NCAA Championships from Sacramento Begin June 6th
June 04, 2007 | Track and Field
June 4, 2007
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LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech track teams will close out the 2007 season with a trip to the NCAA Championships, as 18 athletes will represent the Red Raiders in 14 events. The 86th annual men's and 26th annual women's nationals will take place June 6-9 from the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.
The 10th-ranked Tech women's team will travel with nine athletes in six events. Sophomore Sally Kipyego will be the only Red Raider to be participating in multiple events, as she will contend for the 5000M and 10000M titles.
For the men, No. 19 Texas Tech will have a contingent of nine athletes participating in eight events. Included are 2005 and 2006 senior All-Americans Kevin Chelimo, Zach Glavash, Seth Harris, Marlon Odom and Bryan Scott.
Along with Kipyego, Irene Kimaiyo remains the only other Tech female in a running event, taking part in the 5000M. In jumps, indoor All-American Lacy Wilson will have her final Red Raider outing in the high jump, while Lindsey Walesheck, Kelley Schulz and Amanda Alley will be in the pole vault.
Tech's three female throwers each qualified, with Ozie Okolie kicking off action at the championships for the women in the hammer throw at 11 a.m. Wednesday. D'Andra Carter and Patience Knight each qualified in the discus; Carter advanced from the regionals while Knight earned an at-large bid.
The men will be represented evenly in both field and running events, having a Red Raider in four of each. Looking to add another All-America accolade to their resume will be Chelimo (10000M), Glavash (800M), Harris (pole vault), Odom (110MH) and Scott (400MH).
Returning to the national scene in hopes of their first top-eight finish are Jamie Robinson in the javelin and Bobby Evers in the long jump. First-time qualifiers on the men's side are Jansen Hyde and Anthony Flemons. Hyde placed fourth at the Midwest Regional in the 400M hurdles to qualify. Flemons earned an at-large bid in the men's triple jump.
Red Raider action will begin on Wednesday with the qualifying round of the men's javelin at 10:30 a.m. Other field events holding opening rounds on Wednesday are men's long jump, men's and women's pole vault, women's hammer throw, high jump and discus.
Thursday will feature the first final with the men's and women's 10000M and Tech's Chelimo and Kipyego. A complete schedule of events can be found on page three of the track and field notes, while a complete Red Raider tentative schedule is listed on page four.
LIVE RESULTS AND TV
The 2007 NCAA Championships can be followed one of two ways this year. To find complete live results of the entire event, please visit www.ncaasports.com.
Live video will be available on Friday and Saturday of the event. Friday's action can be found on CSTV (cable) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. CST. Please check your local listings for availability.
Saturday's action will be broadcast live on CBS (network) from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. CST.
Additional information can be found via internet at host Sacramento State's official athletic site, www.hornetsports.com. Click on the NCAA Championships logo for further links.
MAKING HISTORY
During the past season, sophomore Sally Kipyego has been chasing history. At the NCAA Championships, she will no longer be attempting to chase, but instead make history. Already in her first year with Tech, the sophomore Red Raider has won three titles (2006 cross country and indoor 3000M and 5000M).
If Kipyego were to succeed in capturing the outdoor 5000M and 10000M titles in the coming week, she will be the first female to earn five individual titles in a single season (including cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field).
During history, five females have won four individual titles:
- Carlette Guidry (Texas, 1991): Indoor 55M and 200M, Outdoor 100M and 200M (also a member of the 4x100M)
- Dawn Sowell (LSU, 1989): Indoor 55M and 200M, Outdoor 100M and 200M (also a member of the 4x100M)
- Suzy Favor (Wisconsin, 1990): Indoor mile and 3000M, Outdoor 800M and 1500M
- Sheila Hudson (California, 1990): Indoor and outdoor long and triple jump
- Holli Hyche (Indiana State, 1993): Indoor 55M and 200M, Outdoor 100M and 200M
Including cross country season:
- Amy Skieresz (Arizona, 1996-97): Cross country, Indoor 5000M, Outdoor 5000M and 10000M.
As far as a single track season - indoor and outdoor (excluding cross country), no female has won four individual distance titles, including any combination of the mile, 1000M, 3000M, 5000M and 10000M. Skieresz (listed above) won three during the 1997 season. Stephanie Herbst of Wisconsin won the indoor 3000M and outdoor 5000M and 10000M in 1986.
