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Flyin' Frogs conclude season at NCAA Championships

TCU will be well-repesented as it has qualified eight athletes and two relay teams into the national meet.

 
 
 

 
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June 8, 2008

Complete Release

TCU Breakdown 


FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU men's and women's track and field teams wrap up the 2008 season this week as they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from June 11-14. The four-day meet takes place at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University. TCU will be well-repesented as it has qualified eight athletes and two relay teams into the national meet. Live results from the meet will be available online at www.ncaasports.com, while complete results and daily recaps will be available on GoFrogs.com.




"We have ten men and three ladies heading to Des Moines this week. We are going to go into this thing looking to be in the top-20 on both sides," said head coach Darryl Anderson. "The biggest thing for us is to make sure that everyone advances each round. This is a challenge to the team to make sure that they have a great NCAA meet and put a cap on this season. Overall, we're excited."


The Flyin' Frogs come into nationals following competition at the Midwest Regional in Lincoln, Neb. Earning NCAA automatic bids was the men's 4x100, Kishelle Paul (400-meter hurdles), Virgil Hodge (100 meters), Andon Mitchell (100 meters), Otis McDaniel (200 meters), Joe Brown (Javelin) and Jonathan Jackson (Triple Jump).


Flyin' Frogs History At NCAA's

TCU has produced more NCAA Championships in the 400-meter relay than any other school over the last 30-plus years. It all started modestly with a fifth-place finish by the mile relay at the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Since then, TCU has produced five NCAA Outdoor National Champions in the event, including setting the collegiate and NCAA record in the 4x100-meter relay in 1989. TCU also has recorded three individual national champions at the National Championships. Raymond Stewart won two outdoor 100-meter crowns in 1987 and 1989, while TCU great Khadevis Robinson captured the 1998 title in the men's 800 meters. As a team, the Flyin' Frogs highest finish on the men's side is second-place in 2001, while the women's highest finish is 12th in 1993.


NCAA Schedule

TCU will open competition this week in Des Moines on Wednesday, June 11 with the first round of the men's javelin at 11 a.m. The Flyin' Frogs will begin competition on the track at 4:45 p.m. with the men's 4x100, while the women and men's 100 meters first round will take place at 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Following the women's 400-meter hurdles and 400 at 6:00 and 6:30 p.m., respectively, the second section of the women's 100 meters will begin at 7 p.m., with the men following directly after. On Thursday, TCU's 200 meter contingent will open competition at 5:10 p.m. with the women's event, while the men will begin at 5:25 p.m. Second round action of the women's 200 will take place at 6:35 p.m. Thursday night, while the men will continue at 6:45 p.m. Finally, the men's 4x400 will close action Thursday at 7:55 p.m. at Drake Stadium. The Flyin' Frogs will open men's triple jump competition on Friday with the quarterfinals beginning at 4:15 p.m.


NCAA's Last Spring

TCU concluded competition at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with Virgil Hodge, the women's 4x100 and Jonathan Jackson earning All-America honors in Sacramento.


Jackson placed third in the triple jump, while Hodge finished fifth in the 200 meters. Hodge also earned All-America honors running the anchor leg of the women's 4x100 relay team that finished fourth last spring with a time of 43.84. Overall, TCU's women's team tied for 27th with nine points, earning its highest finish since placing 12th with 24 points in 1993.


In the men's triple jump final, Jackson narrowly missed becoming the first TCU student-athlete - male or female - to win an NCAA title in a field event. Jackson, who was the first jumper of the day, fell to third place in the sixth and final round after posting his top leap of 52-09.50 (16.09m) in the fifth round. The finish by Jackson was the best by a TCU triple jumper since Jason Howard finished third at the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Championships.


Breaking Down TCU

TCU will have representatives in three events on the women's side and six events on the men's side, including the 4x100 and 4x400 relay. Virgil Hodge will represent the Flyin' Frogs in two events. The St. Kitts native will run in the 100, 200 in the Des Moines. Participating in the women's 400-meter hurdles will be Kishelle Paul, while Jessica Clarke will don the Purple and White in the 400 meters.


On the men's side, both Andon Mitchell will compete in the men's 100 meters, while TCU will have two representatives in the 200 meters with Otis McDaniel and Mychal Dungey both competing. In the field events, seniors Jonathan Jackson and Joe Brown will compete in the triple jump and javelin, respectively. Finally, the men's 4x100 and 4x400 relay units will take to the track in Iowa.


The National Rankings

The Flyin' Frogs men and women's outdoor track & field team is led in the national rankings by sprinter Virgil Hodge, the nation's fifth-ranked female in the 200 meters. On the men's side, the Flyin' Frogs top ranked individual is triple jumper Jonathan Jackson, the NCAA's No. 3 jumper, while the men's 4x400 unit is ranked seventh overall on the descending order list.


The USTFCCCA Division I indoor track and field rankings are compiled solely from NCAA descending order lists.


Final Time Out

The following individuals will be competing in a Horned Frog uniform one final time:

Virgil Hodge

Hodge, a six-time All-American, will look to close her career in style as she will compete in both the 100 and 200 meters at Drake Stadium. Simply put, the St. Kitts native is one of the most prolific runners ever at TCU and will compete in a Horned Frog uniform one last time before heading to the Olympics later this summer. Hodge, who currently sits No. 8 in the 100 and No. 5 in the 200 metes in the NCAA, won both events at the Mountain West Conference Championships last month in Fort Worth. At the MWC Championships, Hodge, who set a new St. Kitts national record in the 100, closed out her MWC career in style as she clocked a new personal best time of 11.21 seconds in the 100 meters to claim her third-straight conference outdoor title. She also won her third-straight 200-meter championship title. Earlier this spring at the TCU Invitational, Hodge, who finished in seventh-place in the 200 during the indoor season, blazed to a first-place finish with then the third fastest time in the world. The senior clocked a time of 22.76, which was the fastest mark in the NCAA for two-straight weeks. Last season, the 2008 Mountain West Conference Indoor Athlete of the Year became the only female in school history with at least five All-America honors. Overall, she posted All-America honors in the 200 meters at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and as a member of the 4x100 relay team at the outdoor championships. Finally, she placed fifth in the 200 meters (22.70) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning TCU's second-best finish in the event.


