LUBBOCK, TEXAS, February 27–28 — Texas Tech swept both men’s and women’s titles on its home track, making it four-straight on the men’s side and two on the women’s. Yet perhaps because the hotly-contested titles were so close, there was a rash of protests — more than 20 — so the celebrating didn’t start until hours later.
“I’ve done this for 42 years, but I’ve never finished a meet like this,” said Tech coach Wes Kittley. “Where there’s so many things turned in — violations or whatever — so it was pretty difficult trying to enjoy it but never knowing really how they were going to rule. Luckily, they ruled in our favor.”
Men: Stunning Snow Double Keys Down-To-Wire Tech Win
The men’s competition went down to the wire, with Tech scoring 125 to Kansas State’s 124. Tech’s Malachi Snow produced the most points in blasting a stunning 60H/60 dash double, setting meet records with finals just 15 minutes apart.
The junior, with “Dream BIG” written on his spikes, first hurdled 7.43, a PR by 0.03 and tied Johnny Brackins for No. 4 all-time collegian. Just 0.03 behind was Baylor’s Jamaican hurdler Demario Prince in 7.46. Snow ran even better in the dash, his 6.46 just 0.01 off the quartet that now shares the CR (including new SEC champ Kayinsola Ajayi). Both marks, of course, were helped along a bit by Lubbock’s not-quite-high-altitude of 988m.
Triple jumper Jonathan Seremes, the NCAA and SEC indoor champ while at Missouri last year, was one of three other Red Raider champs with his collegiate-leading meet record 55-7¾ (16.96).
The Raiders also ruled the conference-unique 600-yard run, with a 1-2 finish by George Garcia (1:08.14) and freshman Kyzer Dunbar (1:08.20). Another frosh, Kenyan Stephen Mutai, claimed the 800 for Tech with 1:48.23.
Kansas State entered the last section of the final event, the 4×4, 10 points down to Tech, then won in 3:05.59 after Arizona State’s Mateo Medina tripped on the second leg while leading and Tech’s Kamron Neal tumbled over him. While the Sun Devils didn’t finish, Neal got up and struggled in and his teammates rallied to finish 4th (3:09.51) in the race and earn the point that gave them the trophy — after, of course, the resulting protests were sorted out.
On the women’s side, Tech held on to its crown despite a spirited challenge from BYU and its talented distance corps. Despite not being at sea-level, the distance races provided some highlights.
Women: Thrilling Mile Clash & Tech Team’s Depth
The combined talents of Oklahoma State’s Billah Jepkirui and BYU’s Jane Hedengren, and the latter’s penchant for pushing a fast pace, made it a near certainty that the women’s mile would impact the all-time list.
Hedengren, who ran about 17 seconds faster than she needed to in her prelim (4:31.55), set a typically torrid pace from the gun, starting with 32.94 (209m) and 1:04.99 (409m) splits. But the tempo did not shake Jepkirui and with just over 100 left she surged ahead to finish with a 31.74 and a 4:23.40 — good for No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list.
Jepkirui later won the 1000 in 2:43.67, while Hedengren came back to claim the 3K in 8:46.11. Hedengren’s teammate and mile CR-holder Riley Chamberlain opted for the 800 (2:06.21 victory after a 2:02.52 prelim) and 3K (8:56.28 in 3rd).
Running with neither Hedengren nor Chamberlain, BYU still won Friday’s DMR in 11:11.95 over a Jepkirui-less Oklahoma State (11:20.62).
TCU soph Indya Mayberry was the meet’s other double winner, sprinting to 60 (7.19) and 200 (22.50) titles.
Texas Tech defended its women’s crown, holding off BYU by 4½ points.
With plenty of depth, the Raiders boasted just three individual winners: Nigerian Temitope Adeshina in the high jump (6-5/1.96), Rūta Lasmane in the triple jump (45-3/13.79) and Tonie-Ann Forbes in the 60H (7.91). That gave them a promising margin entering into the 4×4, where BYU edged them at the line, 3:31.40 to 3:31.44 to end up with 110 points, just shy of Tech’s 114½.
BIG 12 MEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Texas Tech 125; 2. Kansas State 124; 3. Iowa State 64; 4. Oklahoma State 59; 5. tie, BYU, Houston & Kansas 57; 8. Arizona 52; 9. Arizona State 37; 10. Cincinnati 35; 11. Baylor 25; 12. Colorado 24; 13. TCU 22.
60: 1. *Malachi Snow (TxT) 6.46 (=5, =5 C);
2. Mason Lawyer (Az) 6.57; 3. *Tafadzwa Chikomba’ (KsSt-Zim) 6.59; 4. Antoine Andrews’ (TxT-Bah) 6.61; 5. Shawn Brown (TxT) 6.61.
