Track Preps for Big 12 Championships
5/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 12, 2010
WACO, Texas - Baylor's track and field team travels to Columbia, Mo., this weekend for the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Audrey J. Walton Stadium on the campus of the University of Missouri.
The Bears enter the meet at full strength after battling injuries at the end of the indoor season to finish fourth in the men's and ninth in the women's at the indoor conference meet. Baylor also enters as the defending outdoor champions in three events, including Erin Bedell's 1,500-meter title and a sweep in the men's and women's 4x400-meter relays.
For the Baylor men, the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay have been the Bears strong point this season. With sprint relay titles at both the Texas and Drake Relays, BU holds the second fastest time in the Big 12 and fourth fastest in the NCAA at 39.18. The team consists of Marcus Boyd, Whitney Prevost, Courtney Thomas, and Trey Harts. Boyd and Harts also make up half of the mile relay with Michael Liggins and Zwede Hewitt. That crew also won the Drake Relays title and holds the second-fastest Big 12 time and NCAA's third fastest at 3:02.70.
Harts also ranks second in the conference in the 200 and seventh in the 100, while both Prevost and Thomas each rank in the top eight in the 200. At 400 meters, Boyd has posted the conference's second-best time, while Liggins and Hewitt are each in the top 10 in the event.
Freshman Gavyn Nero is ranked fourth in the conference in the 800 meters, while Brandon Reed is ranked eighth in the 10,000 meters entering the weekend. In the 400-meter hurdles, Chance Casey, who also competes on the BU football team, is ranked sixth with a time of 51.10.
In the field events for the men, javelin school record holder Nick Lyons is ranked second in the conference and fifth in the nation with his BU record throw of 239-7.
On the women's side, sprinters Tiffany Townsend and Diamond Richardson have hit their stride as the outdoor season has progressed. Townsend came back after an injury cut her indoor season just short to win the 100 meters and help the women to the 4x400-meter title at the Drake Relays. From there, Townsend turned in the sixth best time in the 100 meters (11.47) and the seventh-best time in the 200 meters (23.32).
Richardson also helped BU to the Drake title in the relay, turning in a split of 52.1 to help BU shaved seven seconds off their previous best in the event for a time of 3:33:32, good for third in the Big 12. The sophomore also turned in a open 400-meter time of 52.71, the fourth best in the conference.
Freshman Christina Holland enters the weekend ranked third in the conference in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.94, while Bedell has the second-fastest steeplechase time of 10:03.81.
In the field events for the women, Dess Meek is ranked third in the high jump, DeAna Carson is sitting fifth in the long jump and freshman Skylar White is third in the discus and seventh in the shot put currently.
Competition will begin on Friday morning at 8:15 a.m. with the 10,000 meters, followed by the multi events at 11:30 a.m. The action will continue all day Saturday and Sunday.
Players Mentioned
