Red Raiders Host First Home Meet

Friday, March 22

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech Athletics

Fearless Champion Open

March 21, 2019 | Track and Field

Heat Sheets Live Results

Texas Tech competing at Fearless Champion Open Friday and Saturday.

By: Jeremy O'Brien

LUBBOCK, Texas – Two weeks after the NCAA Indoor Championships, Texas Tech will return nearly all of its squad to action this weekend at the Fearless Champion Open. It will be Tech's first outdoor home meet since last season, something the Red Raiders are excited about.

"We're just really excited to be at home," Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley said. "We're so comfortable here and we love it here. It's early in the season, so we just want to keep getting better and working on things, and that's easy to do at home."

Among those in action for the men's team will be several of the Red Raiders responsible for Tech's number-one preseason ranking. Norman Grimes will run his specialty, the 400m hurdles, in which he ranks second in the country. He'll be joined on the track by Vincent Crisp and Sven Cepus, who will run the 400m. Crisp and Cepus were with Grimes at indoor nationals, and this will be their first outdoor meet. Derrius Rodgers will lead the 200m group, and long jumper Justin Hall will join Keion Sutton and Jacolby Shelton in the 100m.

Jack Scarborough and Jequan Hogan led Tech in the high jump last week, and this week they will be joined by Jake Benninghoff. Benninghoff will get his outdoor season started after hitting the podium at the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

A three-time First Team All-American in the men's long jump, Charles Brown will be back in his specialty event. Brown sits second in the wind-legal long jump program standings and owns the school record wind-aided mark at 27'-2.75" (8.30m). Hall will also long jump, as will Hogan and several other Red Raiders.

The women's jumpers will be out in full force in the horizontals. Senior Ivy Walker, who was a Second Team All-American in the long jump at indoor nationals for the first time in her career earlier in March, will lead this group. Chelsey Cole, Maya Evans, Brianna Johnson, Talajah Murrell and Chinne Okoronkwo will also be a part of this strong crew.

Perhaps the strongest group Tech's women's squad possesses is the hurdlers. This will be led by Oregon transfer Alaysha Johnson, who sits second in the nation in the 100m hurdles. Arkansas transfer Damajahnee Birch is ranked third in the country in the 400m hurdles. Johnson will also be a part of an exciting 4x100 team that consists of Tiffani Johnson, Daja Gordon and D'Jenne Egharevba.

Throwing events will be highlighted by Duke Kicinski, whose nation-leading discus from last weekend's ACU Wes Kittley Invitational was the furthest collegiate throw in two years. Werner Bouwer will throw javelin after also PR'ing last weekend. The women's side will be led by Dorleta Armendariz-Lasa, who will go in the hammer. Seasons Usual will throw the discus and hammer, the latter in which she ranks 23^rd in the country.

The Fearless Champion Open will get underway Friday at 1:30 p.m. with the javelin. Track events will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. with the steeplechase.