Heats: II–1. Lawyer 6.49 (=9, x AmC).
200: I–1. Lawyer 20.58; 2. ***Dominic Harper (Hous) 20.79. II–1. **Amir Thompson (AzSt) 20.40; 2. *Kamron Neal’ (TxT-Jam) 20.47.
400: I–1. Anthony East (Hous) 45.54; 2. ***Brian Tinega’ (TxT-Ken) 45.68. II–1. *Jayden Davis (AzSt) 45.31; 2. Shaemar Uter’ (TxT-Jam) 45.59.
600y: 1. George Garcia (TxT) 1:08.14; 2. ***Kyzer Dunbar (TxT) 1:08.20; 3. ***Heath Grant (KsSt) 1:08.53; 4. **Jonah Heimuli (BYU) 1:08.96.
800: 1. ***Stephen Mutai’ (TxT-Ken) 1:48.23; 2. ***Jailan Sohna’ (IaSt-GB) 1:48.30; 3. Hafez Mahadi’ (OkSt-Qat) 1:48.39.
1000: 1. ***Bryson Nielsen (Az) 2:22.07; 2. *Ryo Higuchi’ (Ks-Jpn) 2:22.57; 3. **David Mora (OkSt) 2:22.77.
Mile: 1. *Carter Cutting (BYU) 4:05.23; 2. Galdino 4:05.63; 3. *Isaiah Givens (Co) 4:05.90; 4. ***Lawi Ngetich’ (Az-Ken) 4:06.17.
3000: 1. Creed Thompson (BYU) 7:52.90; 2. ***Tayvon Kitchen (BYU) 7:52.91; 3. *Rodgers Kiplimo’ (IaSt-Ken) 7:54.94; 4. **Robin Kwemoi Bera’ (IaSt-Ken) 7:55.42.
5000: 1. ***Nickson Kogei’ (Cinc-Ken) 13:43.83; 2. *Denis Kipngetich’ (OkSt-Ken) 13:43.99; 3. **Joash Ruto’ (IaSt-Ken) 13:46.14.
60H: 1. Snow 7.43 (=4, =8 C); 2. *Demario Prince’ (Bay-Jam) 7.46 (=9, x C);
3. Jamar Marshall (Hous) 7.54; 4. Alec Carr (IaSt) 7.69.
4 x 400: III–1. Houston 3:05.70; 2. Oklahoma State 3:05.85.
IV–1. Kansas State 3:05.59; 2. Baylor 3:05.77.
DisMed: 1. BYU 9:35.98; 2. Colorado 9:38.03; 3. Cincinnati 9:38.19; 4. Oklahoma State 9:40.96.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Devin Loudermilk (KsSt) 7-4½ (2.25); 2. *Antrea Mita’ (Hous-Gre) 7-3¼ (2.22); 3. ***Alan Hanna’ (KsSt-Bah) 7-1 (2.16); 4. ***Tyson Seeser (IaSt) 7-1.
PV: 1. Anthony Meacham (Ks) 18-6½ (5.65); 2. *Ashton Barkdull (Ks) 18-2½ (5.55); 3. **Sean Gribble (TxT) 18-2½.
LJ: 1. *Uroy Ryan’ (KsSt-StV) 25-11 (7.90); 2. Chikomba’ 25-10 (7.87); 3. ***Kevin Kemboi’ (OkSt-Ken) 25-2 (7.67).
TJ: 1. *Jonathan Seremes’ (TxT-Fra) 55-7¾ (16.96); 2. **Selva Prabhu’ (KsSt-Ind) 54-5¼ (16.59); 3. *Aaron Antoine’ (KsSt-Tri) 53-6½ (16.32).
SP: 1. *Tyler Michelini (Az) 62-10½ (19.16); 2. Brandon Lloyd’ (AzSt-Jam) 61-9½ (18.83).
Wt: 1. Kade McCall (KsSt) 74-3 (22.63); 2. Gary Moore (KsSt) 73-3½ (22.34).
Hept: 1. Tayton Klein (Ks) 5923; 2. **Yannik Knobloch’ (TCU-Ger) 5846; 3. ***Dorian Charles’ (KsSt-Tri) 5698; 4. Grant Levesque (Hous) 5688; 5. Emil Uhlin’ (KsSt-Swe) 5649.
