Tech Hosting Red Raider Invitational Friday

Friday, January 18

Lubbock, Texas

10:00 A.M.

Texas Tech Athletics

Red Raider Open

Tech Hosting Red Raider Invitational Friday

January 17, 2019 | Track and Field

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The Red Raiders will host 24 schools for their second meet of the indoor campaign.

By: Jeremy O'Brien

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech track and field is set to host its second meet of the indoor season in the form of Friday's Red Raider Invitational. Twenty-four programs will descend upon Lubbock for the Sports Performance Center's largest meet of the season so far.

Though most of the visiting competitors are from mid-sized Texas schools, Tech will get the opportunity to go head-to-head with the likes of Houston and LSU – both programs that finished top-10 in last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.

"[LSU head coach] Dennis Shaver has been there for a long time, and they have a fabulous program," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley.

Kittley continued his praise for the Tigers' program and showed his excitement for a matchup that he would usually have to wait until nationals for:

"LSU's female sprinters are off the charts," Kittley said. "They have very high-level sprinters, but they have a good team overall; they're going to bring in good long jumpers, triple jumpers, high jumpers and middle distance too. I expect a really good team effort out of them."

The LSU sprinters Tech will face off against will include Kortnei Johnson, the fifth-ranked 200m runner in the nation. The Red Raiders will throw in Tiffani Johnson and Sara Limp to face her in the first section of the 200m. In another section of the 200m, the Tigers will enter Sha'Carri Richardson, the nation's third-ranked 60m sprinter.

The Red Raiders will be taking on the Cougars in the 4x400 for the second straight weekend. At the Corky Classic, the men's squad of Divine Oduduru, Vincent Crisp, Tyreek Mathis and Andrew Hudson took Houston down thanks to an exceptional kick by Hudson. The women's foursome used a 52-second split by Sara Limp to take the lead on UH and did not look back. In addition to a Cougar lineup seeking retribution, the women's relay team will also have to deal with an LSU relay squad that returns three of their four legs that won the SEC Indoor Championships last year.

In the long jump, three of the top-10 long jumpers in the country – two from Tech and one from LSU – will be squaring off. Top-ranked Odaine Lewis and second-ranked Charles Brown will represent the Red Raiders against seventh-ranked Rayvon Grey of the Tigers. Lewis (26'-2.75") and Brown (26'-0.75") are the only two long jumpers in the country to have cleared 26 feet so far this season, while Grey has topped at 25'-3.5".

Elsewhere in the field, Chinne Okoronkwo, who last weekend entered the program record books at seventh all-time in the pole vault in just her first meet as a Red Raider, will compete in the triple jump. She enters the year as the 16^th-ranked triple jumper in the country after placing fifth for Wisconsin at last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Friday's meet will begin at 10 a.m. with the women's 3000m and women's weight throw. Tickets may be purchased here.