Texas Tech Athletics
Big 12 Outdoor Championships
Lady Raiders Impress Crowd with Program Best Second-Place Finish
May 17, 2009 | Track and Field
May 17, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - The No. 23 Lady Raiders finished a program best second-place scoring 111 points and the Red Raiders were fourth after Tech collected a total of six Big 12 individual titles at the Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships over the three-day event at the Terry and Linda Fuller Track.
Gil Roberts broke an eight-year streak of Baylor winning the men's 400M impressively. The three-time All-American ran the fourth-fastest time in the world this year and set a new school record with a 44.86.
"I'm pretty excited about that," Roberts said of his time. "It wasn't one of my expectations coming out here, I was just trying to get a win."
The time is the fastest collegiately and makes him the Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor 400M champion.
"It feels great," Roberts stated. "I am really kind of lost for words."
Harrison Benjamin set a new school record on his way to his first Big 12 shot put championship. His personal-best throw of 62'-1.75" puts him sixth currently in the NCAA.
"It feels great," Benjamin said of winning. "You are at your home site, so you feel like you have to represent for your hometown and your home school."
Sandra Iwunze successfully defended her 400M hurdles in front of the home crowd. She ran a NCAA Regional and season-best time of 58.20. Lloyd picked up her second all-conference honor of the day with a 1:00.19 and a fourth-place finish.
"I feel really, really blessed for the God in me," Iwunze said. "I don't know how I did it, but I did and I thank God for that."
For the fifth-straight year a Red Raider was able to win the men's 110M hurdles. Omo Osaghae, the two-time All-American, won with a time of 13.65 and he also won the Big 12 60M hurdle title.
"It feels great," Osaghae said after the race. "I never would have thought I would be able to do this with a home crowd support, so it feels wonderful."
Patience Knight was one of the three Lady Raiders to defend her Big 12 title over the weekend. She won her fourth-straight Big 12 shot put title and second-straight outdoor.
"I thank God because this one was a little closer," Knight exclaimed. "I just thank God that I was able to pull it out, and it feels really good to be (a) four-time Big 12 Champion."
Knight won the title with a NCAA Regional throw of 54'-3.25".
Amanda Alley and Sage Lasater both earned All-Big 12 honors. Alley cleared a NCAA Regional height of 12'-11.50" to earn her fifth All-Big 12 selection of her career. Lasater cleared 12'-7.50" to place fourth and earn her first All-Big 12 honors.
Jonisha Boleware, Terra Evans, Tori Smith, Trudeann Clarke ran a NCAA Regional and seasonal-best time of 44.76 to finish in fifth.
The men's 4x100M relay of Osaghae, Brandon Tucker, Bill Lawhorn and Roberts ran a NCAA Regional time of 39.93 to place fourth overall.
Gladys Kipsang collected her fifth all-conference in the 1500M. She ran a 4:24.05 to place second and scored eight points for the Lady Raiders.
Kelsey Lloyd was named All-Big 12 in the high jump clearing 5'-8.75" to place fifth and Amanda Dowdy earned all-conference with a height of 5'-7.75".
Jamele Mason (14.11) and Nathan Lowry (14.50) collected all-conference honors by placing sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 110M hurdles. Iwunze earlier in the day placed fourth in the 100M hurdles in a 13.79 and earned all-conference honors.
Other all-conference honorees in the 400M for the Red Raiders were Rodney Mims as he placed sixth in a NCAA Regional time of 46.81 and Brandon Washington was eighth in a time of 47.16. The Lady Raiders had Clarke place sixth in the women's 400M with a NCAA Regional time of 54.08.
Terra Evans ran an NCAA Regoinal11.54 to place fifth in the women's 100M to pick up all-conference honors. Lawhorn finished sixth in the men's 100M with a time of 10.88.
Mason picked up his second All-Big 12 award for running a NCAA Regional time of 51.29, placing third. Zach Plinario earned his first All-Big 12 honor for placing fifth in the 400M hurdles with a time of 52.39.
Markus Henderson earned All-Big 12 honors by running a 21.43 in the 200M placing sixth. Osaghae earned his third all-conference honor of the day with a seventh-place finish and a time of 21.54.
Asia Diaz finished in second place in the women's 800M with a NCAA Regional time of 2:08.96. Kipsang scored her second all-conference selection with a 2:09.68 to place fourth after running the 800M earlier.
Lillian Badaru collected her second All-Big 12 honor of the meet placing fourth in the 5,000M. She ran a NCAA Regional time of 16:47.18.
The women's 4x400M team of Iwunze, Clarke, Evans, Lloyd ran down Texas A&M to place fifth in a NCAA Regional time of 3:41.25 and earn all-conference honors. The run-down of Texas A&M by Lloyd pushed the Lady Raiders into second place.
The men's 4x400M relay of Mims, Tim Foster, Washington and Roberts dropped the baton on the second handoff, but was able to fight back into fourth place with a time of 3:09.83.
"I am really thrilled with our women getting second in the meet," Kittley said after the meet. "Texas A&M and Nebraska both have tremendous teams and beating Texas. I thought we had a chance to beat A&M but overall we had a lot of wins."
Players Mentioned