BIG 12 WOMEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Texas Tech 114½; 2. BYU 110; 3. Oklahoma State 97; 4. Kansas State 78½; 5. Iowa State 73; 6. TCU 41; 7. tie, Baylor & Kansas 33; 9. Utah 30; 10. Cincinnati 28; 11. Arizona 27; 12. Houston 22; 13. tie, Colorado & West Virginia 18; 15. Central Florida 14; 16. Arizona State 4.
60: 1. **Indya Mayberry (TCU) 7.19; 2. Success Umukoro’ (TxT-Ngr) 7.21; 3. *Paje Rasmussen (BYU) 7.26; 4. **Olayinka Olajide’ (TxT-Ngr) 7.33.
200: I–1. Rasmussen 22.91; 2. Olajide’ 23.14. II–1. Mayberry 22.50; 2. **Chelsea Amoah (Ut) 22.84; 3. Umukoro’ 23.23.
400: I–1. Jazmen Newberry (UCF) 52.53; 2. *Pearl Awanya’ (Ks-Gha) 52.84. II–1. Rachel Joseph (IaSt) 51.36; 2. Sami Oblad (BYU) 51.48.
800: 1. Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 2:06.21; 2. Makayla Clark (IaSt) 2:06.97; 3. **Tessa Buswell (BYU) 2:06.97.
1000: 1. *Billah Jepkirui’ (OkSt-Ken) 2:43.48; 2. *Kyla Martin’ (Ut-Can) 2:45.56; 3. ***Elyse Wilmes (OkSt) 2:45.63.
Mile: 1. Jepkirui’ 4:23.40 (4, 4 C); 2. ***Jane Hedengren (BYU) 4:24.33 (x, 9 C);
3. *Emmaculate Jemutai’ (Ks-Ken) 4:34.83; 4. *Brianna Rinn (Ut) 4:35.43.
3000: 1. Hedengren 8:46.11; 2. ***Isca Chelangat’ (OkSt-Ken) 8:55.86; 3. Chamberlain 8:56.28; 4. ***Betty Kipkore’ (IaSt-Ken) 8:56.66.
5000: 1. ***Mercyline Kirwa’ (IaSt-Ken) 15:51.88; 2. **Joy Naukot’ (WV-Ken) 15:52.13; 3. Chelangat’15:52.36; 4. Kipkore’ 15:52.41.
60H: 1. *Tonie-Ann Forbes’ (TxT-Jam) 7.91; 2. Kaycee McCoy (Hous) 8.11; 3. *Symoria Adkins (TxT) 8.14; 4. **Amari Kiluvia (TCU) 8.24.
4 x 400: III–1. Iowa State 3:31.57. IV–1. BYU 3:31.40; 2. Texas Tech 3:31.44; 3. Kansas State 3:31.44; 4. UCF 3:32.85.
DisMed: 1. BYU 11:11.95; 2. Oklahoma State 11:20.62; 3. Colorado 11:22.85.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-5 (1.96); 2. Sharie Enoe’ (KsSt-Jam) 6-4 (1.93); 3. *Annishka McDonald’ (WV-Jam) 6-½ (1.84); 4. *Claire Lowrey (TxT) 6-½; 5. Emma Gates (Az) 6-½.
PV: 1. *Molly Haywood (Bay) 14-9 (4.50); 2. Tenly Kuhn (Bay) 14-5¼ (4.40); 3. *Mason Meinershagen (Ks) 14-5¼; 4. *Kashlee Dickinson (TxT) 14-1¼ (4.30).
LJ: 1. *Maud Zeffou-Poaty (KsSt) 21-8¾ (6.62); 2. ***Chisom Nwafor (KsSt) 21-4¼ (6.51); 3. **Janae De Gannes’ (Bay-Tri) 21-¾ (6.42); 4. *Tamiah Washington (TxT) 20-9¾ (6.34).
TJ: 1. Rūta Lasmane’ (TxT-Lat) 45-3 (13.79); 2. *Tamiah Washington (TxT) 44-8¼ (13.62); 3. *Daniela Wamokpego’ (KsSt-Fra) 44-7 (13.59); 4. ***Destini Smith (KsSt) 43-8¾ (13.33).
SP: 1. Tapenisa Havea’ (Az-NZ) 55-¾ (16.78); 2. **Cleo Agyepong (Hous) 53-7½ (16.34); 3. **Haedyn Bambolo (Az) 52-10¼ (16.11).
Pent: 1. *Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Cinc) 4437; 2. *Zoey Bonds (BYU) 4239; 3. Olivija Vaitaityte’ (OkSt-Lit) 4219; 4. ***Zoey Brinker (KsSt) 4091; 5. ***Elise Eikeland’ (OkSt-Nor) 4030.
