May 15, 2010
Results
Columbia, Missouri - Battling through chilly and wet conditions during the second day of the Big 12 Championships, Texas A&M will be ready to contend for team titles at Walton Stadium on Sunday. Highlighting the day were three bronze medals from Trinity Otto in the decathlon, Daphne Fitzpatrick in the heptathlon and Vashti Thomas in the long jump.
Through six finals the Aggie women have 33 points and are in third place behind Nebraska (59) and Texas (35). Through seven finals, the A&M men have 22 points and are in seventh place. Nebraska tops the men's field with 52 points while Texas has 34.
Amid the few finals held on day two of the Big 12 Championships the Aggies were busy advancing individuals to the finals during the running prelims. They fared very well in temperatures that started out in the mid 50s and dropped to the mid 40s during the afternoon with a mixture of drizzle and rain.
Texas A&M will occupy 22 places in sprint and hurdle finals on the track Sunday, 13 in women's races and nine in men's races, and they will be favored in all four relays.
Texas Tech women produced 10 qualifiers for finals, with half of that tally coming in the 800 (2) and 1500 (3). Texas advanced five while Nebraska only advanced three in events that needed prelims.
Matching A&M's total on the men's side was Baylor. Nebraska followed with eight qualifiers while Oklahoma advanced six.
The women's long jump produced 11 points for the Aggies with a 3-5-8 finish from Ashika Charan (19-8.75) and Sasha-Kay Matthias (19-0.75). The trio had to deal with rain during their six rounds and conditions that became colder as the winds picked up.
"Given the conditions I feel that I did pretty well," said Thomas, who also qualified for the finals of the 100 hurdles. "Overall, I felt like I could have done a lot better though. Especially in the long jump, I know I'm capable of jumping further than that. It's a good feeling to be third, but I wish I could have been first.
"When I was on the runway I just had to picture a nice warm sun, I wasn't getting hit by the rain and it was perfect conditions. Then I was like, ok forget it all, lets just jump."
In the heptathlon Daphne Fitzpatrick and Bonnie Richardson placed third and fourth for another set of 11 points. Fitzpatrick totaled 5,234 points while Richardson reached a career best 5,027 points. Richardson's score is No. 10 on the Aggie all-time list.
Fitzpatrick was in second place until the final event, the 800 meters. Fitzpatrick ran 2:34.69 after a 16-11.25 long jump and a 127-1 javelin. Richardson, who was fourth the whole second day, had a 17-4.75 long jump, 130-4 javelin and 2:36.51 in the 800.
In the high jump Fitzpatrick added five more points to the Aggie cause with a fourth-place effort as she cleared 5-7 (1.70). That matched the same height for second through sixth place with the order of finish determined by misses.
"I had a strong first day in the heptathlon, which put me in a good position for the second day," Fitzpatrick noted. "But the conditions were really difficult to deal with. So I did the best I could do and I was very pleased with fourth place.
"Having just an hour from the start of the high jump following the hept 800 was really difficult. I still did pretty well, jumping just an inch under my PR for fourth place. I have not been this cold at a meet before. I was shivering the whole time, but it was a lot of fun."
The men generated six points from a third-place finish by Trinity Otto in the decathlon, along with five more in the long jump as Julian Reid and Melvin Echard placed sixth and seventh.
Otto started out the second day of the decathlon with a 15.10 clocking in the 110 hurdles. A 122-7 discus followed along with a 15-5 indoor pole vault. After a 156-9 javelin, Otto wrapped up the 10-event contest with a 5:13.33 in the 1,500.
Missouri went 1-2 in the decathlon with Rick Adcock (7,704) and Lars Rise (7,695). Otto's total in third place was 7,270.
"Overall I struggled throughout," Otto said. "I'm still trying to overcome a couple of injuries. I was happy with the place I had, but not the score I produced. I hope to score a lot higher at nationals.
"Since the Texas Relays I've been in rehab mode. I had some good events this weekend, but two or three kept me back. Now I have a month until nationals and I'll work on certain things to be ready."
Reid, jumping in just his second outdoor meet, hit a mark of 24-9.25 (7.55) while Echard reached a distance of 24-4.25 (7.37). Tyron Stewart placed ninth with a 24-1.75 (7.36).
In the 100 hurdles Donique' Flemings (13.82) just missed the eight-runner final with the ninth-fastest time in qualifying.
Flemings later made the 400-meter hurdle final with a run of 59.76 as Andrea Sutherland won her heat in 59.79. Courtnie Allen finished fifth in her heat at 62.78.
Porscha Lucas led the qualifying in the 100 and 200 meters with time of 11.36 and 22.88. Lucas and Tarmoh (11.45) were heat winners in the 100 while Dominique Duncan (11.62) advanced on time.
