Tech set for final regular season weekend

Thursday, April 28

Abilene, TX

Throws only

Texas Tech Athletics

Oliver Jackson Twilight

Tech set for final regular season weekend

April 27, 2022 | Track and Field

Live Results (Home)Live Results (ACU)Live Results (Drake Relays)Meet Schedule (Home)

The Red Raiders will be in three locations this week beginning Thursday

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech track and field team heads into the final weekend of the regular season competing in three different locations. Tech will honor its senior class Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on the main track.

The Red Raiders will send a handful of throwers to ACU Thursday morning for the Oliver Jackson Twilight, while three distance runners head to Iowa for the Drake Relays. The remaining Red Raiders will stay home for the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

In The Polls
The women's team jumped back into the top 5, moving up one spot to No. 5 as the men's side fell three spots to No. 7.

Last Week
Texas Tech battled through very windy conditions in Waco as part of the Michael Johnson Invitational. Friday, Ruth Usoro (6.59m/5.2w) and Chris Welch (7.67m/8.3w) walked away as the triple jump winners. Meanwhile, Rosemary Chukwuma won the 200 race (22.97/2.1w).

On Saturday, the team of Virginia Kerley, Kiah Dubarry-Gay, Aneesa Scott and Chukwuma clocked in a time of 43.22 in the 4x100. They defeated the pro team of Hurdle Mechanic (43.25) and in the process, recorded the third fastest time in Tech history. Over in the 800 race, Michaela Lewis clocked in a season-best time of 2:05.61. It marked the first time since 2012 that a Red Raider leaped into the women's top 10 list in the event as it put her ninth all-time.

On The Lookout
Beginning Thursday afternoon in Abilene, Gabe Oladipo will look to jump into the top 10 of the NCAA in the discus. Currently his best mark is 14^th at 58.94m (193-4). Last weekend in Waco, Konner Wood hit a new PR in the hammer throw (54.74m, 179-7), while Malin Smith went 16.38m (53-9) for a new shot put mark.

Halena Rahmaan and Edward Rush will represent Tech in the 5000 run at the Drake Relays as Moad Zahafi will go in the 1500. Rahmaan and Rush dropped new PRs of 16:48.40 and 14:11.76, respectively, two weeks ago at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Meanwhile, this will be Zahafi's first 1500 and competiton, since his record breaking and world leading 800 time of 1:43.69 at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida two weekends ago.

The Red Raiders hold the No. 1-ranked women's triple jump team for a second-straight week with Usoro, Ruta Lasmane, Onaara Obamuwagun and Brya Brewer leading the charge. Kayli Johnson has remained in the top five since her 17.62m (59-9.75) shot put mark at the Texas Relays, reaching as high as No. 2 in the country. Over in the discus, Seasons Usual is still in the hunt for the 200ft mark. She's been in the top 2 all month, holding the No. 1 mark of 59.49m (195-2) for three weeks before dropping to No. 2 last weekend.

Several multis will get a chance to tune up in many events this weekend in Lubbock, including Denim Rogers and Gary Haasbroek. Rogers is 22^nd in the NCAA in the decathlon. In the sprints and hurdles, Tech is hopeful to have Vashaun Vascianna debut this weekend. Terrence Jones, Jr. is penciled in to compete in his first 200 race since 2021 – he's eighth in the NCAA when it comes to the 100 (10.09). Chukwuma is second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally in the 100 (11.05).

Chloe Wall leads the female pole vaulters thus far with a season-best mark of 4.35m (14-3.25) – 11^th nationally and an outdoor personal best. Colton Naffziger is third in the Big 12 with a season-best outdoor mark of 5.28m (17-3.75).