Saturday, January 16
Lubbock, Texas
11:00 A.M.
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Corky Classic
Tech Primed for Corky Classic Season Opener
January 14, 2021 | Track and Field
Red Raiders ready to kick off 2021 season at home.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech track & field will begin its 2021 campaign as it has each of the last four years: with the Corky Classic. Set for Saturday, the meet will honor its namesake, legendary Tech administrator and ambassador, Corky Oglesby.
"We're just excited to get started and let the kids compete again," said head coach Wes Kittley, whose team's 2020 season was cut short as the student-athletes were warming up for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. "It's been a long time, and we're excited to get back to normal and lace them up."
The Red Raiders will welcome a small yet diverse group of programs for the opener. They will get first looks at two Big 12 squads, Baylor and Texas. Arizona, a common Power-5 visitor to the Sports Performance Center in recent seasons, will make the trip over as well. Tech has also invited local friends Abilene Christian, Angelo State, Lubbock Christian, Wayland Baptist and West Texas A&M.
"The big ones are Texas, Baylor, us and Arizona," said Kittley. "Each week this season, the competition we're inviting is just going to get better. This week, we're excited to get these teams in here as well as help out some of our neighbors who have been so good to us."
Opening up for the men's team will be four of Tech's eight returning All-Americans who possess indoor eligibility. On the straightaway, Jacolby Shelton will open his campaign in the 60m, one of two events for which he qualified to nationals in last year. Sven Cepus will open in the 600-yard, and event in which he has regularly found himself on the national leaderboards.
In the field, All-American weight thrower Gabe Oladipo will open in the weight throw and shot put. Jequan Hogan, who qualified for nationals in the triple jump last year, will debut in that as well as the high jump.
Exciting newcomer Courtney Lindsey, a JUCO national champion in the indoor 200m, will debut for the Red Raiders in the 60m and 200m after transferring from Iowa Central CC. German vice champion in the decathlon Fynn Zenker will make his competition debut in the United States in the 60m hurdles and pole vault. Gary Haasbroek, the Australian heptathlon record holder and another huge get for the multis group, will also compete in the 60m hurdles and pole vault after transferring from UTSA.
On the women's end, 60m hurdles school record-holder and Big 12 Champion Gabrielle McDonald will open in her top event. The Jamaican hurdler downed the school record in her very first meet at Tech, running 8.02.
On the runway, Ruth Usoro will return after sweeping the Big 12 titles in the long and triple jump. Usoro had an outstanding first season in Lubbock last year, taking down the school records in both events within a month of arriving on campus. The two-time All-American's sweep of the jumps titles netted her the Big 12 High Point Scorer.
Chloe Wall will look to build upon her breakout 2020. The pole vaulter cleared a career-best 14'-2.75" (4.34m) and rode that mark to her first career nationals appearance. Her qualification with Chinne Okoronkwo – who will pole vault unattached because she is out of indoor eligibility – marked the first time in program history two female pole vaulters earned bids to an NCAA title meet.
Tech's women's group will benefit from some key transfers this season. Joanna Archer, a six-time NJCAA All-American. She will open in the 600-yard. Two-time All-American and four-time MEAC Champion transfer from Bethune-Cookman Monae' Nichols will begin her career in Lubbock in the long jump.
The Corky Classic will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The meet will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
"We're just excited to get started and let the kids compete again," said head coach Wes Kittley, whose team's 2020 season was cut short as the student-athletes were warming up for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. "It's been a long time, and we're excited to get back to normal and lace them up."
The Red Raiders will welcome a small yet diverse group of programs for the opener. They will get first looks at two Big 12 squads, Baylor and Texas. Arizona, a common Power-5 visitor to the Sports Performance Center in recent seasons, will make the trip over as well. Tech has also invited local friends Abilene Christian, Angelo State, Lubbock Christian, Wayland Baptist and West Texas A&M.
"The big ones are Texas, Baylor, us and Arizona," said Kittley. "Each week this season, the competition we're inviting is just going to get better. This week, we're excited to get these teams in here as well as help out some of our neighbors who have been so good to us."
3?? days??
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) January 13, 2021
Here's who we'll ring in the new season with ?? pic.twitter.com/SAuTVdzwNv
Opening up for the men's team will be four of Tech's eight returning All-Americans who possess indoor eligibility. On the straightaway, Jacolby Shelton will open his campaign in the 60m, one of two events for which he qualified to nationals in last year. Sven Cepus will open in the 600-yard, and event in which he has regularly found himself on the national leaderboards.
In the field, All-American weight thrower Gabe Oladipo will open in the weight throw and shot put. Jequan Hogan, who qualified for nationals in the triple jump last year, will debut in that as well as the high jump.
Exciting newcomer Courtney Lindsey, a JUCO national champion in the indoor 200m, will debut for the Red Raiders in the 60m and 200m after transferring from Iowa Central CC. German vice champion in the decathlon Fynn Zenker will make his competition debut in the United States in the 60m hurdles and pole vault. Gary Haasbroek, the Australian heptathlon record holder and another huge get for the multis group, will also compete in the 60m hurdles and pole vault after transferring from UTSA.
On the women's end, 60m hurdles school record-holder and Big 12 Champion Gabrielle McDonald will open in her top event. The Jamaican hurdler downed the school record in her very first meet at Tech, running 8.02.
On the runway, Ruth Usoro will return after sweeping the Big 12 titles in the long and triple jump. Usoro had an outstanding first season in Lubbock last year, taking down the school records in both events within a month of arriving on campus. The two-time All-American's sweep of the jumps titles netted her the Big 12 High Point Scorer.
Chloe Wall will look to build upon her breakout 2020. The pole vaulter cleared a career-best 14'-2.75" (4.34m) and rode that mark to her first career nationals appearance. Her qualification with Chinne Okoronkwo – who will pole vault unattached because she is out of indoor eligibility – marked the first time in program history two female pole vaulters earned bids to an NCAA title meet.
Tech's women's group will benefit from some key transfers this season. Joanna Archer, a six-time NJCAA All-American. She will open in the 600-yard. Two-time All-American and four-time MEAC Champion transfer from Bethune-Cookman Monae' Nichols will begin her career in Lubbock in the long jump.
The Corky Classic will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The meet will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
XC/Distance/Mid. Distance
/ Track and Field
Middle Distance
/ Track and Field
Multis
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Jumps/Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps/Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Multis
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