TCU Travels to Tyson Invitational
2/11/2010 12:00:00 AM
Feb. 11, 2010
HEAT SHEETS | LIVE RESULTS | SCHEDULE | NOTES
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU track and field program will take to the road this weekend to participate at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. The meet, which will boast some of the best teams and professional athletes in the country, will mark the Flyin' Frogs final tune up before the Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships in two weeks.Action inside the Randal Tyson Track Center will begin Friday at Noon with the women's pole vault, while running events will open up with the prelims of the women's 400 meters. On Saturday, the women's shot put will open competition at Noon, with the finals of the men's 5,000 meters set to take place on the track at 12:40 p.m.
The Flyin' Frogs will line up against eight of the top 10 ranked programs on the men's side this weekend, including No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 LSU and No. 6 Nebraska. On the women's side, TCU will face stiff competition as well with six of the NCAA's top 10 teams, including No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Florida State and No. 7 Clemson.
Overall, 17 of the nation's top 25 programs on the men's side will be in action in Fayetteville, while the women's field features 14 of the nation's top 25.
"This is a big meet for us this weekend and will really be our first big test of the year," said head coach Darryl Anderson. "Every year this is an outstanding meet and features some of the best competition we will see all year. It is really a mini NCAA Indoor Championship, where you get to see where you are at heading into the Mountain West Conference Championships. We are really looking for improvements in certain areas and I feel that our women's team as a whole has really started to train better. They should really take a major step forward this weekend. On the men's side, we are going to continue to get better. We haven't had a meet where we have backed away from the competition and I think we just continue to keep making headway. We have had really good training and I think they just need to rise to the occasion and continue to compete at the level of the competition. We have been doing that all year and this weekend should be no different."
Follow The Flyin' Frogs
Fans not able to attend this weekend's meet at Arkansas can follow it live by logging onto www.gofrogs.com. There you will find a link to the live results tab, which is located on the schedule page. Following action on both days in Fayetteville, a full recap and final results will be posted on the TCU athletics website.
Dungey Hitting His Stride
Junior Mychal Dungey has continued to get better throughout the indoor season this winter. Dungey, a three-time All-American, blew by the competition in his last outing, clocking a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 21.17 seconds in the 200 meters at the Lobo Challenge. Dungey's time is currently No. 14 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference in 2010. It is also the 10th-fastest time recorded in program history. He had previously posted a seasonal-best time of 21.30 seconds on the year.
Kigen Heading To Washington
When the Flyin' Frogs are competing in Fayetteville this weekend, junior Festus Kigen will test himself against some of the nation's best distance runners at the Husky Classic in Seattle. The junior from Kenya, who will face 15 of the nation's top 25 programs on Saturday, will compete in the men's 3,000 meters at approximately 4:56 p.m. inside the Dempsey Indoor Facility.
Kigen is currently No. 9 in the nation in the men's 3,000 meters after clocking a personal-best time of 8:00.16 earlier this season at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville.
Returning To Fayetteville
TCU returns to the Randal Tyson Track Center this weekend where it previously saw the men's 4x400 post the world's No. 5 ranked time earlier this winter at the Razorback Invitational.
Overall, TCU posted three NCAA provisional marks during its last outing in Fayetteville. Earning NCAA provisional marks at the Razorback Invitational were Festus Kigen (3,000 meters), Sean Zurko (800 meters) and the men's 4x400.
The Randal Tyson Track Center will host the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13.
Flyin' Frogs Sign Three
TCU track and field coach Darryl Anderson announced the signing of three newcomers to National Letters of Intent last week. Inking with the Flyin' Frogs were two women and one man. Signing for the 2010-11 school year were Franchelle Hill of Houston, Texas (Hightower H.S.), Veronica Jones of Mesquite, Texas (Poteet H.S.) and Heath Skelton of Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo H.S.).
TCU Continues In World Rankings
Freshman Charles Silmon is currently sitting with the world's 16th-fastest time in the men's 60 meters in the world standings. Silmon, a Waco native, clocked a time of 6.67 seconds at the season-opening Texas A&M Reveille Invitational.
The men's 4x400 quartet of Dell Guy, Clemore Henry, Mychal Dungey and Matthew Love also cracked the world rankings this past weekend in the 4x400, recording the fifth-fastest time in the world according to IAAF.
Top Billings In The Mountain West Conference
After its fourth competition of the indoor season, TCU currently holds the top spot in the Mountain West Conference in six different events. In addition, the Flyin' Frogs have the top-two times posted in the men's 400 meters. TCU has also posted the top-time in both the men's and women's 4x400.
Purple and White Spread Throughout National Rankings
The TCU women began the 2010 indoor season ranked No. 40 overall in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I women's indoor track and field preseason rankings.
Individually, Charles Silmon is No. 9 in the nation in the men's 60 meters, while the men's 4x400 is currently ranked No. 5 overall in the national rankings. Junior's Sean Zurko and Festus Kigen sit at No. 24 and No. 9 in the men's 800 and 3,000 meters, respectively, while Mychal Dungey is currently No. 14 in the men's 200 meters after his performance in Albuquerque. In the men's 400 meters, Matthew Love sits at No. 29 with a seasonal-best time of 47.49 seconds.
On the women's side, Stormy Harrison rounds out the top 30 in the women's shot put with the 30th-best throw.
Up Next
TCU will have a week off before opening competition at the 2010 Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships on Thursday, Feb. 25.
Players Mentioned
