Tech Claims Four Mountain Region Awards
March 06, 2020 | Track and Field
Two Red Raider student-athletes, two coaches recognized by USTFCCCA.
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross County Coaches Association announced its regional awards for the indoor season Friday. Texas Tech claimed four of the eight awards in the Mountain Region.Â
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Ruth Usoro and Justin Hall swept the Mountain Region Field Athlete of the Year awards for both genders. Meanwhile, James Thomas and Calvin Robinson swept the Assistant Coach of the Year awards for the third straight year.Â
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Two-time Big 12 Champion Ruth Usoro was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Year, marking the third time a Lady Raider has claimed the award. Usoro is the first jumper to do so. Usoro's first season at the Division I level has been nothing short of tremendous. The South Plains transfer, a junior college national champion, swept the Big 12 titles in both horizontal jumps. Usoro owns the school record for both, too, setting each within a month of beginning competition as a Red Raider. Usoro ranks in the top-four in the NCAA in each event. In addition to the school records, the Nigerian owns three of the program's top-10 marks in the long jump as well as three of the program's top-10 triple marks.
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"Ruth has been extremely solid and consistent for our program all season long," said Associate Head Coach James Thomas. "It is awesome to see her awarded by our sport, especially since she is the type that never seeks recognition."
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Justin Hall kept Tech's dominant hold on the Men's Field Athlete of the Year award going, becoming the sixth straight Red Raider to hold the honor. The string of Red Raiders to win the award dates back to 2015 when high jumper JaCorian Duffield claimed the award. Justin Hall has taken over leadership of a strong and young Tech jumps group, himself setting the tone after completing his senior indoor season the #4 long jumper in the NCAA. He also secured his first Big 12 silver medal in the event at the conference meet. His PR of 8.05m was the third-longest mark in school history.Â
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"This is Justin's first honor, and I couldn't be more excited for him," Thomas said of the senior. "He's been a major contributor in our program for four years, and I'm hopeful this is his year to take things to a whole new level."
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His jumper Usoro leading the way, Associate Head Coach James Thomas was named the Women's Assistant Coach of the Year for the third straight season. Thomas has used the 2020 season to continue his strong development of jumpers and multis athletes at Texas Tech. His season has been highlighted by Ruth Usoro, whose sweep of the Big 12 horizontal jumps earned her the recognition of a High Point Scorer at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Usoro downed the school records in both, and will enter the NCAA Championships ranked top-four in each. In the multis, Thomas has enjoyed the return of All-American Kaylee Hinton, whom Thomas coached to a silver-medal showing at the Big 12 Championships. Hinton's return resulted in a personal-best score of 4,105 points – the most a Tech pentathlete has ever scored at a Big 12 meet. In total, his female jumpers and multis tallied 37 of Tech's program-record 131 scored at the Big 12 Championships.
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"Coaching awards will always be about the student-athletes to me," Thomas said. "Not just the ones highlighted in the championships, but the ones pushing and challenging them daily."
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On the men's side, Calvin Robinson completed a three-peat of the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award. Robinson has led his sprints group to yet another strong showing so far in 2020. Robinson's sprinters qualified four for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including three in the 200m. His group contributed a total of 48 points to Tech's 127 at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Robinson had multiple scorers in the 60m hurdles, 60m and 200m, and had a 4x4 that earned bronze while the DMR took second.
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"I am extremely grateful," Robinson said. "It's always an honor to be recognized by your peers. We have a great group of student-athletes and I also have a lot of help around me. Coach Zach Glavash has helped our program tremendously in continuing to move in the right direction. I am proud to be a part of this Texas Tech University and this program."
