4x100-Meter Relay Team Brings Home Gold
6/1/2001 12:00:00 AM
June 1, 2001
Eugene, Oregon - Kim Collins exploded past Tennessee's sprinting sensation Leonard Scott down the homestretch to give TCU the 4x100-meter relay title, highlighting Day 3 of the NCAA Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
Collins took the baton trailing Scott by about two steps, but caught the Tennessee standout with about 50 meters to go and pulled away to give TCU the victory in a Hayward Field record time of 38.58. It was even more impressive given that Scott posted a 10.05 100-meters on Thursday, the second fastest time in the world this season. The quartet of Lindel Frater, David Spencer, Darvis Patton and Collins notched the seventh 4x100 meter relay title in TCU history and its first since 1995.
"I knew the competition was there," said Collins. "I saw him (Scott) and knew he was in front of me. I just tried to stay calm and run my race."
"I knew with Kim on the anchor, there was nothing to worry about," added Patton.
The Frogs had little time to celebrate their victory however, as Frater, Patton and Collins went back to the starting line approximately 45 minutes later in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash. The draw had all three Frogs running in the second heat along with Scott, with the top four finishers in the heat advancing to Saturday's finals. Once again the Flyin' Frogs showed their speed and depth, as Frater (10.26), Collins (10.28) and Patton (10.39) finished 1-2-4, with BYU's Kenneth Andam placing third in a time of 10.38. Meanwhile, Scott, who had the fastest time in the prelims, finished fifth in 10.46.
"The start is a big part of my race," said Frater, who got out of the blocks quickly. "I felt comfortable running against my teammates, because I run against them in practice every day."
"We advanced three," said TCU head coach Monte Stratton. "That was our objective. We would have preferred to not have them all in the same heat, but that was our draw and we came through it ok."
Eliud Njubi struggled down the final stretch to finish eighth in the 800-meter run in a time of 1:48.50, earning the Frogs one team point. He'll get another chance for an NCAA individual crown on Saturday in the 1,500-meter finals.
"It was a fast first 400," said Njubi of today's race. "I didn't notice it was that fast until the last 300 meters. I just didn't have anything left. It's hard to double (in the 800 and 1500), but I hope to be fine tomorrow. I need to be more careful tomorrow in running my race than I was today."
Reggie Harrell, the only freshman in the semifinal field of the 110-meter high hurdles, appeared to pull his left hamstring towards the end of the race and limped in with a time of 15.06, failing to advance to Saturday's final.
On the women's side, Monica Twum finished fourth in her semifinal heat of the 100 meter dash in a time of 11.71, advancing to Saturday's final.
TCU goes into Saturday's events looking for its first national championship in any sport since the 1983 women's golf team captured the title. The football teams of 1935 and 1938 are the only other TCU squads to claim a national championship.
"We have some momentum," noted Stratton. "But we may not be the only team with momentum. It's not an exclusive thing. But we certainly feel good going home after today's events and look forward to Saturday."
Jason Howard and Abdul Rasheed will get things started for TCU on Saturday in the triple jump. Twum will be the first Horned Frog on the track in the finals of the women's 100-meter dash at 5:45 p.m. PT, which will be followed immediately by the men's 100-meters, which features Collins, Frater and Patton. Njubi will then compete in the 1,500 meters at 6:15 p.m., followed by Collins and Patton in the 200 meters at 6:35 p.m.
