Track & Field Primed for Tyson Invite
2/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU men's and women's indoor track and field teams are primed and ready for the two-day Tyson Invitational beginning on Friday, Feb. 13, at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Meet Schedule
On Friday, both field and running events will start at 1 p.m., while Saturday's action will begin at noon.
Follow The Frogs
To keep track of the meet live, follow the Horned Frogs on Twitter at @TCUTrackField. Coverage of the meet is available through the SEC Network + which can be accessed through the Watch ESPN app if you have a compatible cable service on Saturday only. Here is the link for Saturday - http://es.pn/1Ct0oMt. Live results can also be accessed at this link - http://www.flashresults.com/2015_Meets/Indoor/02-13_Tyson/. A full recap from the invitational will be posted to GoFrogs.com following the end of competition each day.
The Field
A total of 40 universities will field competitors this weekend in Fayetteville. Among those participating in the meet, 16 men's squads are ranked in the top 25 of this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings, including eight of the top nine. On the women's side, 14 teams with representatives at the meet this weekend are ranked in this week's poll. The TCU men's team sits just outside the top-25 in the No. 26 slot.
Quotables from Director of Track & Field Darryl Anderson
On this weekend's meet
"The Tyson Invitational is one of the biggest meets in the country. There will be several ranked teams there and it's a great opportunity for us to test ourselves and see where we are because this is our last opportunity to compete before the Big 12 Championships. Until the conference meet, you're probably going to have the biggest amount changes in NCAA rankings, team and individual, happen because of the meets this weekend. This is a big meet and we're excited about going up and competing in it."
On his team
"We're going to run the mile relay again because we got knocked down last week on the first lap, which took us out of the race. This weekend, you're going to see Texas A&M, who has the fastest time in the country, Florida, who has the second-fastest time, LSU and Texas Tech in that event. It's going to be a slugfest in the mile relay. Ronnie Baker is going to get a true test this weekend because he sits fifth in the country in the 60 meters and the top five guys are all going to be competing there this weekend. Not only for Ronnie, it's going to be a great test for Raymond Bozmans and Kolby Listenbee. In the 200 meters, Sam Watts is sitting third in the country and the two guys who are ahead of him are also going to be there this weekend. Cameron Echols-Luper is going to be in the long jump this weekend and try to improve his status for NCAA's. Meelis Siimson is going to compete for us for the first time this weekend, the defending Division II champion, so we're looking forward to that.
"On the women's side, we're going to keep plugging away. Megan Smith will have a big test in the shot put it will be a big test leading her up to the conference meet with the Big 12 girls who will be at this meet. It's going to be interesting from that perspective to see where she stands. And with the rest of our women's team, we're just trying to get a grip on positioning as far as making to the Big 12 finals. All in all, I think this weekend is going to be a very diligent test for us, but I'm excited about it. These are the meets that you really get stoked about if you're a true competitor."
Last Time Out
In their return to College Station for the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational, the Horned Frogs put together a flurry of top-five finishes over the course of the meet. Sophomore Kolby Listenbee recorded a third-pace time in the men's 60 meters at 6.82 seconds. Of the eight finalists in the event, TCU had three competitors in Listenbee, freshman Antonio Franklin (6.91) and sophomore Cameron Echols-Luper (6.94), who finished fifth and seventh respectively. In the women's weight throw, sophomore Paola Miranda brought home a fourth-place mark with a throw of 17.22m (56-6). She has improved her distance on her top toss at each meet this season, the latest coming by almost a foot and a half. Senior Megan Smith also posted a fourth-place finish in the women's shot put with a mark of 15.83m (51-11.25). In the women's 60 hurdles, sophomore Makaila Flannigan picked up a fourth-place time in the finals at 8.55 seconds.
National and World Rankings
On Jan. 31 in Albuquerque, Sam Watts charged down the track in the 200-meter dash to a world-leading time of 20.69 seconds. His time stood for six days and now ranks as the No. 3 time this season. Watts will have a chance to reclaim his spot at the top as the two competitors ahead of him will also participate in this weekend's events in Fayetteville.
Ronnie Baker's 60 meters time of 6.56 seconds is ranked fourth in NCAA competition this season and is No. 12 in the world indoor lists for 2015. The top two on the NCAA indoor qualifying list will also participate at the Tyson Invitational this weekend. The top time in the world this season is held by former TCU standout Kim Collins at 6.48.
The men's 4x400 relay squad consisting Watts and Baker, as well as freshman Kevin McClanahan and junior Raymond Bozmans opened the season in College Station with a mark of 3:08.26. The time ranks as the seventh-best in NCAA competition in 2015. The four schools that rank ahead of the Horned Frogs will also compete in the event on Saturday.
Changing Their Stars
Eleven times this season, a Horned Frog has set a new personal-record as a result of their performances. At the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational last weekend, three new PR's were achieved, as well as a few seasonal-bests. In the 1 mile race, freshmen Anna Cozart (5:09.03), Bailey Sullivan (5:07.46) recorded a new season-best. Two other freshman, Arin Rice (2:13.79) and Aaron Reichner (9:26.80), hit their personal-bests in the 800 meters and 3000 meters, respectively. Sophomore Paola Miranda not only achieved the feat in the weight throw in College Station with a mark of 17.22m (56-6), but has also done so every week of competition this year.
Into the Rankings The TCU men's squad is currently ranked at No. 26 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings. The Horned Frogs opened the season in the No. 25 slot, the highest preseason mark for the TCU men since 2011, when they opened at No. 30. They've been ranked as high as No. 23 this season.
Big 12 Honors
On Feb. 4, junior Sam Watts received the Big 12 Male Co-Athletes of the Week award after his performance at the New Mexico Team Invitational in Albuquerque. At the meet, he recorded a time of 20.69 for a first-place finish in the 200 meters for the world's fastest mark in 2015 at that point in the season. He also put up a time of 6.84 in the 60 meters, which was a personal-record. It's the first time he's earned the accolade in his young career.
Returning All-Americans
Overall, TCU returns 11 student-athletes who garnered USTFCCCA All-America awards during the 2013-14 seasons.
Last year's indoor season produced six All-America honorees for the Horned Frogs, four of whom return to competition at TCU this year. The quartet came from the 4x400 relay team, which consisted of Ronnie Baker, Lavon Collins, Harvey McSwain and Sam Watts. The team earned Second Team accolades. In the outdoor campaign, Baker, Cameron Echols-Luper, Kolby Listenbee and Watts posted Second Team All-America honors in the 4x100 relay. Baker (100 meters), McSwain (4x400 relay) and Watts (4x400 relay) also received Honorable Mention nods in the outdoor season.
On the women's side, TCU returns three of the four members from the 4x100 relay team who earned Second Team honors in the outdoor season. The returning student-athletes are Judy Emeodi, Sabrina Moore and Iphona Paiement. Megan Smith also earned Second Team accolades in the discus event. The Horned Frogs also racked up Honorable Mention awards in the 4x400 relay behind Emeodi and Tiffany Terry.
Players Mentioned
