Texas A&M
Big 12 Outdoor Championships
A&M women win 8th Big 12 title, Aggie men finish third
May 17, 2010 | Track and Field
May 16, 2010
Columbia, Missouri -
BIG 12 TEAM SCORES
Women: 1. Texas A&M 157; 2. Nebraska 102; 3. Texas 93; 4. Iowa State 89; 5. Texas Tech, 81.5; 6. Oklahoma 76.5; 7. Kansas 71; 8. Baylor, 62; 9. Kansas State, 30; 10. Missouri, 24; 11. Colorado, 20; 12. Oklahoma State 11.
Men: 1. Nebraska, 118; 2. Oklahoma, 114; 3. Texas A&M, 110; 4. Texas Tech, 77; 5. Baylor, 63; 6. Colorado, 57; 7. Texas, 56; 8. Kansas, 53; 9. Oklahoma State, 47; 10. Missouri, 44; 11. Kansas State, 40; 12. Iowa State, 39.
A sweep of the sprint events and relays propelled the Texas A&M women to its eighth consecutive Big 12 track and field championship, including indoor titles, since its first ever conference title in 2007.
"To win eight times at anything is truly special," noted Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "This is a big win for Texas A&M and our program.
"We have some depth on the women's side and some people stepped up. Porscha Lucas came back after being out for about three weeks and had a great meet for us."
Combined the Aggie men and women totaled 12 victories on the third and final day of the Big 12 conference meet hosted by the University of Missouri on another wet and cold afternoon at Walton Stadium.
The Aggie women compiled a total of 157 points, scoring 124 in nine events on the final day. Nebraska placed second with 102 points while Texas finished third with 93.
The seniors of this year's class -- which includes Porscha Lucas, Christina Munoz, Hillary Pustka, Deidre Tarver and Sandy Wooten -- won all eight Big 12 team titles they competed in since their freshman season in 2007.
"I feel like we have started a tradition and I hope it continues to be like it is now," said Lucas. "I'm really blessed to be part of a team that has accomplished so much and won the Big 12 eight times."
The Aggie men placed third in the team title chase with 110 points, just eight points behind champion Nebraska (118) with Oklahoma (114) in second place. Finishing behind Texas A&M were Texas Tech (77), Baylor (63), Colorado (57) and Texas (56).
"On the men's side we did everything we could do, we just didn't have enough bullets," said Henry. "Nebraska is a talented group of people."
Jeneba Tarmoh earned high point honors for the women as she won the 100-200 double and led off the Aggies winning 4 x 100 relay to total 22.5 points. Tarmoh ran career best times to win the 100 in 11.19 seconds and the 200 in 22.65 seconds. She was also part of a 43.74 winning 4 x 100 as A&M claimed a fourth consecutive Big 12 title in that event as well.
Tarmoh becomes the second Aggie sprinter to achieve a 100-200-4x1 triple victory during the Big 12 conference meet, joining Simone Facey's effort from 2007.
"Coming into this meet I just thought about running fast and never thought about where I would place," Tarmoh said. "Winning the 100 gave me confidence knowing I can hang with the other sprinters on our team. I love my teammates, they are very talented."
Also supplying the Aggies with a sprint victory was Jessica Beard, who clocked 52.08 to win her sixth consecutive conference 400-meter title (3 indoors and 3 outdoors), while Natasha Ruddock claimed the 100 hurdles in a wind-aided 12.89. Then the A&M women capped the meet with Beard anchoring the 4 x 400 relay in 50.79 for a 3:31.79 victory.
"It's amazing," Beard said of winning all six 400 races in the Big 12 she has contested. "It's not my fastest time this season, but I'm happy with the win and pleased with the points I contributed to the team."
Gerald Phiri shared high point honors on the men's side with 20 points as he won a third consecutive 100 meter title, finished second in the 200 and was part of a runner-up 4 x 100 relay. For Phiri this marked the third consecutive year to earn high point honors.
However, Phiri's attempt to claim three consecutive titles as the Big 12 100-200 double champ ended with teammate Curtis Mitchell claiming the 200.
"Curtis is a great athlete," Phiri stated. "We push each other in practice and I feel like a bit of mentor to him since he is still young in this sport. If anyone else was going to beat me here I knew it was going to be him.
"Most times you don't want to lose to a training partner, but those points all go to Texas A&M. This is a team competition and we need those points. This is my secondary event and it's his primary event. I was just glad I was able to come out here and challenge Curtis."
Texas A&M swept the 100, 200 and 400 on the men's side and added the 4 x 400 relay, breaking a 12-year winning streak by Baylor at the conference meet.
The Aggies edged the Bears, 3:04.45 to 3:04.48, in the final event of the meet. Mitchell split 44.69 on the third leg to bring A&M from fifth to even with Baylor for the lead by the exchange to the anchor leg. Henry split 45.2 to edge Baylor's Marcus Boyd at the finish, tumbling to the ground from his lean at the line.
