TCU
Red Raider Invitational
Preview: Red Raider Invitational
1/23/2020 2:51:00 PM | Men's Indoor Track, Women's Indoor Track
FORT WORTH — TCU's track and field teams compete Friday at the Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock, Texas, at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center.
Meet Day Information:
Date: Jan. 24, 2020
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Venue: Texas Tech Sports Performance Center
Admission: Entrance and tickets for spectators can be purchased at the north entrance of the track.
Teams attending: Air Force, Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, New Mexico Jr College, Oklahoma State, South Plains, TCU, Texas State, Incarnate Word, North Texas, UT-Arlington, Texas Tech, Washington State, Western Texas.
Live Results: http://pttiming.com/events/87931738
Running Events Finals Criteria: 60m/60m hurdles, top 8 times from prelim rounds. All other running events – run in seeded sections against time.
Field Events Finals Criteria: Top 9 from prelim round to final round.
USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings
TCU's men's track and field program was ranked No. 17 in the nation by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association's (USTFCCCA) Preseason Rankings.
Returning Indoor All-Americans
Destiny Longmire - First-Team - Long Jump
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya - First-Team - Triple Jump
Derrick Mokaleng - First-Team - 400m
Returning Outdoor All-Americans
Destiny Longmire - First-Team - Long Jump
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya - First-Team - Triple Jump
Derrick Mokaleng - Second-Team - 400m
Andrews, Bender, Matiyenga and Mokaleng - Second-Team - 4x400
Returning Big 12 Champions
In last year's Big 12 Indoor Championship, Mapaya rose to the occasion, taking home the title with a school-record jump of 16.83m (55-2.75). His jump also broke Scotty Newton's conference meet record from 2017-18.
Mapaya led last season's outdoor Big 12 field from the opening jump, reaching 16.54m (54-2.5) and never trailed. That jump was all he needed as he held on to win his second career conference title. TCU has dominated the triple jump in the Big 12 the last two seasons. Newton won both the indoor and outdoor titles in 2017-18, while Mapaya finished third at both meets and won both indoors and outdoors in 2018-19.
TCU's mile relay capped off the 2018 Big 12 Championship indoor meet with a title as well. Jostyn Andrews, Tinotenda Matiyenga, Glenn Bender and Derrick Mokaleng teamed up for the first time and ran a season-best 3:04.86 for the win. It was the third 4x400 conference title for TCU in the last two seasons, adding to the titles from the 2018 indoor and outdoor conference meets.
Senior Destiny Longmire took women's indoor long jump a year ago en route to her first Big 12 Conference title. Longmire set the standard for the field with her opening jump, setting a personal-best 6.39m (20-11.75). That jump was all she needed as she never trailed in the meet. The Moreno Valley, Calif. native also won a Mountain West title in the long jump while she was at San Jose State.
Just Du It
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya returns for his junior campaign to defend his national title in the outdoor triple jump. He also garnered a bronze medal at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships as well. As a freshman in 2018, Mapaya reached the championship in the triple jump and finished third with a 16.38m (53-9) jump.
Mapaya secured the national championship in the most dramatic fashion possible. Going into his sixth and final jump of the night, Mapaya was in third place after a jump of 16.94m (55-7) in his fifth attempt. On the final jump of the competition, Mapaya jumped 17.13m (56-2.5) passing up event leader Jordan Scott of Virginia (17.01m, 55-9.75) and winning the national championship. It was TCU's first national title in track and field since Ronnie Baker won the 60m dash in 2016.
Mapaya, who also earned First Team All-America Honors, shattered his own school record of 16.64m (54-7.25), which was set earlier in the season at the National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Harare, Zimbabwe native is a four-time All-American.
The Bowerman
Mapaya was named to The Bowerman's Preseason Watch List. He is the third student-athlete from TCU to appear on the watch list (Ronnie Baker, 2016) (Whitney Gipson, 2012). Charles Silmon was a semifinalist for the award in 2013, but did not appear on a watch list -- a distinction that is announced after the season is over.
The Bowerman is the highest honor bestowed to collegiate track & field's most outstanding athletes of the year. This is the 12th year of the award program, having started in 2009.
Only ten men and ten women will be on the official watch list during each update. Semifinalists from the previous year are automatically on the preseason watch list provided they are returning.
TCU INDOOR HISTORY
TCU has a tradition of national success during the indoor season. One year ago, the Horned Frogs left the NCAA meet with a third-place finisher, three First-Team All-America individuals and one Second-Team honor. Two years ago, TCU left the NCAA meet with a third-place finisher, four total First-Team All-America honors, and three additional Second-Team honors.
Players Mentioned
