A&M defends women's Big 12 title, men second
May 18, 2008 | Track and Field
May 18, 2008
Blistering times in the sprints propelled the Aggie women to another Big 12 Conference Championship in track and field Sunday, while a combination of sprints, jumps and throwing points earned the Texas A&M men second place at Potts Field.
In the process A&M track and field earned the final two points in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown for the Aggies first win over Texas (10.5 to 8.5) in the four-year history of the series.
Behind mind-numbing marks that set Big 12 meet records and established collegiate leading times -- 10.95 by Simone Facey, 22.29 by Porscha Lucas and 51.09 from Jessica Beard -- the A&M women rolled to a commanding point total of 157 points.
Nebraska was runner-up with 105 while Texas Tech scored 101 ?˝ for third place. The rest of the standings included Kansas (83 ?˝), Kansas State (76 ?˝), Oklahoma (75), Texas (59), Baylor (59), Iowa State (36 ?˝), Missouri (35), Oklahoma State (17) and Colorado (13).
Facey earned high point honors at the Big 12 meet for the second year in a row. She totaled 20 ?˝ points with a win in the 100 meters, second place in the 200 and was part of the winning 4 x 100 relay.
Texas Tech?™s Sally Kipyego was second in scoring with 20 points while Lucas finished third with 18 ?˝ points. A&M?™s Jennifer Williams tied for fourth with 18 points.
Aggie frosh Gerald Phiri produced the first double sprint victory in Big 12 men?™s history with times of 10.03 (wind-aided) and 20.29 to claim the men?™s high point award with 22 ?˝ points. Teammate Julian Reid was runner-up with 18 points.
The Aggie men accumulated 121 points and finished second to Colorado?™s winning tally of 138 points. Texas finished third with 96 points while Nebraska placed fourth with 95. The rest of the standings included Texas Tech (76), Baylor (72), Oklahoma (55), Missouri (49), Kansas (41), Kansas State (38) and Iowa State (26).
Running finals on the third day of action on the University of Colorado campus began with a pair of victories in the 4 x 100 relay for the Aggies.
The women defended their sprint relay title and clocked a Big 12 meet record time of 42.88 seconds, bettering the previous mark of 43.36 set by Texas in 1999. Running on the relay were Elizabeth Adeoti, Porscha Lucas, Simone Facey and Gabby Mayo. It was the third sub 43-second relay time posted this season, topped by a 42.69 during the Penn Relays.
In the wake of the win by the Aggie women Baylor ran 43.60 for second while Oklahoma clocked 44.07 for third and Texas placed fourth in 44.59.
In the men?™s 4 x 100 the Aggie avenged a false start from last year?™s meet with a sizzling time of 38.85 seconds, which bettered the Big 12 meet record of 39.28 set by Texas in 2003.
Running on the winning effort were Richard Adu-Bobie, Gerald Phiri, Dominique Stafford and Chris Dykes. Just off their season best of 38.83, the A&M crew bettered a field that included Baylor (39.37), Colorado (39.59) and Texas Tech (40.13).
Another victory on the day included Yasmine Regis becoming the collegiate leader and A&M school record in the triple jump with a mark of 45-5 ?Ľ (13.85). In winning the first Big 12 title by an Aggies, she surpassed the 44-11 ?˝ (13.70) school record set by Detrich Clariett at the Big 12 meet in 1999. In addition Regis is now the No. 11 performer on the all-time collegiate list.
Facey lowered her school record from 11.11 to 10.95 and in the process took over the collegiate lead and holds the second fastest time in the world this season, trailing only a 10.93 run by Allison Felix.
In addition to her school, Facey also broke the Big 12 meet record of 11.09 set by Texas?™ Marshevet Hooker in 2006. She also becomes the sixth-fastest Jamaican ever.
On the all-time collegiate list compiled by Track & Field News, Facey?™s time is the No. 2 performer with the No. 3 performance. She trails only a 10.78 set at altitude and a 10.93, which were both run by LSU?™s Dawn Sowell in 1989. On the all-time collegiate list compiled by FAST, which includes marks from the summer meets past the NCAA Championships, Facey?™s time is the No. 6 performer.
Following Facey in the 100 there were a slew of career best marks by Aggies. Lucas lowered her best from 11.20 in running 11.15 for third place. Allison George improved to 11.34 for fifth place. Khyrstal Carter lowered her PR to 11.42 in seventh place while Adeoti equaled her career best set in the prelims for eighth place. Texas A&M accumulated 23 points in the event.