Kipyego already sits as the all-time leader in titles at Texas Tech, owning three. Leigh Daniel finished her career with two: 1999 indoor 5000M and 1999 outdoor 10000M. Jonathan Johnson is the only other titlist in Tech cross country/track and field history, winning the 2004 outdoor 800M crown.
MURRAY HONORED FOR DISTANCE COACHING
Texas Tech assistant coach Jon Murray was named the women's Midwest Region Distance Assistant Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association as announced on Saturday, June 2nd. Murray, the head cross country coach, has instructed female indoor and outdoor national qualifiers Sally Kipyego and Irene Kimaiyo during this past track and field season.
With the assistance of Murray, the Texas Tech women earned their highest national indoor finish after placing 10th. The effort was lead by sophomore Kipyego's two national titles. The Kenya native took the crown in the women's 3000M and 5000M. With the victories, Kipyego became the most titled individual in Tech history after only two seasons (2006 cross country and 2007 indoor track).
During the 2007 outdoor season, which will conclude with the NCAA Championships June 6-9, Murray coached Kipyego to the NCAA record in the women's 10000M as she ran a mark of 31:56.72 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational on April 29th. Both Kipyego and Kimaiyo earned qualifications to the national meet in Sacramento, Calif., finishing first and fifth, respectively. Kipyego ran the country's top 5000M time of 15:19.72, with Kimaiyo earning the 11th best at 15:58.41.
Murray, a 1991 Harding University graduate, is in his second year as assistant coach at Texas Tech. Prior to his appointment with the Red Raiders, he served five years as the Abilene Christian head cross country and track and field coach.
USTFCCCA honored the top assistant coaches in the four regions in the following categories: men's and women's sprints/hurdles, distances, jumps/combined events and throws. Coaches from each region vote on the award winners. The Division I Assistant Coaches of the Year are selected on the basis of both indoor and outdoor accomplishments.
REASONABLE RANKING
Going into the NCAA Championships, both Tech men and women found themselves in favorable position on the Trackwire Top 25. Both Red Raider squads have a top 20 ranking, with the women earning their highest position of the season.
On the May 31st poll, the Tech women are tied for 10th, the same position the team placed at the indoor championships. Prior to the lastest polls, Tech had a top ranking of 11th on May 1st. The team has remained consistent - ranking anywhere from a low of 14th to high of 10th.
The Tech men have gradually earned the respect of the polls and sit at 19th in the May 31st edition. The team had their best ranking of 18th May 1st and May 8th. They fell to a 20th-place tie on May 15th, but moved up after declaration lists were posted.
If the women placed 10th at the national meet, it would be their highest-ever finish. In 1999, Tech took 12th off of a Leigh Daniel title in the 10000M and a silver in the 5000M - earning 18 points.
A 19th-place finish for the men would be the fourth-best finish in school history. The 2004 team took eighth with 26.5 points (the most of any season). In 2005 after taking the Big 12 title, the men finished 16th at nationals with 17 points. The team finished 17th in 2003 with 16 points.
TECH CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
:Last Year: The men finished 46th with four points. The women placed 58th with three points.
:All-Americans: Tech finished with six All-Americans last year - two female, four male.
:Total All-Americans: Tech has 44 male athletes with 95 accolades. For the women, 15 athletes with 34 honors.
:Returning 2006 Outdoor All-Americans: Marlon Odom (110M Hurdles); Bryan Scott (400M Hurdles).
:Returning 2006 National Qualifiers: Marlon Odom (110M Hurdles); Bryan Scott (400M Hurdles); Bobby Evers (Long Jump); Jamie Robinson (Javelin); Irene Kimaiyo (5000M); Lacy Wilson (High Jump); D'Andra Carter (Discus); Patience Knight (Discus).
:Qualifying Numbers: The nine men qualified is the second most in Tech history - 2005: 17 athletes + 2 relays; 2007: 9 athletes; 2004: 8 athletes + 1 relay
Nine qualified women is the second most in school history - 2005: 11 athletes +2 relays; 2007: 9 athletes; 2006: 6 athletes.
Players Mentioned