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Ruth Usoro and Justin Hall swept the Mountain Region Field Athlete of the Year awards for both genders. Meanwhile, James Thomas and Calvin Robinson swept the Assistant Coach of the Year awards for the third straight year.Â
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Two-time Big 12 Champion Ruth Usoro was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Year, marking the third time a Lady Raider has claimed the award. Usoro is the first jumper to do so. Usoro's first season at the Division I level has been nothing short of tremendous. The South Plains transfer, a junior college national champion, swept the Big 12 titles in both horizontal jumps. Usoro owns the school record for both, too, setting each within a month of beginning competition as a Red Raider. Usoro ranks in the top-four in the NCAA in each event. In addition to the school records, the Nigerian owns three of the program's top-10 marks in the long jump as well as three of the program's top-10 triple marks.
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"Ruth has been extremely solid and consistent for our program all season long," said Associate Head Coach James Thomas. "It is awesome to see her awarded by our sport, especially since she is the type that never seeks recognition."
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Â?? Big 12 titles
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) March 6, 2020
?? School records
?? Nationals meet bids
Triple jump and long jump have belonged to @UsoroRuth5 this year.
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/BNH8Mv0r4w
Justin Hall kept Tech's dominant hold on the Men's Field Athlete of the Year award going, becoming the sixth straight Red Raider to hold the honor. The string of Red Raiders to win the award dates back to 2015 when high jumper JaCorian Duffield claimed the award. Justin Hall has taken over leadership of a strong and young Tech jumps group, himself setting the tone after completing his senior indoor season the #4 long jumper in the NCAA. He also secured his first Big 12 silver medal in the event at the conference meet. His PR of 8.05m was the third-longest mark in school history.Â
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"This is Justin's first honor, and I couldn't be more excited for him," Thomas said of the senior. "He's been a major contributor in our program for four years, and I'm hopeful this is his year to take things to a whole new level."
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ÂJ-Hall keeps the streak alive ??
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) March 6, 2020
For the ?????????? year in a row, a Red Raider is the region's Men's Field Athlete of the Year.
This time, it's @Justin_Hall11's turn.
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/xvEgRpY7Rb
His jumper Usoro leading the way, Associate Head Coach James Thomas was named the Women's Assistant Coach of the Year for the third straight season. Thomas has used the 2020 season to continue his strong development of jumpers and multis athletes at Texas Tech. His season has been highlighted by Ruth Usoro, whose sweep of the Big 12 horizontal jumps earned her the recognition of a High Point Scorer at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Usoro downed the school records in both, and will enter the NCAA Championships ranked top-four in each. In the multis, Thomas has enjoyed the return of All-American Kaylee Hinton, whom Thomas coached to a silver-medal showing at the Big 12 Championships. Hinton's return resulted in a personal-best score of 4,105 points – the most a Tech pentathlete has ever scored at a Big 12 meet. In total, his female jumpers and multis tallied 37 of Tech's program-record 131 scored at the Big 12 Championships.
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"Coaching awards will always be about the student-athletes to me," Thomas said. "Not just the ones highlighted in the championships, but the ones pushing and challenging them daily."
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— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) March 6, 2020
Records and titles galore from the jumps and multis squads. @CoachThomasJr secures yet another regional honor.
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/WX2DPmosJb
On the men's side, Calvin Robinson completed a three-peat of the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award. Robinson has led his sprints group to yet another strong showing so far in 2020. Robinson's sprinters qualified four for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including three in the 200m. His group contributed a total of 48 points to Tech's 127 at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Robinson had multiple scorers in the 60m hurdles, 60m and 200m, and had a 4x4 that earned bronze while the DMR took second.
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"I am extremely grateful," Robinson said. "It's always an honor to be recognized by your peers. We have a great group of student-athletes and I also have a lot of help around me. Coach Zach Glavash has helped our program tremendously in continuing to move in the right direction. I am proud to be a part of this Texas Tech University and this program."
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Â3?? ??????????-???????? 3??
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) March 6, 2020
Another year of strong sprinters, another year recognized for it. @CoachCalRob continues to be one of the best in the game.
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/cK5gvWcuFn
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