Tech Heads to Waco, California for Week Four

Thursday, April 18

Azusa, Calif.

Texas Tech Athletics

Bryan Clay Invitational

Tech Heads to Waco, California for Week Four

April 18, 2019 | Track and Field

Bryan Clay Live Results Mt. SAC Live Results

Red Raiders competing at Baylor, Mt. SAC.

By: Jeremy O'Brien

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will split its squad in week four of the outdoor campaign, sending all but its distance crew to Baylor for the Michael Johnson Invitational. While the bulk of the team competes in Waco, Tech's distance squad will run at the storied Mt. SAC Relays and Bryan Clay Invitational.

RED RAIDERS IN WACO

"It's going to be very good competition with several teams from our conference as well as the SEC," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley. "We really need a good meet with some good weather to try to get some good marks."

The two-meet weekend comes after an off week for the Red Raiders, who after four straight weeks of competition took a week to train before getting back into action. Now into the second half of the season, Tech boasts nine top-10 individual marks on the men's side and three top-20 marks for the women.

Tech's 100m group and long jump foursome both rank second in the country, per the USTFCCCA's Event Squad rankings. The sprints squad of Divine Oduduru, Andrew Hudson, Jacolby Sutton and Justin Hall have a group average of 10.31, which itself would be a national qualifying time. Hall then joins Charles Brown, Jequan Hogan and Axel Hubert to comprise the second-ranked jumps team in the nation.

The lone Red Raider in the program to own a national-leading mark is Duke Kicinski, whose first discus throw of the season landed 207'-10" (63.34m). It stands as one of just seven throws that have measured over 60 meters this season.

With these strong marks, and plenty more, the men's team again holds on to the number one ranking in the country, making it 10 consecutive regular season weeks they have topped the collegiate polls. It has been three weeks atop the rankings this outdoor season after never having been ranked number one.

The women's squad dropped just one spot to 18^th after their off week, however, they hold a strong lead as the highest-rated squad in the Mountain Region. They also stand fourth in a tight-knit Big 12. While Texas' lead on the rest of the conference is sizable, the Lady Raiders, along with Oklahoma and Kansas State, remain in striking distance.

Tech currently has three women ranked top-20 with a month to go before the Big 12 Championships. This group is led by Zarriea Willis, the newly crowned indoor high jump national champion, who is 20^th so far with a top mark of 5'-10" (1.78m). Though she is capable of turning in a much higher mark, she still leads the Big 12.

The Michael Johnson Invitational will begin Friday at noon with the hammer.

TECH AT MT. SAC AND BRYAN CLAY

Jonah Koech will lead Tech's distance group in California, set to run in a very competitive 1500m section. Nokuthula Dlamini will run the 5000m two weeks after PR'ing in both the 5k and steeplechase at Texas A&M.

"What we're trying to find right now with distance running is cooler temperatures and no wind," said distance coach Jon Murray. "California is a great place for that. If you're running distance this time of year – and this weekend – that [Mt. SAC] is the place to be."

Connor Hughes and Cornelius Kiprotich will be the first Red Raiders to compete out west, going in the steeplechase at 5 p.m. CT.