TCU
Big 12 Championships
Preview: Big 12 Championships
2/25/2021 9:15:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track, Women's Indoor Track
FORT WORTH — TCU's men's and women's track and field teams travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the 2021 Big 12 Indoor Championship.
Meet Day Information
Date: Feb. 26-27, 2021
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Venue: Sports Performance Center
Teams attending: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Live Results: PrimeTime Timing - Click here
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Indoor Big 12 Champions Under Coach Anderson
Director of Track & Field Darryl Anderson has produced 13 Indoor Big 12 champions in the eight years that TCU has been a member of the conference.
Men:
2013 - Charles Silmon - 60m Dash (6.66)
2014 - Jordan Moore - 60m High Hurdles (7.86)
2015 - Cameron Echols-Luper - Long Jump (24-11.75/7.61m)
2016 - Ronnie Baker - 60m Dash (6.51) (Big 12 meet record holder)
2018 - Andrews, Ogwo, McClanahan, Mokaleng - 4x400 relay (3:07.75)
2018 - Scotty Newton - Triple Jump (54-06.75/16.63m)
2019 - Du Mapaya 16.83m - Triple Jump (55-2.75) (Big 12 meet record holder)
2020 - Andrews, Maketa, Matiyenga, Mokaleng - 4x400 relay (3:06.90)
Women:
2013 - Chaniqua Corinealdi - 60m Dash (7.34)
2014 - Lorraine Ugen - Long Jump (21-07.73/6.59m)
2017 - Brenley Goertzen - 5,000m (16:02.80)
2019 - Lily Beckford - 600y (1:19.69)
2019 - Destiny Longmire - Long Jump (20-11.75/6.39m)
Top-40 Marks in the Nation
Men's Triple Jump
No. 1 - Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya (16.85m / 55-3.5)
Men's 60m
No. T-17 - TJ Brock (6.65)
No. T-29 - Tinotenda Matiyenga (6.69)
No. T-33 - Blake Hennesay (6.70)
No. T-39 - Jais Smith (6.73)
Men's 200m
No. 12 Tinotenda Matiyenga (20.75)
No. 14 - Robert Gregory Jr. (20.78)
No. 25 - Kundai Maguranyanga (20.95)
Men's 400m
No. 25 - Ethan Brown (46.69)
Men's 4x400
No. 21 - Maketa, Brown, Gregory, Seete (3:08.47)
USTFCCCA Rankings
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) ranked TCU's men's track and field team No. 23 in its fifth edition of the poll.
An outstanding weekend against multiple ranked opponents in Lubbock propelled TCU into the top-15 at the beginning of February.
The Horned Frogs found themselves outside the USTFCCCA Top-25 poll in its first set of rankings. Given the circumstances of the season, it decided to forgo producing a preseason ranking.
TCU's men's track and field program was ranked No. 18 in the nation in the final regular season update of 2020. The Horned Frog men entered the 2020 indoor season at No. 17.
Record Breaker
For the second consecutive meet, Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya put on a show from the start. On his first jump (16.80m), the senior broke the meet and facility record at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center.
Du Airlines took off for 16.85m (55-3.5) on his second attempt, improving his NCAA-leading mark. Mapaya's jump ranks No. 9 in the world.
Mapaya's mark set a new indoor personal best for the Harare, Zimbabwe, native. Mapaya's previous best jump was 16.83m (55-2.75) at the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Championships that set a TCU and Big 12 meet record.
Just Du It
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya returns for his senior indoor campaign to defend his national title in the outdoor triple jump from 2019. 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 five-time All-American.
The Bowerman
Mapaya received votes in the Mid-Indoor Watch List for The Bowerman.
Mapaya was also named to The Bowerman's Preseason Watch List in 2020. 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 13th 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.
Men's 4x400 Success
The men's 4x400 relay team (Jostyn Andrews, Simbarashe Maketa, Tinotenda Matiyenga, Derrick Mokaleng) took home its fourth Big 12 title in the past five years between indoor and outdoor seasons last year. Mokaleng's 45.47 anchor leg propelled the Frogs from third to first in the final 400m of the race, finishing in 3:06.90.
Returning Indoor All-Americans
Jill Johnson - High Jump
TJ Brock - 60m
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya - Triple Jump
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, the NCAA Division I Track & Field Executive Committee did not differentiate between first-team, second-team or honorable mention.
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
2020 Record Breakers
Jill Johnson broke TCU's women's indoor high jump record by clearing 1.81m (5-11 1/4) at the Texas Tech Shootout her freshman year. She won the event and owned the top mark in the Big 12 at the time, which was also tied for 9th nationally.
Junior Tysen Townsend broke former fellow teammate Kendahl Shue's pole vault record by clearing 12-11 3/4.
Mariah Castillo broke TCU's 800m record twice at the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championship. Her 2:08.54 placed her fourth overall. The record had previously stood since 1986.
TCU Indoor History
TCU has a tradition of national success during the indoor season. Two years ago, the Horned Frogs left the NCAA meet with a third-place finisher, three First-Team All-America individuals and one Second-Team honor. Three 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. The national meet in 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19.
Players Mentioned
