HUNT FOR A TITLE
2/26/2026 5:21:00 PM | Track & Field
T&F: Tiriah Kelley trying to win first individual Big 12 championship
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
LUBBOCK, Texas – Other than a 4x100-meter relay title in her first year at Baylor, Tiriah Kelley has to go all the way back to her senior year at Plano East High School to find her last "championship."
That was when she swept the 100 and 200 meters at the UIL Class 6A State Championship in Austin.
But the senior sprinter is hoping to change that narrative this weekend, going in as the favorite to win the 200 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championships that begin Friday at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center.
"This is my senior year, and I haven't had a title yet," said Kelley, who was third in the 200 at last year's Big 12 Indoor meet and runner-up at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. "I haven't won anything yet, and this is what I'm striving for. By God's grace, just trusting everything, I do want to win. I'm so excited for the 200 this weekend."
Undefeated in the 200 meters so far this year, Kelley won at the Corky Classic, Carolina Classic and Jarvis Scott Invite, breaking her own school record twice. She opened with a then world-leading time of 22.56 seconds at the Corky Classic on this same Lubbock track and then topped that with a 22.53 clocking two weeks ago that is ranked No. 2 in the country.
"I do like Texas Tech's track," said Kelley, who has recorded five of her six all-time bests – and the program's best – at the Sports Performance Center. "Even in middle school when I first started running track, Lubbock was always where I ran really fast. There's only so many indoor tracks in Texas, so we get used to those tracks. I do love that Big 12s are held there, because we're comfortable with that track. We love going there."
Her chief competition will once again come from TCU's Indya Mayberry, the reigning Big 12 and NCAA Indoor champion in the 200 meters. Far off her school-record time of 22.30 she ran at last year's NCAA meet, Mayberry is second in the Big 12 and tied for 10th nationally at 22.96.
"We have been (competing for a while)," Kelley said of Mayberry, who prepped at North Crowley High School in the Fort Worth area. "Growing up in the same area, it's a competitiveness that is enjoyable. You're always happy when you see people you grew up with going fast and succeeding."
But where the target was squarely on Mayberry a year ago, now it's on Kelley's back. She has ranked in the top three nationally all year.
"I know there's a target on my back," she said. "I know when I talk to people, they're thinking, 'Okay, I'm coming for you on that track.' So, it's exciting, but it's definitely scary, because you know everybody is thinking, 'This is the time I'm going to beat you.'''
Tiriah is one of Baylor's 11 returning All-Big 12 Indoor performers. She was also part of the runner-up 4x400 relay team with Serafima Lucero and Aaryona Kinchen and is joined on the All-Big 12 list by Lucero in the 600-yard run, Royaltee Brown in the 60 meters, Molly Haywood and Tenly Kuhn in the pole vault, Logan Todorovich in the pentathlon, Iyanna Webb in the triple jump and Janae De Gannes in the long jump.
On the men's side, the only all-conference returners are Demario Prince in the 60-meter hurdles and Tyler Honeyman on the first-place 4x400 relay.
Friday's action begins at 10 a.m. with the opening events in the men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon. Running prelims start with the women's mile run at 2 p.m., with the women's weight throw and pole vault both starting at 3.
On Saturday, the women's shot put will begin at 1 p.m., with the women's 60-meter hurdles kicking things off on the track at 2. The two-day meet will be live streamed by ESPN+, with live results available at Prime Time Timing.
For the latest news on Baylor track and field all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
- BaylorBears.com -
Baylor Bear Insider
LUBBOCK, Texas – Other than a 4x100-meter relay title in her first year at Baylor, Tiriah Kelley has to go all the way back to her senior year at Plano East High School to find her last "championship."
That was when she swept the 100 and 200 meters at the UIL Class 6A State Championship in Austin.
But the senior sprinter is hoping to change that narrative this weekend, going in as the favorite to win the 200 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championships that begin Friday at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center.
"This is my senior year, and I haven't had a title yet," said Kelley, who was third in the 200 at last year's Big 12 Indoor meet and runner-up at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. "I haven't won anything yet, and this is what I'm striving for. By God's grace, just trusting everything, I do want to win. I'm so excited for the 200 this weekend."
Undefeated in the 200 meters so far this year, Kelley won at the Corky Classic, Carolina Classic and Jarvis Scott Invite, breaking her own school record twice. She opened with a then world-leading time of 22.56 seconds at the Corky Classic on this same Lubbock track and then topped that with a 22.53 clocking two weeks ago that is ranked No. 2 in the country.
"I do like Texas Tech's track," said Kelley, who has recorded five of her six all-time bests – and the program's best – at the Sports Performance Center. "Even in middle school when I first started running track, Lubbock was always where I ran really fast. There's only so many indoor tracks in Texas, so we get used to those tracks. I do love that Big 12s are held there, because we're comfortable with that track. We love going there."
Her chief competition will once again come from TCU's Indya Mayberry, the reigning Big 12 and NCAA Indoor champion in the 200 meters. Far off her school-record time of 22.30 she ran at last year's NCAA meet, Mayberry is second in the Big 12 and tied for 10th nationally at 22.96.
"We have been (competing for a while)," Kelley said of Mayberry, who prepped at North Crowley High School in the Fort Worth area. "Growing up in the same area, it's a competitiveness that is enjoyable. You're always happy when you see people you grew up with going fast and succeeding."
But where the target was squarely on Mayberry a year ago, now it's on Kelley's back. She has ranked in the top three nationally all year.
"I know there's a target on my back," she said. "I know when I talk to people, they're thinking, 'Okay, I'm coming for you on that track.' So, it's exciting, but it's definitely scary, because you know everybody is thinking, 'This is the time I'm going to beat you.'''
Tiriah is one of Baylor's 11 returning All-Big 12 Indoor performers. She was also part of the runner-up 4x400 relay team with Serafima Lucero and Aaryona Kinchen and is joined on the All-Big 12 list by Lucero in the 600-yard run, Royaltee Brown in the 60 meters, Molly Haywood and Tenly Kuhn in the pole vault, Logan Todorovich in the pentathlon, Iyanna Webb in the triple jump and Janae De Gannes in the long jump.
On the men's side, the only all-conference returners are Demario Prince in the 60-meter hurdles and Tyler Honeyman on the first-place 4x400 relay.
Friday's action begins at 10 a.m. with the opening events in the men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon. Running prelims start with the women's mile run at 2 p.m., with the women's weight throw and pole vault both starting at 3.
On Saturday, the women's shot put will begin at 1 p.m., with the women's 60-meter hurdles kicking things off on the track at 2. The two-day meet will be live streamed by ESPN+, with live results available at Prime Time Timing.
For the latest news on Baylor track and field all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
- BaylorBears.com -
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