There’s little counter argument to the idea Texas Tech track and field teams are the best in the Big 12.
The Red Raiders have swept the conference’s indoor and outdoor championships, on both the women’s and men’s sides, two years in a row.
Now it’s time to see how the Red Raiders stack up outside the Big 12.
The four-day NCAA regional meets get under way Wednesday, May 27, with the West competition at Arkansas and the East at Kentucky. At each location in each event, fields of 48 athletes will be narrowed to 12, qualifying for the NCAA outdoor championships June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Tech will have 29 men and 25 women competing at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the men on Wednesday, May 27, and Friday, May 29, and the women on Thursday, May 28, and Saturday, May 30. Both Tech teams have entrants in 16 events.
Jumpers Temitope Adeshina and Jonathan Seremes both capped their indoor seasons by winning NCAA titles, Adeshina in the women’s high jump and Seremes in the men’s triple jump. Both are ranked No. 1 in their events in NCAA Division I going into this week, though Kansas State’s Selva Prabhu edged Seremes two weeks ago at the Big 12 championships, going a wind-assisted 56 feet, 4 3/4 inches to Seremes’ wind-legal 56-1.
Seremes said he was disappointed at that outcome.
“Even though I got a PR [personal record] on my fifth jump,” he said, “I really think I should’ve jumped further, just to bring 10 points to the team.”
Adeshina is a six-time Big 12 champion and is trying to become a six-time first-team all-American, a status conveyed on top-eight finishers at the NCAA championship.
Getting through the regional competition can be the tricky part. Unlike during indoor season, there are no bids to the NCAA outdoor championships based on season bests. All berths are determined on regional meet performances.
Tech’s other highest-ranked athletes on the men’s side are Malachi Snow in the 110-meter hurdles and Titus Kimaru in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, both third in Division I in their events.
One of the Red Raiders’ highlights from the Big 12 meet was Zaid Latif going 26-4 1/4 in the long jump, a personal record by more than 8 inches. The junior from Morocco moved to ninth in Division I with that mark.
“Zaid Latif jumped 26-4 twice — over 8 meters twice for him,” Tech coach Wes Kittley said, “and so that was a big improvement. We’ve been waiting for that a long time. When people go to championship season and then you see them really rise to the top like that, he was one that really, really stands out.”
On the women’s side, Tonie-Ann Forbes sits fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, Claire Lowrey is fifth in the high jump and Tamiah Washington in the triple jump and Vanessa Balde in the 400-meter hurdles are ranked seventh in their events.
How watch Texas Tech track and field at NCAA West regional meet
Online streaming: Each day on ESPN+
Live results: Flashresults.com
Texas Tech track and field teams in the national rankings
Men: No. 5 in US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ratings index
Women: No. 6 in US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ratings index
Men’s schedule
Wednesday and Friday: Field event start times range from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Running event start times are from 6 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. Wednesday and from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Friday.
Women’s schedule
Thursday and Saturday: Field event start times range from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Running event start times are from 6 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. Thursday and from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Breaking down Texas Tech track ahead of NCAA West regional
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
