Sports

Tech Track & Field to NCAA Championship

Texas Tech Track and Field Athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championship

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech track and field is set to send athletes that qualified on their roster to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9 to the 12 for the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

Texas Tech’s lineup features many sprinters in addition to participants for the triple jump and discus events throughout the week. Athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship through their performance at both the East and West regionals.

Tech Track & Field Female Athletes to Watch

For the individual events, Texas Tech is sending Chinne Okoronkwo, Ruth Usoro, Monae’ Nichols, Seasons Usual, Kaylee Hinton, and Callie Jones. Women relay participants will also consist of Jadsia Warden, Sara Limp, Kiara Lester, Amanda Crawford, and possibly Lexye Price, depending on her performance in the quarter-hurdles. Rosters for the relays could potentially change, but it is important to note both women’s 4×11 and 4×400 teams are participating.

Ruth Usoro comes off a historic jump with a staggering triple of 44 ft. and 8 3/4 inches to bring home second place in regionals. Usoro will perform in the triple jump event at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. This appearance will be Usoro’s second time in the NCAA championship after taking home gold in her first appearance.

Another top performer to look out for is Seasons Usual in the discus event. Usual placed fifth in regional, throwing 190-7, securing her spot in the NCAA Outdoor Nationals for the second time. She also comes off earning a bronze in the women’s discus event during the Big 12 meet, the best finish of her career.

Texas Tech also has Kaylee Hinton and Callie Jones qualifying for the Heptathlon event, and their qualifications come from earlier in the season. Both athletes are seniors at Texas Tech and have repeatedly brought home awards and other accolades for the Lady Raiders. These two are a pair to watch from start to finish.

Tech Male Athletes to watch 

Tech will send Courtney Lindsey, Jerrence Jones Jr., Jacolby Shelton, Jalen Seals, and Safin Wills for individual events. Men’s Relay Participants include Lindsey, Shelton, Ashton O’Conner, and Jones, with Keion Sutton and Karayme Bartley as alternates. Like with the women’s, rosters are subject to change, but the Tech men’s 4×100 team participates.

Courtney Lindsey, performing in the 200m, is Texas Tech’s leading men’s runner who has put up awe-inspiring times this season, even hitting the Olympic Standard time for the 200m this past regional meet.

Next, Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones, Jr. is headed to Eugene to perform in the 200m for his first NCAA Outdoor Championship. Jones Jr. secured his place by anchoring his team in a 4×1 in regionals. Although Jones is a freshman, he has shown tremendous athletic ability and is one to watch out for in the 200m event.

Rounding out the top participants to watch, Jacolby Shelton qualified for his first NCAA Outdoor Championship lane in the 100m. Although he is a sophomore, he is an NJCAA indoor 200m national champion and 2019 USTFCCCA All-American. Shelton has consistently broken school records and now gets the opportunity to show off in the NCAA Championship.

Texas Tech NCAA Championship History

The men’s NCAA Outdoor Championship started in 1921, with the women’s beginning in 1982. In the tournament’s history, Texas Tech has only one NCAA Outdoor National Championship win. Tech’s sole title belongs to the 2019 men’s team under coach Wes Kittley.

The 2019 season also marks Texas Tech’s first time in the top two, never placing first or as a runner-up in previous years. After the 2020 season’s cancellation, Texas Tech has the opportunity to win back-to-back titles during this week’s events.

Schedule and Looking ahead

The schedule is the same across the four days, with different start times and alternating between men and women. For example, the men start first at 1 pm with combined events, move to field events at 2:30 pm, and finish the day with track events at 5 pm. That same order then repeats on Thursday with an initial start time of 9 am, Friday at noon, and Saturday at 11 am.

The NCAA Outdoor Championships is one of the last major events of the season and, for most, the last. However, the USATF Olympic Trials are held at the same location the following week from June 18-27. Courtney Lindsey from the men’s team and Ruth Usoro could be potential power players at the event. From Lindsey hitting the Olympic standard to qualify for regionals and Usoro’s continual record-breaking leaps. The Red Raiders look like fierce competition for the coming weeks.

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Written by Hudson Gregg

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