
At last year's ACU Wes Kittley Invitational, Red Raiders recorded 14 first-place finishes, 10 personal-bests and two top 10 all-time Texas Tech marks, including a school record.
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ON THE DOCKET
Next up Texas Tech will be in Austin, Texas for the Texas Relays on March 29 through April 1.
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The meet will start with the decathlon and heptathlon on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. respectively. The discus will follow at 4:30 p.m. and the 5000-meter race at 9 p.m.
Saturday the meet will again start with the men's and women's multi events followed by field events at 11 a.m. and running events at 12:20 p.m.
During his time at Abilene Christian, Kittley won an unprecedented 29 national track and field championships, the most in Divisions I and II combined. His total is only three short of the all-time record held by Division III Kenyon College swimming and diving coach Jim Steen. Kittley won his first national championship in 1985 when his women's Wildcat squad won the Division II outdoor championship, a title he would win again in `86, `87 and `88. When ACU combined their programs in 1993, Kittley was selected to head the men's team, as well. He wasted no time taking a floundering men's program to an elite level, winning the Division II indoor title in his first season. His 15-year tenure at ACU included coaching 10 Olympic qualifiers, three Pan-American Games athletes, five World University Games athletes, 16 athletes who have qualified for the world championships and three United States national champions.
The teams competing are: Oral Roberts, Angelo State, West Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Wayland Baptist and West Texas Junior College.
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Congrats to Werner Bouwer on winning @big12conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week! #WreckEmhttps://t.co/QJjDGw4rYU pic.twitter.com/Whu2Et37MD
— TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) March 22, 2017
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RETURN OF THE JAVELIN
Freshman Werner Bouwer garnered Big 12 Track & Field Athlete of the week after his first performance for the Red Raiders. The South African javelin thrower hit a 72.16m/236-9 mark on his second throw to claim first-place at the meet. This mark also qualified as the No. 3 spot in Texas Tech outdoor records, the first top-10 mark in the javelin since 1993. Bouwer was 27 feet ahead of his closest competitor at the UTSA Invitational. This throw currently stands as the fourth farthest in the nation in early outdoor competition.
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PRESEASON RANKS
The men's team came in at No. 12 in the preseason outdoor U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings. This was the second highest preseason ranking for the Texas Tech men in the last five years.
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THIS PAST WEEKEND
The spring break meet at UTSA allowed for many Red Raiders to start off the outdoor season. There were eight personal-best marks on day two of the meet as well as 29 top-three finishes for both days. Drew McMichael, Jocelyn Caro, Kaylee Hinton, Werner Bouwer, Clark Blunt, Crystal Onwukaife and Rianna Randolph all brought home first-place finishes. McMichael had a 5.15m/16-10.75 clearance in the men's pole vault to snatch first. A 4:31.94 personal-best time allowed Caro the 1500m win. Hinton also had a personal best mark to claim her first-place spot hitting 6.02m/19-9 in the women's long jump. Bouwer dominated his competition with his 72.16m/236-9 javelin throw. A solo 3000m steeplechase run of 9:56.75 gave Blunt his No. 1 spot. Onwukaife hit her farthest throw so far as a Red Raider in the women's shot put to claim first with a best-mark of 15.21m/49.11. A 19:07.40 5000m run allowed Randolph the number one spot. Overall the women finished second with 157 points and the men came in third at 132.
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LAST TIME OUT
At last year's ACU Wes Kittley Invitational, Red Raiders recorded 14 first-place finishes, 10 personal-bests and two top 10 all-time Texas Tech marks, including a school record.
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ON THE DOCKET
Next up Texas Tech will be in Austin, Texas for the Texas Relays on March 29 through April 1.
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Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Combined Events
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
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