Texas Tech Athletics
ACU Invitational (o)
Tech Finishes Last Warm-up Meet Before Conference
May 09, 2002 | Track and Field
May 9, 2002
ABILENE, Texas - One week after setting the school record in the 100-meter dash, freshman Tiffany Green provisionally qualified in the 200 for the NCAA Championships, won the 100 and anchored the 4x100 to a first place finish Thursday at the ACU Open in Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene, Texas.
Green's day concluded with the 200. She shot out of the blocks and left the competition behind en route to a 23.41 first-place finish. The only question of the race was would the time be legal or would the wind spoil a great race. The official wind reading was 3.8 so the fastest school-time this season will stand.
"I feel good and am so happy," said an exhausted Green. "I really wanted to go to nationals, because once you go you can't no go the next year. I feel like I am starting to peak in time for conference, unlike last year when I felt like I had already peaked entering conference."
In the closest race of the day Green overcame a bad start to win the 100 with a time of 11.41. The sophomore had to hold off a hard-charging Wright-Cruse who closed the gap in the last 10 meters and finished second just .04 seconds back with a time of 11.45.
"I am real pleased with Tiffany," commented track coach Wes Kittley. "She has had back-to-back great meets and really has momentum heading into conference."
The women's 4x100 raced to a 44.99 second finish as it cruised to an easy first-place finish. Rachelle Evans gave Tech a lead that would never be challenged as at the first exchange she led by three meters. Green ran the second leg and extended the lead to six meters before giving way to Ashley Mitchell. Mitchell raced around the third and fourth turns building a 15-meter lead for the final 100 meters. Senior Monique Wright-Cruse rolled to the finish line with some 20 meters distance ahead of second place.
"This is the race we wanted," stated Wright-Cruse. "Our handoffs have been shaky since outdoors started. Today our handoffs were perfect. We needed to get our handoffs down."
Both the Tech 4x400 relays were in a class by themselves as evident but the women finishing 100 meters ahead of its nearest competitor. Melonie Barrow ran the lead leg in a time of 55.32 and had a 15 meter lead at the first exchange. Evans took the handoff and ran a split time of 54.06 and had a 30 meter lead at the second handoff. LaDonna Begelton cruised to a 54.94 split and an 80 meter lead before giving away to Licretia Sibley who finished the race with a time of 3:38.17.
The men turned in a season-best time of 3:05.71 and won by nearly 25 meters. The fastest leg of the quartet came from Albert Booker at 46.12.
"I learned from Julieon last week," said Booker. "I really turned it on in the last 200."
Turn it on he did.
He had not made up much of the stagger heading into the third turn. It was there that the freshman from Trent, Texas, blew past the competition. Ivory McCann took the handoff and ran to a 46.93 finish before giving way to Julieon Raeburn. The Trinidad native ran a 46.24 split and turned the show over to Jonathan Johnson. Johnson wrapped things up with a time of 46.24.
"I am proud of that time," said Kittley. "They looked really good tonight."
In the women's 400-meter dash Barrow had made up the stagger through the third turn and was up by two meters at the fourth. Barrow then pulled away from the pack down the final straight-away to win by five meters with a time of 55.97.
"I wanted to get a good time," said Barrow. "I made my move at the third turn and I wasn't tired when I finished so I knew that my time wasn't good."
For the men, Jason Lovell and Matt Stewart both put on a show. Both Tech runners were at a dead heat coming out of the fourth turn of the 400, after Lovell led most of the way. But coming out of the final Stewart found a kick. Lovell went on to win the race in a time of 48.12 while Stewart finished second in a time of 48.24.
Redshirt freshman Jason Young placed first in the discus and hammer throws. In the discus, his fling of 189-10.00 was over seven feet further than the nearest competitor while his 182-08 foot throw in the hammer was almost five feet longer that that of second place.
"I felt good," commented Young about his final meet before heading to the conference meet. "Sometimes [the distances] are close, hopefully I can get in the right position and make the throws. I just want to be at my best when conference comes."
The women dominated the field events Thursday afternoon recording top marks in the shot put, the javelin throw and hammer. Megan Schuessler's throw of 45-08.5 earned her first in the shot put while Shaya Orendorff's heave of 125-05 feet also earned her top honors. Olivia Clardy rounded out the three event sweep with a throw of 158-07 feet to win the hammer throw.
The Red Raiders will next head to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the Big 12 Outdoor Championships next week in what will be the final meet for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships which will be contested in Baton Rouge, La., May 28 - June 1.
