May 18, 2008
Championship Central
BOULDER, Colo. - The Colorado men and Texas A&M women's teams were crowned champions of the 2008 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the final day of competition at Potts Field in Boulder, Colo. The Colorado men's squad scored 138 points while the Texas A&M women's team scored the high-point total of 157 on the weekend.
The A&M women captured their second consecutive Big 12 outdoor title while the Colorado men claimed its first ever championship. The Buffs are currently ranked No. 11 while the Aggies own the nation's No. 3 ranking in the lastest USTFCCCA rankings.
The CU men, who earned 81 points in distance events were crowned champions in won four titles on the weekend. On day one, the Buffs dominated the men's 10,000-meter race by placing five of its six competitors in the top five spots. The five Buffs all finished within five seconds of each other with Kenyon Neuman leading the way with a time 30:40.78. James Begley beat out a pair of A&M athletes to win the discus throw with a distance of 173'-1" (52.77m) while Billy Nelson defended his 3,000-meter steeplechase by recording the fastest time recorded on Colorado soil (8:53.84). Brent Vaughn, the nation's top runner in the 5,000-meter run, became the first Big 12 performer to win three titles in the event.
The Texas A&M women captured five event titles while breaking numerous records along the way. One of the most impressive performances of the championships belonged to Porscha Lucas, who ran a world best 22.29 in the 200-meter dash beating last year's champion and teammate Simone Facey. Both women surpassed the former Big 12 Outdoor Championships record set by Facey last year. Facey, also the defending 100-meter dash champion raced to a 10.95 time in the event, becoming the first female to finish under 11 seconds all year and currently holding the second best time in the world. In the women's triple jump, Yasmine Regis posted the nation's top mark with a 45'-5 ?" (13.85) mark. Jessica Beard broke a 10-year old Big 12 meet record in the 400-meter dash by sprinting to a time of 51.09 seconds. The women's 4x100 relay team, ranked No. 2 in the nation, set a Big 12 outdoor meet record and were the first to run a time under 43 seconds by posting a 42.88 time.
Gerald Phiri of Texas A&M set Big 12 meet records in the 100-meter dash (10.03) and the 200-meter dash (20.29) on his way to earning top honors in both events. The time is the third best posted by a collegiate athlete on the year.The Aggie men's 4x100 relay squad also set a Big 12 meet record becoming the first squad to break the 39-second barrier in Big 12 history with a time of 38.85. The time is currently the second best nationally.
Leonel Manzano (Texas) became the first Big 12 athlete to be crowned champion three times in the 1,500-meter run, with a time of 3:41.80. The pole vault title was captured by fellow Longhorn Maston Wallace with a mark of 18'-?", who edged out last year's champion, Jordan Scott of Kansas. Wallace's mark is the top mark posted by a Big 12 performer this season. The `Horns also dominated the 800-meter run as Jacob Hernandez placed first coming in at 1:48.28, followed by brothers Tevan and Tevas Everett, both of UT.
Nebraska's Dusty Jonas displayed another one of the weekend's top highlights by posting a world best mark of 7'-8 ?" in the men's high jump. The height also set a Potts Field and Big 12 meet record and best. His teammate Mike Cast won the javelin with a 213'-7" (65.10m). Shawon Harris of Texas Tech was the men's 110-meter hurdles champion, finishing at 13.55 seconds while OU's LaToya Greaves became the first Sooner to win the crown in the 100-meter hurdles with her winning time of 12.99.
Baylor claimed the top two spots in the men's 400-meter dash as LeJerald Betters beat out Quentin Iglehart-Summers with a time of 45.01. The duo's teammate Robert Griffin clocked a 49.22 to take the 400-meter hurdles title. For the eleventh straight year, the BU men's 4x400-meter relay team crossed the finished line first with a time of 3:03.82. On the women's side, Lauren Hagans crossed the line with a time of 2:05.32 in the women's 800-meter run. The Lady Bears also captured the 4x400-meter relay clocking in at 3:32.28.
The Texas Tech women won five events on the final day as Sally Kipyego defended her titles in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter run with a time of 4:25.00 and 16:39.44, respectively. In the women's discus, D'Andra Carter (Texas Tech) outdistanced this year's hammer throw champion Loren Groves of Kansas State for first place with a 189'-1" (57.63) mark. Her throw was the second-farthest in Big 12 Championship history. Carter's teammate Irene Kimaiyo set a Potts Field record with a winning time of 10:15.43, edging defending champion Jenny Barringer of Colorado. Sandra Iwunze won the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 57.14.