"I was very pleased with today," said Lucas. "It wasn't really good running conditions, so I was happy I was able stay healthy throughout the meet. Considering it was so cold outside I still managed to run some pretty good times today. I hope that tomorrow I can better my times."
A cramp caught Mayo in the final stages of the 100 and she placed sixth in her heat with a 12.09. She did not run in the 200 prelims later in the day.
In the 200 the Aggie women won all three heats. Tarmoh claimed the first one in 23.09, and then Duncan won heat two in 23.48. Lucas nearly matched her collegiate leading time of 22.85 with her win over teammate Jessica Beard (23.05), who also advanced to the final of the 400 with a leading time of 52.41.
A&M posted the top four times in qualifying for the 200 and will occupy half the lanes of the final.
"The 200 time was close to my PR, but in the 100 I wasn't as close," Tarmoh said. "I'm pleased that I advanced to the finals in both.
"Tomorrow is just like today, go hard or go home. I'm running for my team, not just myself. So I'm not going to stress about the weather."
The first qualifiers for a running final on the men's side came in the 400 meters. Kyle Dykhuizen (47.81) and Ashton Young (48.81) did not advance.
The trio of Curtis Mitchell and Tran Howell advanced to the finals of both the 100 and 200 meters for the Aggies.
In the 100 Phiri won his heat in 10.35 with Howell placing third in 10.46. Mitchell was third in his heat at 10.50.
"I was very happy that Curtis and Tran made the 100 final," stated Phiri, who has won the Big 12 100-200 double the past two seasons. "It gives us an opportunity to score a lot of points. I was a bit disappointed in the 200, since I don't like losing in that race. I'm pleased that I ran under 21 seconds, but I want to go faster tomorrow.
"I've already told these guys I'm not going down without a fight tomorrow, so they better not sleep on me."
For the 200, Mitchell won a heat in 20.50, the leading qualifying time. Phiri and Howell ran in the same heat again, placing second (20.69) and third (20.81) behind Baylor's Trey Harts (20.64).
"To run comfortable and hit a 10.3 to join Gerald in the final is good for me and the team," Mitchell noted. "The 200 meters was ok. I could have executed a little better, but it's the first round and I had to get the kinks out. Tomorrow will be a way better day."
Other finals on the second day of the Big 12 Championships included Brett Bennett tying for ninth place in the pole vault with a clearance of 16-2.5 (4.94). Colton Sandman (15-8.5 / 4.79) tied for 14th. The event was moved indoors due to wet conditions.
Nick Cook placed 11th in the shot put with a mark of 52-8 (16.05). Deidre Tarver finished 14th in the discus with a toss of 145-8 (44.39) while Jennifer Edwards placed 19th (133-0 / 40.55) and Taylor Rosser was 21st (122-10 / 37.45).
In the men's 800 qualifying the top effort by A&M was a 1:52.14 by Eric Gosset (1:53.23) and Oscar Ramirez (1:55.70).
The women's 800 had Sandy Wooten (2:15.04) and Erica Parker (2:15.28) placing sixth and seventh in the second of four heats.
De'Lon Isom (14.26) and Melvin Echard (14.28) finished 10th and 11th overall in qualifying for the 110 hurdles.
Big 12 Championships - Day Two Team Scores
MEN (7 finals): 1. Nebraska 52; 2. Texas 34; 3. Oklahoma & Missouri 30; 5. Kansas 28; 6. Colorado 26; 7. Texas A&M 22; 8. Texas Tech 17; 9. Iowa State 12; 10. Oklahoma Staqte 10; 11. Baylor & Kansas State 6.
WOMEN (6 finals): 1. Nebraska 59; 2. Texas 35; 3. Texas A&M 33; 4. Iowa State 32; 5. Kansas 25; 6. Oklahoma 13.5; 7. Baylor 11; 8. Texas Tech 9.5; 9. Missouri 9; 10. Oklahoma State 3; 11. Kansas State & Colorado 2.
FINAL QUALIFIERS - Sprints & Hurdles
A&M Women (13)
100: Porscha Lucas, 11.36; Jeneba Tarmoh, 11.45; Dominque Duncan, 11.62.
200: Porscha Lucas 22.88; Jessica Beard, 23.05; Jeneba Tarmoh, 23.09; Dominique Duncan, 23.48.
400: Jessica Beard, 52.41.
100H: Natasha Ruddock, 13.22; Gabby Mayo, 13.48; Vashti Thomas, 13.51.
400H: Donique' Flemings, 59.76.
A&M Men (9)
100: Curtis Mitchell, 10.38; Tran Howell, 10.46.
200: Curtis Mitchell, 20.50; Gerald Phiri, 20.69; Tran Howell, 20.81.
400: Demetrius Pinder, 46.02; Tabarie Henry, 46.54; Bryan Miller, 46.99.