Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Tallies Nine NCAA Championship Qualifiers Friday
May 27, 2016 | Track and Field
Benard Keter broke the school record, facility record and posted the eighth-fastest West Prelims time ever in the men's 3000m steeplechase.
May 27, 2016
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Texas Tech No. 8 men's and No. 19 women's track & field teams qualified nine student-athletes to the NCAA Championships on Friday, May 27, on day two of the NCAA West Prelims at Rock Chalk Park & Anschutz Pavilion.
JW Smith goes 51.03 & advances to his first NCAA Outdoor Championships w/ the 6th-fastest qualifying time! #WreckEmhttps://t.co/myrsXpWZPN
-- TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) May 27, 2016
Carson would be joined by Natalie Baker, who on Thursday put together a double-PR performance, topping off at 50.00m/164-0 to finish ninth, clinching her first Championship berth.
Charles Brown's first attempt of the long jump at the Big 12 Championship earned him the conference title, and on Friday, his first mark would earn him a trip to Eugene. Brown hit the board and landed in the sand at 7.51m/24-7.75, which would hold as the 12th and final qualifying spot in the competition.
Brown's advancement marks back-to-back years the Red Raiders will be represented in the men's long jump at the NCAA Championships. He is also one of two freshmen in the region to qualify and will have another opportunity on Saturday as he competes in the triple jump at 9 a.m.
On the track, JW Smith controlled heat four of the men's 400-meter hurdles and rounded the track to a first-place finish in his section to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. His time of 51.03 was the sixth-fastest time among qualifiers and made him the seventh Red Raider to advance out of the Prelims, the first since Isaiah Gill in 2013.
In the last running event of the day, Benard Keter powered to a first-place finish overall in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase for another auto-qualifying spot into the NCAA Championships. Keter moved into the top three early in the race and maintained that position to the end. At the final water jump, Keter hurdled completely over the body of water and motored down the track on the final straightaway, crossing the finish line with a time of 8:39.92.
The time broke his own school record, which he set earlier in the season at 8:40.43 at the Mt. SAC Relays. His only other steeple race at Tech registered as the third-fastest in school history at 8:41.21 and won him the Big 12 title. He has not lost to a collegiate athlete this season in the event.
The time was a new facility record and is good for the eighth-best in West Prelims history. Keter becomes the second Red Raider ever to advance to the NCAA Championships in the event, joining former school record holder Gilbert Limo in 2010.
With rain and lightning in the area, the afternoon jumps and pole vault moved indoors to the Anschutz Pavilion, where the Red Raiders tallied four more qualifiers.
Bray clears 5.38m/17-7.75 on his third attempt and lands on the mat with a new PR!! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/nuiQSI3GUz
-- TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) May 27, 2016
She is just the third Red Raider to move on to the NCAA Championships in the women's high jump and first since Lacy Wilson in 2007. She is also one of two freshmen in the region to advance.
On the men's side, the Red Raiders qualified two to the NCAA Championships for the fourth-straight year. Half of that duo, Bradley Adkins, will make his fourth appearance at the meet, but needed a jump-off to get there. Reminiscent of Trey Culver's jump-off at last year's meet, Adkins immediately cleared 2.16m/7-1 on his first attempt to earn the tiebreaker and the 12th qualifying spot.
Culver cleared 2.16m/7-1 on his third attempt at the bar during the normal progression to finish seventh and advance to Eugene. Before that, he was a perfect three-for-three on first attempt clearances in the event.
The final qualifier on Friday came in the men's pole vault thanks to Brandon Bray. Just like the high jumpers, Bray cruised through the first three heights on his first attempt (4.98m/16-4, 5.13m/16-10, 5.28m/17-3.75) to apply plenty of pressure to the rest of the field. His next clearance would seal the day, as he sailed over the bar at 5.38m/17-7.75 and landed on the mat with a new personal-best and a ticket to the NCAA Championships.
It's the second-straight year a men's pole vaulter has earned a berth at the meet. The last time pole vaulters qualified in back-to-back years was in 2005 & 2006.
The last day of the NCAA West Preliminaries is slated for a 9 a.m. start on Saturday, May 28, with the men's triple jump and women's discus as the Red Raiders look to add more scarlet & black representation to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
Players Mentioned
