Tech Track & Field concludes first meet of the season away from Lubbock

The Texas Tech track & field teams concluded their first road meet of the season at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, NM featuring six of Tech's field athletes and six of Tech's track athletes.

Going into the meet, the men’s program ranked No. 2 and the women’s program ranked in at No. 6 in the second installment of the USTFCCCA Indoor Rankings, according to Tech Athletics. 

Tech took the top two spots in the women’s triple jump. Sophomore Ruta Lasmane finished first overall with a best distance of 13.66 meters while freshman Onaara Obamuwagun came in second overall with a best distance of 13.41 meters.

In the qualifying round of the men’s 60-meter hurdles prelims, freshman Vashaun Vascianna finished first overall with a qualifying time of 7.70 seconds. Sophomore Maliek Kendall finished third overall and had a qualifying time of 7.93 seconds. Both runners advanced to the final round later in the day. 

In the final round of the men’s 60-meter hurdles, Vascianna finished first with a time of 7.64 seconds, beating his qualifying time of 7.70 seconds. Kendall finished third overall with a time of 7.91 seconds, also beating his qualifying time which was 7.93 seconds. 

Freshman Colton Naffziger, the only athlete to participate in Friday’s events, finished third in the men’s pole vault.  Naffziger’s last recorded attempt was 5.06 meters (16”1-.25”) before three unsuccessful attempts at 5.21 meters (17’1.00”). 

In the women’s pole vault, junior Ryleigh Redding finished third overall with her final completed height of 4.01 meters (13-01.75).

In the women’s qualifying round of the 60-meter hurdles prelims, sophomore Simone Watkins grabbed the eight, and final, qualifying spot with a time of 8.46 seconds. Watkins will race in the final round later in the day. 

In the final round of the women’s 60-meter hurdles, Watkins finished sixth overall, jumping ahead two places, with a time of 8.40 seconds. This beat her qualifying time of 8.46 seconds. 

In the women’s 60-meter dash prelims, sophomore Rosemary Chukwuma finished first in her heat and third overall with a qualifying time of 7.33 seconds. Chukwuma’s time advanced her to the final round later in the day. 

In the final round of the women’s 60-meter dash, Chukwuma finished fifth overall with a time of 7.25 seconds. This beat her qualifying time of 7.33 seconds. 

The Red Raiders’s next event will be in Lubbock when they host the Texas Tech Shootout on Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Sports Performance Center.