By Chris Gibson staff reporter The TCU men's track and field team can now go by a new name: Western Athletic Conference champions. Powered by four individual champions and a 4x400-meter relay victory, the Horned Frog men secured TCU's first track and field championship. "It is really a mixture of emotions," head coach Monte Stratton said. "I'm elated about the victory, but I am also relieved that it is all over, and we won. We have been training really hard for this all year, and I am just really proud of our athletes." After a Friday filled with mostly field events, Rice's men's team entered Saturday with a 33-point lead over the Horned Frogs, who were in fifth place. The Owls picked up a victory in the day's first sprinting event when Rashad Stafford won the men's 60-meter hurdles in a time of 7.90 seconds. TCU sophomore LaTarence Dunbar, who entered the meet with the WAC's fastest time (7.88), finished third in 7.95 with fellow Horned Frog senior Mark Hill fifth in 8.18. The Frogs found themselves trailing Rice by 50 points but had qualified four finalists in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. The Horned Frogs picked up 22 points in the 400-meter dash led by junior Roy Williams' victory (47.52). Senior Johnny L. Collins finished second (47.72) and junior Kendrick Campbell was fourth (48.57).
Senior Dywana Crudup won a WAC title for the TCU women, taking the 60-meter dash in 7.51 seconds. Crudup finished second at last year's indoor championships. TCU continued its pursuit of Rice, finishing one, two and four in the 60-meter dash. Junior Lindel Frater's time of 6.62 is his fastest of the season and improves his automatic qualifying status for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Junior Kim Collins was second for TCU (6.64) with junior Darvis Patton fourth (6.77). That added another 22 points to TCU's team total, narrowing Rice's lead in the men's team standings to six points (88-82) through 12 events. Collins took the 200-meter dash (21.21) with a new facility record. He led a one, two, four finish in the event for TCU as Frater was third (21.53), junior Anthony Amantine was fourth (21.91) and junior Ricardo Williams was sixth (21.94). TCU took the lead for the first time after the 200-meter event, leading Rice 103-96 with three events to go. "I knew it was going to come down to the last few events," Stratton said. "I thought if everybody performed then we would win, but I didn't want it to come down to being as close as it did." TCU senior David Lagat held off Rice's Lachlan McArthur for second place in the 3,000-meter to add two more points to the margin between the two teams. Lagat also won the 5,000-meter on Friday. The triple jump narrowed the lead even more as Rice scored 14 points on a victory by Drexel Owusu (51-5 1/4) and a fourth-place finish by Tommy Olesky while TCU garnered 10 points on a second-place finish by freshman Brandal Lawrence (49-1 3/4) and a fifth-place showing by Patton (48-11). Lawrence's last leap vaulted him to second place, producing an eight-point swing for TCU in the standings. His score made the team score TCU 121, Rice 117, entering the final event. Roy Williams' leadoff leg gave the Horned Frogs' 4x400-meter relay a lead, and they were able to hold it to secure TCU's its first team conference track and field title by running a time of 3:15.02. "It is really a great feeling to win the WAC championship," Frater said. "We just practiced hard and did what we were supposed to do. We are so close as a team that if one of us slips, the other is right there to pick up the slack." The Rice women took the team race by racking up 163 points. Southern Methodist was second with 98, Texas-El Paso third with 90, Fresno State fourth with 76, Tulsa fifth with 57 and TCU was sixth with 39. Crudup added a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash (24.38). The race marked the first time for the senior to run the 200-meter this indoor season. TCU's Glady's Keitany placed fourth in the women's mile, with a time of 5:02.13 and also finished third in the 3,000 with a time of 9:57.6. The WAC meet marks the end of the regular indoor season for TCU. TCU athletes who have preliminary qualifying marks are eligible to compete in the NCAA national indoor meet in Fayettville, Ark., on March 10 and March 11. The TCU men are currently ranked No. 11 in the Trackwire 25 national poll.
Chris Gibson
By Chris Gibson staff reporter The TCU men's and women's swimming and diving teams placed second and sixth at the 2000 Western Athletic Conference Championships in San Antonio last weekend. "It was not really that bad of a meet for us," head coach Richard Sybesma said. "We went into the meet hoping to finish high (in the rankings), and I think we could have if everyone would have had their best day. I can't say that I'm disappointed in the way that we swam because the WAC has some strong teams, but we really had some good times " A TCU women's record fell in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of sophomore Marisa Schenke, sophomore Laura Holt, freshman Kate Swearingen and freshman Andrea Stevens swam a 1:45:95, finishing fourth in the meet, but surpassing the old school record. Individuals also placed high in the conference meet. Sophomore Jamie MacCurdy was able to overcome a late season illness that sidelined her for two weeks, finishing fourth in the 200-yard backstroke(2:03:35) and in the 400-yard individual medley (4:27:03). Freshman Melissa Powell finished sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:21:04), and Schenke eighth (2:21:17). "We were all really pleased with Jamie's performance," Sybesma said. "It takes a lot to come back from something like that and still swim good times. It was not the type of meet that Jamie is used to but she has already qualified for an NCAA B-cut (a preliminary qualifying time) and has a good chance to make the NCAA national meet." The TCU men were able to swim to a second place finish at the WAC championship meet. The Horned Frogs 200-yard freestyle relay team of freshman Aaron Ewert freshman Jeff Parkinson, freshman Dana Kizer and senior Brent Hendrix captured a second place finish (1:23:08). The 400-yard medley relay of Ewert, freshman Michael McKeller, sophomore Josh Pipes and freshman Jeff Parkinson also took second (3:20:75). Junior Ryan Mammarella placed third in the 500-yard freestyle (4:3015), in front of teammate Pipes (So.) at 4:35:19. Freshman Clint Barghi had a fourth place finish in the 200-yard individual medley (1:51:020) and Hendrix had a fifth place showing in the 50-yard freestyle (20.86). Mammarella also took third place in the 1650-yard freestyle (16:14:03), while freshman Nick Osterman was fourth (16:23:82). Ewert captured a second place finish in the 200-yard backstroke (1:49:20) and Pipes a third place showing in the 200-yard butterfly (1:49:79). The WAC championship meet marks the end of the season for the Horned Frog swimming and diving teams. MacCurdy has a NCAA preliminary qualifying time in the 400-yard individual medley and sophomore Scott Adkins in the 200-yard breaststroke. Both will learn in upcoming weeks if they will swim in the national meet. Ewert's times in the 200-yard and 100-yard breaststrokes have qualified him for the Olympic Trials later this year.
Chris Gibson |
"It was a really great meet for us," Williams
said. "Everybody gave their all, it wasn't just one person. The distance
came through with some unexpected points and so did the (triple and long
jumps). Everybody just pulled together and we got the win." | The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |