Running through to victory
The Frogs used their home field advantage at the TCU Invitational Saturday.

By Gabe Wicklund
Skiff Staff

The wind didn’t hold back the track and field team from claiming 10 events and seven Frogs from qualifying for regionals.

The track team hosted the 5th annual TCU Invitational Track and Field Meet Saturday at the Lowdon Track and Field Complex. The home turf brought a crowd of 1,183.

Twelve colleges participated in the meet including the men’s teams from Texas and Rice and both men’s and women’s teams from Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, South Plains College, Stephen F. Austin, Tulsa and Barton County Community College.

The Frogs grabbed seven NCAA Regional qualifying times, four on the men’s side and three for the women.

“I think the women’s team had an outstanding meet,” head coach Monte Stratton said. “The men’s team spotted an up and down with greatness as well as with lots of mediocrity.”

Stratton said the team’s strengths in the meet were Jerry Harris in the 400-meter dash, the women’s relays, the women’s sprinters and JimAnne Baker in the triple jump.

Jerry Harris said he has never run in as much wind as there was Saturday. Despite the strong wind, he finished first in the 400 with a time of 45.57 seconds, qualifying him for regionals.

“I’m really excited about that,” Harris said.

The Frogs had several gold medal performances: For the men, Harris in the 400, Nathaniel Garcia in the 400-meter hurdles (52.54) and the men’s 4x400-meter relay team (3;08.10); for the women, Donita Harmon in the 100-meter dash (11.33) and 200-meter dash (23.10), Larissa Bakasa in the 400 (55.24), Calandra Stewart in the 1500-meter run (4:31.80), Mary Kinyanjui in the 5,000-meter run (16:09.14), Baker in the triple jump (12.57m) and the women’s 4x100-meter relay team(45.35).

Rob Coffman set a school record in the pole vault competition by clearing 16 feet.

One weakness the Frogs had came in the men’s 4x100-meter relay, Stratton said. The Frogs entered the meet ranked second in the country in the event after posting a 39.11-second finish at the Texas Relays just two weeks ago.

A dropped baton between leadoff runner Jabari Fields and Cleavon Dillon disqualified the men’s team from the event. This in turn kept TCU from remaining undefeated in the event on its home track.

The Frogs have two more chances to qualify for regionals: The Penn Relays in Philadelphia Saturday and the Conference USA Outdoor Championships in Louisville, Ky. May 13.