Track & Field Set For TCU Invitational
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Outdoor Track
FORT WORTH -- The TCU track and field teams will open the 2016 outdoor season as they host the TCU Invitational on March 17-18 at the Lowdon Track and Field Complex.
The meet will span two days. Thursday's throwing events will be kicked off with the hammer throw at 1 p.m., with Friday's first event starting at 9 a.m. with the javelin. Running events will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Live results will be available through Flash Results. For updates throughout the meet, follow @TCUtrackfield on Twitter.
The Field
11 Teams will be participating at the TCU Invitational this week, including Big 12 opponents Baylor, Texas, and Texas Tech. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Baylor men finished tied for 34th. The Texas women placed fourth, while the men finished fifth, and Texas Tech's men's team tied for 20th. Also joining the outdoor opener will be Arkansas State, Harvard, North Texas, SMU, Texas State and UTA.
Back-To-Back NCAA Champion
Senior Ronnie Baker took home gold in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships for the second-straight year last week. Baker's blistering time of 6.47 is the fastest in the world this year and broke the NCAA meet record, school record, and is the third-fastest time in NCAA history.
Indoor Recap
The indoor season saw an NCAA Champion, a Big 12 Champion, three All-Americans, two school records, and one fastest time in the world. Overall, the Horned Frogs competed in three events at the 2016 NCAA Championships - the 60 meters, 200 meters and 60 meter hurdles. The men's team finished the season in 18th after nationals. Baker and Sam Watts earned First-Team All-America honors, and senior Brianna McGhee received a Second-Team All-America selection.
Shattered Records
Also finding their way into the record book was McGhee, who broke an 11-year-old school record in the indoor season opener in College Station. McGhee's record breaking 60-meter hurdles time of 8.26 wasn't enough for the senior from Omaha, Neb. as she went on to bring her personal best and school record time down to 8.14. Overall, McGhee improved on the initial school record by .16 seconds.
Baker's NCAA Championship time of 6.47 broke his own school 60 meters record of 6.51, which was set at the Big 12 Championships two weeks prior to take home gold. Before the season started, the previous record of 6.52 was set by Baker at last year's NCAA Championships.
Athlete of the Year
Baker was named the South Central Athlete of the Year for the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor season after running a nation-leading time of 6.51 at the Big 12 Championships in February. In all, Baker earned nine first-place finishes throughout the indoor campaign.
Road To The Bowerman
Baker was named to the Bowerman Watch List before the season began, and he has held his spot in each watch list since. The Bowerman is awarded every year to the top male and female collegiate athlete in NCAA track & field. It is the highest individual honor in the sport.