In the 200 Lucas broke the Big 12 meet record of 22.49 she equaled in the prelims on Saturday and Facey set in winning the 2007 Big 12 title. Facey also ran under the previous record, clocking 22.45 for second place. George added another personal best in running 22.72 for fourth place as the Aggies racked up another 23 points. George was just a bit off the Grenada national record of 22.67 set last year by LSU?™s Sherry Fletcher.
On the T&FN all-time collegiate list Lucas is equal to the No. 3 performer, matching the time run by Merlene Ottey in 1982 and LaTasha Jenkins in 1999. She only trails a 22.04 set by Sowell in 1989 and 22.23 run by USC?™s Carol Rodriguez in 2006. In the FAST all-time collegiate list Lucas is equal the No. 7 performance.
Beard just missed taking the 400-meter school record of 51.06 set by Clora Williams in 2006. She did break the Big 12 meet record of 51.21 recorded by Suziann Reid of Texas in 1998.
On the all-time U.S. junior list Beard is currently equal to the No. 7 performer. Having a previous career best of 51.63, Beard surpasses Diane Dixon (51.60), Natasha Kaiser (51.48A), Erika Harris (51.45), Natasha Hastings (51.34) and Lashinda Demus (51.24) on the junior list and matches the 51.09(A) run by Sherri Howard in 1979.
Phiri posted the second-fastest wind-aided time in Aggie history, trailing only a 9.98 run by Curtis Dickey in 1978. He bettered a pair of 10.04s recorded by Ray Brooks (1978) and Andre Cason (1989) and a 10.05 run by Tyrone Edgar (2006).
In the 200, Phiri equaled the Big 12 meet record set by Brendan Christian of Texas in 2003. He also becomes the No. 3 performer with the No. 9 performance on the Aggie all-time list.
Aggie runner-up efforts included Jennifer Williams in both hurdle races, running a career best 13.19 in the 100 hurdles and 58.22 in the 400 hurdles. Her 100 hurdle time moves her to the No. 5 performer on the A&M all-time list.
On the men?™s side Josh Tiemann (172-9) claimed second with Dylan Conway (171-5) third in the discus. Julian Reid (53-0 ?ľ) finished second in the triple jump with Tyron Stewart (53-0) taking third. In the 400 hurdles Nick Robinson lowered his career best to 49.69 for second place.
Robinson moves to the No. 4 performer in the 400 hurdles with the No. 4 performance on the Aggie all-time list. Reid?™s mark is the No. 6 performance, while Stewart equals the No. 5 performer with the No. 7 performance.
Both 4 x 400 relays ended the day with runner-up efforts as well. The men ran 3:04.58 while the women posted a time of 3:33.53. Running on the men?™s squad were Bryan Miller, A.C. Robinson, Nick Robinson and Justin Oliver. The women?™s crew consisted of George, Williams, Sandy Wooten and Beard.
In the men?™s 400 the Aggies placed 3-4-7 with Oliver (45.79), Miller (45.85) and A.C. Robinson (46.25). Oliver just missed his career best of 45.78 while Miller lowered his PR for the second consecutive day. Miller is now the No. 6 performer on the Aggie all-time list.
Behind the school record set by Regis in the triple jump, points were added by Ashika Charan, fourth place, and Angela Thomas, sixth place. Charan?™s mark of 43-6 ?˝ (13.27) moves her to the No. 3 performer and No. 3 performance on the A&M all-time list. Thomas becomes the No. 8 performer with her PR of 42-3 ?Ľ (12.88).
Other top placers for the Aggies included Chris Dykes setting a career best of 20.44 for fourth place in the 200. He becomes the No. 7 performer on the Aggie all-time list.
Lindsey Adams running 58.90 for fourth place in the 400 hurdles, Christina Munoz placing fifth (17:30.81) in the 5,000 meters, Zuheir Sharif finished fifth (52-4 ?˝) in the triple jump, Adu-Bobie posted a 10.36 for fifth in the 100,
In the men?™s javelin Josh Posten placed sixth (203-1) while Chad Brown finished eighth (197-7). Wooten placed seventh (54.96) in the 400, Anteneshia Lindsey placed eighth (159-7) in the discus. Cade Liverman picked up a point in the 110 hurdles even after he fell at the last hurdle and crossed the line in 16.14.
