Anderson's Thoughts On The NCAA Championships
6/4/2010 12:00:00 AM
June 4, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU head coach Darryl Anderson recently sat down with GoFrogs.com to give his thoughts on the Horned Frogs heading into the final round of the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships next week.
Anderson's Overall Breakdown
"Its an exciting time of the year. Anytime you have invested eight to ninth months of practice into training, it's always great to have a group of people going to the NCAA meet as we always do during this time of year. Overall, we feel really good about the student-athletes we have representing TCU at the final round of the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships."
2010 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships
The following is a complete breakdown of the Horned Frogs who will be competing in Eugene, Ore., next week at the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
Neidra Covington
NCAA Events: Long and Triple Jump
Covington won both the conference and West Preliminary in the triple jump. She ranks No. 4 in the NCAA in the triple jump and No. 13 in the long jump. She is one of only six athletes to qualify for Eugene in both the long and triple jump. Covington won the triple jump at conference with a new school and championships record, soaring 44 feet, 2 inches to win. She jumped 21 feet, ¾ inches in the long jump at the preliminary round to qualify for Eugene and is the top-ranked triple jumper in both the region and conference.
Whitney Gipson
NCAA Events: Long Jump
Gipson qualified for Eugene in the women's long jump, placing sixth overall at the West Preliminary Round with a leap of 21 feet, 1 1/4 inches. Has posted a personal and seasonal-best leap of 21 feet, 8 inches, which currently ranks No. 4 in the NCAA and West Region. Gipson smashed the school record in the women's long jump to earn runner-up accolades with the second-best leap in Mountain West Conference history at the 2010 Mountain West Conference Championships. She ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference in the women's long jump.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Whitney Gipson and Neidra Covington have spearheaded our women's team all year. We are very excited about them during this time of year. They both have a very good chance to earn All-America honors and be big-time scorers at the NCAA meet in Eugene."
Kristal Juarez
NCAA Events: Women's 400 Meters
Juarez heads to the NCAA Semifinal Round ranking in the top 25 in the NCAA in the women's 400 meters. She qualified for Eugene by grabbing the 12th and final spot in the West Preliminary with a time of 53.23 seconds. Juarez, an indoor All-American, captured gold medal accolades with a seasonal and personal-best time of 52.91 seconds at the conference championships last month.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Kristal Juarez is coming off a really good season. She made All-American during the indoor season and hopefully she can place a little higher next week. Kristal is going to be in a very tough field, but I think she is up to the task."
Larissa Matthews
NCAA Events: 100-Meter Hurdles
Matthews qualified for Eugene, smashing the school record in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.26 seconds at the West Preliminary Round. Matthews heads to the semifinals ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA and is the only freshman in the nation to qualify for the semifinals in the 100-meter hurdles. She won the conference title in the 100-meter hurdles becoming only the second Horned Frog to win a Mountain West title in the event. Her seasonal-best time of 13.26 currently ranks in the top 10 in the West Region and is No. 1 in the conference.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Larissa Matthews has gotten better and better all year. She really competes very well and is the only freshman in the nation to qualify for the next round of the NCAA Championships. We are very excited to see her go out to Eugene and put her feet in the water for a first time. This will only help her preparation for the USA Junior Championships in a few weeks."
Mychal Dungey
NCAA Events: Men's 200 Meters
Dungey qualified for Eugene in the 200 at the Preliminary Round, clocking a time 20.66 seconds. At conference, Dungey won the 200, posting a time of 20.64, which is the second-fastest time in championship history and third-best all-time in league history. He currently ranks in the top 25 in the NCAA in the 200. Helped the men's 4x400 advance to Eugene with a time of 3:05.46, which ranks No. 10 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the region, in Austin.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Mychal Dungey is going to be in the 200 meters next week and it's only his second time in the event at the NCAA meet. We feel like he has a chance to make the finals and do some really good things for us. He has had two really good meets at the Mountain West Conference Championships and first round of the NCAA meet, so we think he has a great chance in Eugene to make the finals."
Charles Silmon
NCAA Events: 100 and 200 Meters
Silmon is one of only two freshmen in the nation to advance to Eugene in both the 100 and 200. Clocked the fifth fastest time at the preliminary round in the 200 after earning runner-up at conference. Recorded a time of 20.58 in the 200, which ranks in the top 15 in the NCAA, to advance to the NCAA semifinals. In the 100, Silmon captured the conference-title with a time of 10.24 to earn the MWC's Most Outstanding Performance. Silmon's time set a championship record, is No. 9 in the region and ranks in top 25 in the NCAA.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Charles Silmon will be in both the 100 and 200 meters in Eugene and is one of only a handful of freshman to make it to the semifinals in both events. He has had a great year and is such a tenacious competitor, so it would not be a surprise to anyone if he made the finals in both events. Like Larissa Matthews, this should be a great tune up for him to hone his skills as he gets ready to qualify for the World Junior Team in a couple of weeks."
Tommy Killen
NCAA Events: Men's Discus
Killen grabbed the 12th and final spot heading to Eugene in the men's discus last Saturday night in Austin. Overall, the senior tossed the discus 178 feet, 1 inch on his first attempt to qualify for the NCAA semifinals. He will look to garner his first All-America accolade of his career next week after earning runner-up accolades at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Tommy Killen should do really well for us at the NCAA meet in the men's discus. He has been there before, so he knows what it takes to score and make All-American at the meet."
Festus Kigen
NCAA Events: Men's 5,000 Meters
Kigen, an indoor All-America honoree, came into the preliminary round ranked in the top 30 in the West Region. He qualified for Eugene, clocking a time of 14:10.23 to finish 12th overall in a highly competitive field that featured six of the nation's top 20, including four of the NCAA's top 5 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. The junior has posted a seasonal-best time of 13:52.06, which is the second-fastest time ever posted in program history.
Anderson's Breakdown
"Festus Kigen is really training well right now. He was an All-American during the indoor season, so obviously he can score again for us in the 5,000. We are looking forward to the challenge and watching him perform at a high level in Eugene."
Men's 4x400
NCAA Events: Men's 4x400
The men's 4x400 quartet, which consists of Dell Guy, Clemore Henry, Mychal Dungey and Sean Zurko, advanced to Eugene with a seasonal-best time of 3:05.46. The unit, who breezed to the fifth fastest time in the event at the NCAA West Preliminary Round, crossed the finish line second in heat No. 3 to advance to Eugene. Overall, the group ranks No. 10 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the region
Anderson's Breakdown
"The men's 4x400 really came on and put it together at the first round of the NCAA meet in Austin. They went into the first round of the NCAA meet in the top 20 and came out of it in the top 10, so that quartet is definitely on the upswing. Dell Guy and Clemore Henry just don't want their careers to end yet, so nothing will surprise me with that group. Sean Zurko and Mychal Dungey will make up the rest of that unit and we feel very good about our chances to do well in the 4x400 with that core group of guys."
Players Mentioned
