TCU
Michael Johnson Classic
Horned Frogs Put On Solid Day in Waco
4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Outdoor Track
WACO, Texas - Weather caused the 2015 Michael Johnson Classic to end early, but not before the Horned Frogs were able to put together a solid list of performances on Saturday at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium.
The men's 4x100 relay team recorded a first-place finish in a field that included four of the top 10 schools on the NCAA West Qualifying list. The team of sophomores Raymond Bozmans and Cameron Echols-Luper, junior Ronnie Baker and sophomore Kolby Listenbee paced to a time of 39.53 seconds to seal the victory.
"The meet went pretty good," TCU director of track and field Darryl Anderson said. "We got some victories, even though the meet got canceled.
"The men's 4x100 won the race, but there were some things that weren't very good. We wanted to get some reps with Echols-Luper and Listenbee. The exchanges were as expected, but at the end of the day, we'll take the win."
On the women's side, the quartet of sophomores Iphona-Clemence Paiement, Judy Emeodi, Tiffany Terry and Makaila Flannigan finished third with a time of 45.27. The time was the best for the Horned Frogs in the event this season and puts them just outside the top 20 on the NCAA West Qualifying list.
In his first outdoor meet of the season, Echols-Luper took home the men's long jump crown, while senior Ramone Bailey finished second. The 2015 Big 12 indoor champion Echols-Luper leaped to a mark of 7.44m (25-4) to earn the victory and Bailey posted a distance of 7.25m (23-9.5).
"Echols-Luper came out in the long jump and struggled a bit, but he won," Anderson added. "He had one legal jump and that was the one that won it."
His mark ranks him seventh all-time in the TCU outdoor record books and puts him inside the top 20 on the NCAA West Qualifying list.
He's the third Horned Frog to win the event this season, with freshman Scotty Newton (Mar. 20) and Ramone Bailey (Mar. 27) also accomplishing the feat.
The Horned Frogs placed three in the top 10 of the men's 100 meters. Baker posted a fifth-place finish at 10.18, while Bailey finished seventh with a personal-best of 10.43 and Bozmans came in eighth at 10.45.
"Ronnie Baker got a 10.18, it wasn't a good 100, but he made some mistakes that can easily be corrected," Anderson said. "Bailey and Bozmans ran well in the 100 and those times will be coming down in the next couple of weeks."
In the women's 1500 meters, freshman Arin Rice moved her way up to fourth on the all-time list at TCU after achieving a seasonal-best time of 4:26.54. She finished sixth in the event.
Terry picked up a top 10 finish in the women's 400 meters, placing ninth, with a PR at 53.61.
"I was pleased with a lot of performances on both sides of the track," Anderson said. "Arin Rice and Tiffany Terry each got PR's. The women's 4x100 got their regional marks and got third."
In a weather-shortened triple jump, freshman Scotty Newton finished third with a mark of 15.05m (49-4.5). The distance was a seasonal-best and ranks No. 7 in the TCU outdoor record books.
Sophomore Paola Miranda tossed her way to a third-place finish in the women's hammer throw. Her top toss came on her last attempt of the finals at a distance of 57.59m (188-11).
On the men's side, senior Aaron Tombleson posted a seasonal-best throw behind a mark of 56.09m (184-0) en route to a fifth-place finish.
In the women's 100 meters, sophomore Paiement posted a fourth-place mark with a personal-best of 11.68 seconds.
"All in all, we did well," Anderson said. "It was a productive day. So now we'll get ready to go down to Gainesville, Florida, next week."
Next weekend, the Horned Frogs leave Texas for the first time during the outdoor campaign and travel to Gainesville, Florida, for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on Friday, April 24.
