Track Teams Aiming High in 2000
December 21, 1999 | Indoor Track
Dec. 21, 1999
Womens Preview
Coming off of the best season in team history, the Raider women are looking to repeat the feat in 2000. And it?s possible that they may just be able to do it. Most of the key athletes from last year's team that finished ranked No.11 in the country outdoors and 18th indoors are returning to the squad. Most importantly, Leigh Daniel is returning after winning a pair of national championships in ?99. Despite their ranking in the national polls, the women have room for improvement in the conference where they finished 10th both indoors and outdoors last season.
Distance
The distance events are definitely the strength of the 2000 team. Leigh Daniel will be looking to repeat as national champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. Daniel?s 1999 season was nothing short of phenomenal. Quickly listing her accomplishments, a three-time All-American, Daniel was national champion indoors in the 5,000 and outdoors in the 10,000, she finished second at the outdoor meet in the 5,000, was Big 12 champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 and was the top collegiate finisher in the 10,000 at the U.S. National Meet. For Daniel, who didn?t even begin her career as a distance runner until her senior year of high school, the rise has been meteoric. However, Daniel isn?t the only weapon in the Raider?s distance arsonal. Evette Turner returns to the team as does Kristen Koppes. Turner, a former NCAA meet competitor and Big 12 champion in the mile, battled through nagging injuries last season but still just barely missed provisionally qualifying for the NCAA indoor championships in the mile. Koppes had a breakthrough season in 1999, setting a number of personal best times and owning the second fatest time on the team in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 behind Daniel. Additionally, Koppes was an All-Big 12 selection in cross country during the fall. Under the tutelage of Dave Smith, Tech distance runners made great improvements last year. Look for the trend to continue in 2000.
Middle Distance
The coaching staff thinks they might have a budding star in sophomore Ngozi Iwu. As a freshman in 1998 she provisionally qualified for the indoor and outdoor championships in the 400. She set new school records indoors and outdoors in the 400 and set a new ATC and school record in the 600. The Tech coaching staff thinks Iwu may have a future as an 800 runner, although she is untested in the event at the collegiate level. Even if Iwu doesn?t make a successful transition to the 800, the women still return their two top 800 runners from last year in Evette Turner and Courtney Nolen. Nolen had the team?s top time in the 1,000 and second best time in the indoor 800 behind Turner.
Sprints
The Raiders return their top sprinters from last year in Sherri Coleman and Tammi Zachary. Coleman had the team?s top indoor times in the 55, 60 and 200 meter events. She scored in the 200 event at the Big 12 championships when she finished 7th. Her top time came indoors (24.58) at the Big 12 championships. Zachary was the team?s top 100 runner last season when she set a new school record in the event with a time of 11.60 at the ACU Classic. Add Ngozi Iwu into the mix and the Raiders seem to have a solid core for their sprint teams. Iwu was the team?s top 200 runner during the outdoor season. Iwu, Coleman and Zachary were all members of the 4x100 relay team that set a new Texas Tech record with a time of 45.68 at the Big 12 Championships.
Throws
After redshirting both indoor and outdoor last season, Sipa Finau returns in 1999. The coaching staff feels Finau has incredible talent and that training under Cliff Felkins will help her immensely. Finau already holds the school records in the weight throw and hammer throw and was on the brink of provisionally qualifying for the NCAA met in 1998, when she was also the team?s top discus and shot-put thrower. After a full year of training, look for good things from the junior out of Euless, Texas.
Jumps
After sitting out the 1999 campaign, Crystal Harlan returns to the squad this season to compete in the high jump event. In 1998, Harlan placed fith at the Big 12 indoor meet with a jump of 5?-7?. Harlan holds the Texas Tech record in the indoor high jump (5?-10?) and is second on the all-time list outdoors with a mark of 5?-11.25?, both heights that would have easily earned scoring marks at the conference meet. Behind Harlan the leading returner in the jumps is Jodi Jones, a junior from Wichita Falls who focused on the long jump in ?99. Her top mark was 18?-0.25? at the Texas Opener Meet.
Mens Preview
One word can describe the 2000 edition of the men's team: Young. Looking at the roster this season, Tech fans will count only 4 seniors. Gone are a trio of former All-American performers who had been dominant in the sprints and sprint relays. The team also took big losses in their throws and distance events.However, coming in the team can look at a three-time state champion distance runner, one of the nation's most sought after throwers and one of the best high school jumpers in the United States. Last season the Raider men scored 27 points at the Big 12 outdoor championships. This season there is reason to be excited about a promising recruiting class as well as a strong core of distance and middle distance runners. The coaching staff is looking for steady improvement throughout the season, hopefully result in some scoring at the conference meet.
Sprints
Traditionally an area of strength for the men, this season the sprint corps will be led by Michael Franklin. The sophomore from Fort Worth has potential to be one of the top sprinters in the conference. Last season Franklin was an anchor for one of the Big 12's best sprint teams. He had the team?s third fastest time in the 100-meter dash and the second fastest time in the 55-meters. Another possible contributor will be Antonio Franklin, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College. Gone this season are the trio of Desmond Johnson, Josephus Howard and Rohan McDonald. Also gone is Shameron Turner, the team?s best 100 and 200 sprinter last season. Of the 27 points the Red Raiders scored at last years Big 12 outdoor championships, 22 of them were scored by the sprint corps.
Distance
Distance may be the strong area for the men this season. The coaching staff will look to Senior David Leigh to pace the group. Last year Leigh scored five points at the Big 12 outdoor meet and he is the only returning scorer fo the men this year. He had the team?s top time in the 10,000 and second best time in the 3,000 and 5,000. He has shown steady improvement in distance events and should continue to impress people this season. Along with Leigh, the men will have the services of Jesse Williams and Boniface Ndungu. Ndungu joined the team for the outdoor season in 1999 and made an immediate impact, notching the team?s top times in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meter races. Williams has been a solid runner over the years. Last season he competed in the 10,000 and 5,000. The wild cards for the distance team may be the contributions of freshmen Brian Wade and Ryan Cruz. Cruz is a three-time state champion in distance events and both showed potential to be contributors during the cross country season.
Middle Distance
Samson Ngetich returns after anchoring the men?s middle distance team last season. Ngetich had the team?s top indoor 800 time (1:55.90) and top 800 time outdoors (1:54.26). After Ngetich the Raiders may rely on Leigh or Ndungu, the only returning men with experience in the middle distance events.
Jumps
The Raiders will benefit fromthe services of Paul Phenix, a junior who took a redshirt season in 1998 but has a best mark in the triple jump of 49'-11". The Red Raiders also return two of their top athletes in the jumps from last season in Zelvis Applin and Tsepo Williams. Williams had the team?s best marks in all jumping events indoors and outdoors and Applin was right behind him. Along with Phenix, Williams and Applin, the coaches may look to freshman Michael Beasley for a contribution in the high jump event. Beasley comes to Tech after a standout career at Abilene Wylie High School where he was the 1999 Texas 3-A state champion in the high jump. His jump of 7?-1.5? was the fourth best jump in the country for a high school athlete.
Throws
The Raiders will have the services of Jason Young, a true freshman who was one of the naation's best throwers in high school. Young competed in the Junior National Meet and has a career best discus throw of 202?-2?, the 5th best mark in the United States for high school athletes. Also competing will be Ryan Luna and Andrew Schoope in the javelin. Luna has a top javelin throw of 224'-2". Another freshman signee, Brandt Taylor, had the top discus throw in the Texas 1A classification(173-0) last season at Meadow High School.