Red Raiders wrap up day one of Big 12 indoors

Friday, February 23

Lubbock, TX

3:00 P.M.

Texas Tech Athletics

Big 12 Indoor Championships

Red Raiders wrap up day one of Big 12 indoors

February 23, 2024 | Track and Field

Results

The men scored 36 points on day one highlighted by a first-place finish in the 5000m

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech men lead after day one of the Big 12 Indoor Championships scoring 36 points while the women sit in ninth with 11 points. For the men, 4 of 19 events have been scored, while the women have completed 6 of 19 events.

Men's top-5 teams after day one

1. Texas Tech - 36
2. Texas - 35
3. OSU - 21
4. Iowa State - 19
5. BYU - 18

4 of 19 events scored
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 24, 2024

Overall, the Tech men booked 16 finals lanes for Saturday, six alone in the 60m dash and four in the 60m hurdles.

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— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 23, 2024

In his first collegiate 5000m race, Ernest Cheruiyot clocked in a 13:42.08 (No. 4 all-time school history) to become a Big 12 champion, winning by more than four seconds. In the process, he set a new facility record, besting Wesley Kiptoo's (Iowa State) 2021 time of 13:42.52.

THE CHAMP ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/M5tmdGhyie
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 24, 2024

Two other Red Raiders in Jacob Mechler and Zaid Latif ended their night with a top-3 podium finish. Mechler entered the meet never throwing over 22 meters, then went back-to-back on his second and third throws over 22 meters at 22.07m (72-5) and 22.54m (73-11 ½). Mechler took the lead on his final throw of 22.68m (74-5) but Texas' Jeremiah Nubbe answered back with a throw of 22.79m (74-9 ¼) for the win. Mechler's sixth toss put him No. 4 all-time in Tech history.

Zaid Latif finished third in the long jump with a leap of 7.66m (25-1 ¾). He was sitting in second most of the night until Texas' Jathan Belaire passed him on his final attempt with a jump of 7.67m (25-2).

Meanwhile, in the 400m Shaemar Uter took down Gil Roberts' 2009 school record of 45.71 with a run of 45.59 as he qualified for Saturday's final with the third-best overall time.

?? SCHOOL RECORD ??

Shaemar Uter goes 45.59 in the prelims ?? pic.twitter.com/JJEsTge144
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) February 23, 2024

The women's pole vault saw two scorers in Kashlee Dickinson (sixth) and Mackenzie Hayward (eighth). Dickinson etched a new all-time personal best height of 4.30m (14- 1 ¼), clearing 14 feet for the first time in her young career. Hayward bowed out of the competition at 4.20m (13-9 ¼).

Notables

Destiny Smith (8.23) and Naomi Krebs (8.34) qualified for the 60m hurdles finals.
Oskar Edlund clocked in at 1:08.59 in the 600yd for a finals lane. It moved him to No. 7 all-time in school history.
Konner Wood scored 5^th in the weight throw at 21.54m (70-8).
Anastasia Chepkorir finished 6^th in the 5000m with a time of 16:20.32.
Miquel Dingle, a true freshman this past season on the Tech football team, qualified for the 60m hurdles finals with a time of 7.83 – his second-straight season doing so.