TCU
Texas A&M Team Invitational
Preview: Texas A&M Team Invitational
4/8/2021 1:26:00 PM | Men's Outdoor Track, Women's Outdoor Track
FORT WORTH — TCU's track and field squads travel to College Station, Texas, for its fourth outdoor meet of the season.
Meet Day Information
Date: April 9-10, 2021
Location: College Station, Texas
Venue: E.B. Cushing Stadium
Teams Attending: Arkansas, Houston, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Northwestern, Prairie View A&M, Rice, Sam Houston State, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Southern, UTSA
Live Results: Flash Results - Click here
Best in the Big 12
Ten-time All-American Derrick Mokaleng won the Baylor Invitational's 400m with a 45.65. The senior's mark sits atop the Big 12 ranks. His personal-best time, 45.02, is also TCU's school record.
Rainey Anderson also took his event, the 110m hurdles, running a career-best and Big 12-leading 13.93.
Big 12 Athletes of the Week
A pair of Horned Frogs were honored as Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week following their standout performances at the TCU Invitational. Robert Gregory Jr. was tabbed the Men's Athlete of the Week, while Destiny Longmire earned Women's Athlete of the Week.
Gregory clocked a 20.67 to win the men's 200m. His mark ranks No. 13 in the nation and third in the Big 12. The freshman was also the anchor of TCU's 4x100 relay.
Longmire, a senior, set a personal best in the long jump, leaping 6.59m (21-7.5) en route to a first-place finish at the TCU Invitational. Her mark is fourth in the country.
Top-50 Marks in the NCAA
Men's 100m
T-No. 13 - Robert Gregory Jr. (10.27)
T-No. 13 - TJ Brock (10.27)
T-No. 35 - Kundai Maguranyanga (10.38)
Men's 100mH
T-No. 28 - Rainey Anderson (13.93)
Men's 200m
No. 15 - Tinotenda Matiyenga (20.65)
T-No. 16 - Robert Gregory Jr. (20.67)
Men's 400m
No. 9 - Derrick Mokaleng (45.65)
T-No. 47 - Glenn Bender (47.01)
Men's 4x100
No. 10 - Brock, Phillips, Maguranyanga, Gregory (39.16)
Men's 4x400
No. 5 - Seete, Matiyenga, Gregory Mokaleng (3:03.59)
Men's High Jump
T-No. 41 - Mason Buckmaster (2.10m)
Women's 400mH
No. 48 - Kyla Robinson-Hubbard (1:00.85)
Women's 4x100
No. 40 - Glenn, Longmire, Brown, Williams (45.40)
Women's 4x400
No. 37 - Robinson-Hubbard, Williams, Banks, Martinez (3:39.24)
Women's Long Jump
No. 4 - Destiny Longmire (6.59m) (21-7.5)
Women's Triple Jump
T-No. 28 - Tosin Alao (12.80m) (42'0")
Women's Pole Vault
T-No. 45 - Tysen Townsend (13'1.5") (4.0m)
USTFCCCA Rankings
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) ranked TCU's men's track and field team No. 25 at the conclusion of indoor season. The Frogs found themselves outside the Top-25 in the first and second set of outdoor rankings.
Just Du It
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya returns for his senior campaign to defend his national title in the outdoor triple jump from 2019 (16.83m / 55-2.75). He also garnered a silver medal at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships (16.95m / 57-7.5) and a bronze medal at the 2019 indoor edition (16.61m / 54-6) as well. As a freshman in 2018, Mapaya reached the indoor championship in the triple jump and finished third with a 16.38m (53-9) jump. His worst finish at the national meet came during outdoor season as a freshman in 2018 when he jumped 16.42m en route to 5th place and First-team All-America honors.
Mapaya secured his 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.
The Harare, Zimbabwe, native is a six-time All-American.
Record Breaker
Mapaya's silver medal mark (16.95m / 55-7.5) broke Ndabazihle Mdhlongwa's Zimbabwe indoor triple jump record from 1998 (16.89m), as well as TCU's school record.
His jump also noted a new indoor personal best for the Harare, Zimbabwe, native. The senior's previous best indoor jump was 16.85m (55-3.5) at the Texas Tech Shootout that set a TCU record earlier this year.
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.
Up and Over
Tysen Townsend broke former teammate Kendahl Shue's pole vault school record, clearing 13-1.5 (4.0m) en route to a third-place finish at the Baylor Invitational. Townsend now owns both the indoor and outdoor record.
2021 Indoor All-Americans
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya - First-Team - Triple Jump
Robert Gregory Jr. - Second-Team - 200m
Tinotenda Matiyenga - Second-Team - 200m
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
Players Mentioned
