Tech Continues to Roll on Day Two of Prelims

Friday, May 24

Sacramento, Calif.

Texas Tech Athletics

NCAA West Preliminary

Tech Continues to Roll on Day Two of Prelims

May 24, 2019 | Track and Field

Red Raiders continue to show out in California.

By: Jeremy O'Brien

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Texas Tech track and field continued its very strong showing at the NCAA West Preliminary on Friday, earning national qualifications in several more field events, as well as their first running bids.

Tech's powerful sprints tangent of Divine Oduduru and Andrew Hudson reserved national championship lanes in the 100m while also earning spots in the quarterfinal for the 200m. It began with the quarters of the 100m, where Oduduru and Hudson were placed right next to each other in lanes five and six. The two blew away the pack, cruising through the finish. Oduduru ran a 10.06, while Hudson timed a 10.22. Hudson's nationals qualification was the first for him in the 100m.

The duo went on to dominate the first round of the 200m in much the same fashion. Hudson started in the first section with a lifetime-best 20.13 for the easy heat win. The time tied Oduduru in the record books for the second-fastest in program history.

As a follow-up act, Oduduru broke the 20-second barrier for the second time this season. He turned in a 19.93 for the fifth sub-20 time in the world this year. He already owns the world's top mark with the 19.76 he ran at Baylor's Michael Johnson Invitational.

Tech's middle distance group snagged two qualifications in the 800m thanks to Jonah Koech and Vincent Crisp. Koech won his heat with a 1:46.96, while Crisp ran a 1:47.69 and snagged an at-large bid for a trip to Austin.

The quarter-hurdle group also grabbed two lanes at the national championship. Norman Grimes Jr. breezed to a 49.30 to win his heat and take the automatic bid in hopes of returning to the national meet for a second-straight year. Alaysha Johnson represented the women, running a big lifetime best of 57.30. The time went down as the second-fastest in program history. Johnson ran the PR shortly after going for a season-best 12.93 to secure a lane in Saturday's 100m hurdles quarterfinal.

Tech qualified its seventh and eighth field competitors for nationals right off the bat Friday, beginning with Seasons Usual in the discus. The sophomore, who scored in the discus, shot put and hammer at the Big 12 Championships, landed a lifetime-best mark of 188'-2" (57.35m) on her third and final throw to solidify her first trip to a national championship. Usual's toss ranks fifth in program history.

Throwing adjacent to Usual was Werner Bouwer in the javelin. The South African walked away with a top distance of 229'-6" (69.95m), marking four throws of over 69 meters in his last five meets.

The third Red Raider to qualify in the field was Chinne Okoronkwo, who was one of 11 competitors to clear a height of 14'-2" (4.32m) and reserve spots in Austin. Okoronkwo hit the mark on her first attempt, and with just a few others doing the same, she booked a secure top-12 finish.

Back in the evening throws, Duke Kicinski advanced to the national championship for the second year with a 192'-11" (58.80m). The top toss landed him third in the finals.

Day three of the NCAA West Preliminary begins for the Red Raiders at 3:30 p.m.