For complete results from the 2008 Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championship visit www.big12sports.com.
The qualifying athletes will travel to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Drake University, June 11-14.
2008 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships Potts Field
Boulder, Colorado
TEAM SCORES
Men Points
1. Colorado 138
2. Texas A&M 121
3. Texas 96
4. Nebraska 95
5. Texas Tech 76
6. Baylor 72
7. Oklahoma 55
8. Missouri 49
9. Kansas 41
10. Kansas State 38
11. Iowa State 26
12. Oklahoma State 11
Women Points
1. Texas A&M 157
2. Nebraska 105
3. Texas Tech 101.5
4. Kansas 83.5
5. Kansas State 76.5
6. Oklahoma 75
7. Baylor 59
7. Texas 59
9. Iowa State 36.5
10. Missouri 35
11. Oklahoma State 17
12. Colorado 13
BIG 12 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
FRIDAY
Men
Hammer Throw - Egor Agafonov, Kansas (67.64m / 221'-11")*
10,000-meter Run - Kenyon Neuman, Colorado (30:40.78)
Women
10,000-meter Run - Lisa Koll, Iowa State (35:59.28)
Hammer Throw - Loren Groves, Kansas State (64.71m / 212'-4")*
Javelin - Kayla Wilkinson, Javelin (55.72m / 182'-10")*!
SATURDAY
Men
Decathlon - Donovan Kilmartin, Texas (7,675)*
Long Jump - Julian Reid, Texas A&M (7.77m / 25'-6 ?")
Shot Put - Nate Englin, Missouri (18.78m / 61'-7 ?")
Women
Heptathlon - Megan Wheatley, Nebraska (5,643)*
High Jump - Kim Shubert, Nebraska (1.79m / 5'-10 ?")
Long Jump - Candace Mills, Kansas State (6.35m / 20'-10")
Pole Vault - Kate Sultanova, Kansas (4.10m / 13'-5 ?")*
Shot Put - Patience Knight, Texas Tech (17.13m / 56'-2 ?")
SUNDAY
Men
4x100-Meter Relay - Texas A&M (38.85)*!
4x400-Meter Relay - Baylor (3:03.82)*
100-Meter Dash - Gerald Phiri, Texas A&M (10.03)*!
110-Meter Hurdles - Shawon Harris, Texas Tech (13.55)*
200-Meter Dash - Gerald Phiri, Texas A&M (20.29)*!
400-Meter Dash - LeJerald Betters, Baylor (45.33)
400-Meter Hurdles - Robert Griffin, Baylor (49.22)
800-Meter Run - Jacob Hernandez, Texas (1:48.28)*
1,500-Meter Run - Leonel Manzano, Texas (3:41.60)*
3,000-Meter Steeplechase - Billy Nelson, Colorado (8:53.84)*
5,000-Meter Run - Brent Vaughn, Colorado (14:13.99)*
Discus - James Begley, Colorado (52.77m / 173'-1")
High Jump - Dusty Jonas, Nebraska (2.36m / 7-8' ?")*!#
Javelin - Mike Cast, Texas Tech (65.10m / 213'-7")
Pole Vault - Maston Wallace, Texas (5.50m / 18'-?")*
Triple Jump - Shardae Boutte, Oklahoma (16.58m / 54-4 ?")*!
Women
4x100-Meter Relay - Texas A&M (42.88)*!
4x400-Meter Relay - Baylor (3:32.28)*
100-Meter Dash - Simone Facey, Texas A&M (10.95)*!
100-Meter Hurdles - Latoya Greaves, Oklahoma (12.99)*
200-Meter Dash - Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M (22.29)*!#
400-Meter Dash - Jessica Beard, Texas A&M (51.09)*!
400-Meter Hurdles - Sandra Iwunze, Texas Tech (57.14)
800-Meter Run - Lauren Hagans, Baylor (2:05.32)*
1,500-Meter Run - Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech (4:25.00)
3,000-Meter Steeplechase - Irene Kimaiyo, Texas Tech (10:15.43)
5,000-Meter Run - Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech (16:39.44)
Discus - D'Andra Carter, Texas Tech (57.63m / 189'-1")
Triple Jump - Yasmine Regis, Texas A&M (13.85m / 45-5 ?")*
- ! Big 12 Championships Record
- * Potts Field Record
- # World Best
HIGH POINT AWARD WINNERS
Men
Gerald Phiri, Texas A&M (22.5 points)
Women
Simone Facey, Texas A&M (20.5 points)