CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
AMES, Iowa – The Texas Longhorns swept the 2015 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field team titles on Sunday at the Cyclone Sports Complex. Texas also won both indoor team crowns this season, becoming the first program to complete a season sweep since 2006.
The Longhorn women compiled 141.5 points, out-pacing Kansas State, which finish with 129.5 team points to take second place. Texas Tech was third with 103, just ahead of Kansas (101) and Baylor (96). Oklahoma (79), Oklahoma State (62), Iowa State (59), West Virginia (32) and TCU (15) rounded out the women’s standings.
On the men’s side, the Longhorns outpaced the field with 152 points, 24.25 points ahead of runner-up Texas Tech (126.75). Oklahoma took third with 107 points, with Baylor (93) and Kansas (85.25) taking fourth and fifth. Oklahoma State (69), TCU (67), Kansas State (62) and Iowa State (58) completed the men’s standings.
Texas Tech junior Kole Weldon earned high point honors for the second consecutive season, with 26 points. K-State’s Akela Jones was the high point scorer on the women’s side, after winning the honor at the indoor championship as well.
The Texas women were dominant in the sprints, started off by a victory from their 4x100 meter relay team of Morgan Snow, Caitland Smith, Morolake Akinosun and Kendall Baisden. That group clocked a 44.11. Akinosun also took home the women’s 100m dash gold in a time of 11.00 ahead Texas Tech’s Cierra White (11.14).
The 200 meter dash was also heavily burnt orange, as Akinosun (22.68) took first, while Courtney Okolo, Baisden, Smith and Shania Collins all placed to earn the Longhorns 23 team points in that event.
Baylor swept the triple jump titles on the day, with Brianna Richardson going 13.20m (43-03.75) to take the women’s crown before sophomore Felix Obi jumped 16.20m (53-01.75) to win the men’s title.
Michael Stigler (Kansas) put on a show for the crowd, winning the fourth Big 12 400 meter hurdle title of his career in 49.67, a time that would have broken the Big 12 meet record in legal wind. Stigler is just the fourth track & field athlete in Big 12 history to win the same event four times. The Kansas senior is currently ranked No. 2 in the world that event.
The 1500m races were swept by Oklahoma State, with Natalja Piliusina clocking a 4:26.70 on the women’s side before Chad Noelle won the men’s title in 4:05.93.
Baylor’s Trayvon Bromell took home the gold in the 100m with a wind-aided time of 9.91 in an elite field that included Oklahoma State’s John Teeters, TCU’s Ronnie Baker and Senoj-Jay Givans of Texas. Teeters finished second in 9.98. Bromell also took home the men’s 200m title in 20.64, just ahead of Givans, who clocked a 20.75.
Up next for the Big 12 teams will be the NCAA Preliminary Rounds held May 28-30.
FINAL TEAM Standings
MEN
1. Texas, 151 points
2. Texas Tech, 126.75 points
3. Oklahoma, 107 points
4. Baylor, 93 points
5. Kansas, 85.25 points
6. Oklahoma State, 69 points
7. TCU, 67 points
8. Kansas State, 62 points
9. Iowa State, 58 points
WOMEN
1. Texas, 141.5 points
2. Kansas State, 129.5 points
3. Texas Tech, 103 points
4. Kansas, 101 points
5. Baylor, 96 points
6. Oklahoma, 79 points
7. Oklahoma State, 62 points
8. Iowa State, 59 points
9. West Virginia, 32 points
10. TCU, 15 points