Earlier in the day Baylor won the 4 x 100 over A&M, 39.36 to 39.59. That ended a two-year Big 12 winning streak by the Aggies.
While Phiri won the 100 in 10.13, Mitchell remained undefeated in the 200 with a 20.46 victory with Phiri runner-up in 20.61. Mitchell ran in lane five of the 200 with Phiri stationed in lane seven.
"I know my training partner is going to push me every time we race," said Mitchell of Phiri. "Not only is he my teammate, but he is my mentor. I just love training with him. He told me to execute and push through the curve and I came out with the win.
"It helped having Phiri in lane seven, because I know there is a tiger who is going to run his heart out. If you're chasing a guy who can run the same time as you, there's nothing to do but run fast."
Tabarie Henry led an A&M 1-2 in the 400 with a 45.89 to 46.02 win over Demetrius Pinder. Henry became the first Aggie male sprinter to win the Big 12 400 meters.
Phiri became just the second conference sprinter to garner three consecutive 100 wins. Phiri also set a Big 12 meet record as he bettered a 10.21 set in 2000 by Lawrence Armstrong of Texas.
"I had to defend my Big 12 title," Phiri noted. "There's no excuses with the weather conditions. We all have to battle the same conditions, so as the fastest guy I have to win. Rain, sleet or snow someone has to win this race and I had to make sure it was me."
A pair of senior A&M jumpers, who both went to high school in California, won triple jump titles on Sunday in their final conference meet appearance. The only other school to win both triple jumps in the same year was Kansas in 2002.
Charan, runner-up in the Big 12 on four occasions, won the women's triple jump with a 42-9.25 (13.04) effort. It was the third straight Aggie victory in the event following a pair of titles from Yasmine Regis in 2007-08.
"It was phenomenal and a long time coming," Charan said of her Big 12 title. "It felt great to get out there, execute properly and win it. It's always great to have two seniors cap their collegiate career with a conference win.
"With the conditions I had to ask myself how bad do I really want this. I wanted it bad, so the weather didn't matter after a while."
Later in the meet Zuheir Sharif bettered the men's field with a 52-8.75 (16.07) mark that defeated defending champion Will Claye of Oklahoma, who reached the same distance. Sharif had a better back-up jump of 52-6 (16.00) to Claye's 51-10.5 (15.81). A&M's Tyron Stewart placed fourth in the triple jump (52-2.5 / 15.91).
"This is very emotional," said Sharif, who has won two Big 12 Indoor triple jumps. "The whole trip here, even from getting on the bus, I knew this was the last conference meet for me. Being on the runway for my last jump, it was so bittersweet. I just had to make the best of it.
"I'm a senior and this is my last one. If I'm going to win it I better win it now or else I'm never going to win it again. I didn't have any more chances after today."
In addition to the 12 victories the Aggies posted on the final day of the Big 12 Championships, depth in certain events aided in the scoring.
Sasha-Kay Matthias (41-2.25 / 12.55), Vashti Thomas (40-9.75 / 12.44) and Tiffany Peters (40-9.5 / 12.43) that totaled 16 points.
In the women's 100 additional points for A&M were produced by Lucas (11.38) and Dominique Duncan (11.57), who placed fourth and sixth for a total of 18 points. For the 200 the Aggies generated 27 points as Lucas (22.72) placed second with Beard (23.16) and Duncan (23.39) finishing fourth and fifth.
The A&M women also scored 23 points in two hurdle races. Following Ruddock in the 100 hurdles was Donique' Flemings placed seventh in 59.54.
Texas A&M women won its fourth consecutive title in the 4 x 100, running a 43.74 to defeat Baylor (44.63) and Texas Tech (44.68). The Aggies ran with the foursome of Tarmoh, Lucas, Duncan and Adeoti.
It's the 16th postseason victory, and 10th final, for the Aggies over the past four years (2007-2010). Including regular season meets A&M also has a 26-race winning streak dating back to 2008, which includes 20 finals.
Running on the women's 4 x 400 ahead of Beard's stellar anchor were Sutherland, Flemings, and Charan. Beard was in third place at the start of the final leg, and chased down Texas for the win. The Longhorns were runner-up in 3:32.65 with Baylor third at 3:33.66.
It was only the second time A&M has claimed the women's 4 x 400 at the Big 12 outdoor meet with the other title coming in 2007.
The men had sprint depth in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, qualifying nine places in the finals. The same trio of Phiri, Mitchell and Tran Howell ran in the 100 and 200. Mitchell (10.37) and Howell (10.53) were fourth and eighth in the 100.
Howell (21.08) also placed eighth in the 200. Bryan Miller (48.41) finished eighth in the 400 behind the A&M 1-2 of Henry and Pinder.
Texas A&M ran with a crew of Howell, Phiri, Miller and Mitchell in the 4 x 100 relay. Miller replaced Pinder, who was limited to the 400 at the conference meet after an injury during the Penn Relays. Howell and Miller ran the first two legs of the 4 x 400 as well.
Players Mentioned