Jonathan Jackson

Jackson will look to cap an oustanding career in Iowa with a National Championship in the men's triple jump. The nation's No. 3 ranked jumper going into the NCAAs, Jackson, who qualified for nationals by posting runner-up honors at the Midwest Regional, has produced many memorable moments this spring. Earlier this season, Jackson had one of the most successful outings for an athlete in Penn Relays history. The senior crushed his own school record to win the men's triple jump after winning the long jump on his first day of competition in Philadelphia. By doing so he earned College Athlete of the Meet honors for individual events. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native, who's mark of 54 feet, 3.75 inches in the triple jump is currently tied for No. 3 in the NCAA and is the 10th longest jump in Penn Relays history, became the first TCU track and field athlete ever to win both the men's long and triple jump at the Penn Relays. He also became the first TCU male or female to win a title in the triple jump at Franklin Field. Finally, Jackson, who earned his second All-America honor of his career during the indoor season in the triple jump, will look to improve upon his third-place showing in the event last season at nationals next week.


Joe Brown

Nobody has had a better spring season then the senior from Overland Park, Kan. He will compete in the men's javelin in Des Moines. At the Mountain West Conference Championships, Brown closed his MWC career in winning-fashion, taking the title on his last attempt in competition. Overall, Brown blasted a throw of 221 feet, 7 inches to become only the second Horned Frog ever to win a conference crown in the javelin, and the first since Wes Ritchey won the Southwest Conference in 1954. Brown's seasonal-best and regional qualifying toss currently ranks as the No. 20 throw in the NCAA this spring. Following competition in Fort Worth, Brown qualified for the NCAA Championships last Friday by crushing his own school record in the men's javelin to lead TCU on the first day of competition at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Brown, who will be competing at the NCAAs for the first time, recorded a fifth-place finish and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships by tossing the javelin 224 feet to break his previous school record of 222 feet, 5 inches set in 2006.


Flyin' Frogs Represented In World Rankings

The Flyin' Frogs 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 units on the men's side are currently ranked in the top 60 of the world standings. The 4x100 relay is sitting at No. 58 in the world standings, while the 4x200 unit has the No. 10 ranking in the world. Finally, the 4x400 squad heads into next week with the 18th fastest time in the world. Individually, senior Jonathan Jackson cracked the top 50 world rankings in the triple jump.


On the women's side, Virgil Hodge has posted the 39nd fastest time in the women's 100 and the 33rd fastest in the 200. Both the 4x100 and 4x400 are ranked in the world standings, while Kishelle Paul is also ranked in the women's 400 meter hurdles.


TCU In The NCAA Heading Into National Championships

The Flyin' Frogs have had some of the top individuals in the NCAA this spring. Heading into the NCAA's, seven different men, including the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, are ranked in the top 15 of the NCAA, while on the women's side, three different athletes are sitting in the top 15 in the nation.


On the men's side, Jonathan Jackson leads the Flying Frogs at No. 3 overall in the triple jump. Junior Andon Mithcell, who will compete in both the 100 and the 4x100, sits at No. 21 in the men's 100 . Senior Otis McDaniel is currently ranked 14th overall in the men's 200, while Mychal Dungey is No. 19. Joe Brown sits at No. 20 in the discus. The men's 4x400 is currently the seventh best unit in the nation, while the 4x100 unit is No. 16 in the NCAA.


On the women's side, senior Virgil Hodge currently sits at No. 8 in the women's 100 and No. 5 in the 200. Jessica Clarke is No. 13 in the women's 400, while Kishelle Paul leads all individuals at No. 15 in the women's 400-meter hurdles.


Flyin' Frogs On All-Region Squad

14 TCU track and field athletes were honored on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's as part of the 2008 Midwest Regional squad.


Kishelle Paul, a junior from Georgia, earned all-region honors after claiming the regional championship in the women's 400-meter hurdles last Saturday, while senior Virgil Hodge led TCU, collecting honors individually in both the 100 and 200 meters.


Jessica Clarke posted all-region honors individually in the women's 400 meters. The junior, who has the No. 7 time in the NCAA this spring, posted a time of 53.62 to finish in seventh-place at the Midwest Regional.


Paul along with Clarke, La'Quinta Ross and Shekila Wilkinson were honored after finishing fourth in the women's 4x400.


Finally, Candis Kelley earned recognition on the squad by tossing the shot put 50 feet, 4 1/2 inches to finish in eighth-place in Lincoln.


On the men's side, the Flyin' Frogs Otis McDaniel and Mychal Dungey claimed all-region honors in the 200 meters. McDaniel a junior crossed the finish line in fifth-place with a time of 20.86 seconds, while Dungey just missed an automatic berth, placing sixth overall with a time of 20.91 to make the squad.


In the 100 meters, junior Andon Mitchell was honored on the all-region team after automatically qualifying for nationals with a seasonal best time of 10.30 seconds. Freshman Matthew Love collected his first all-region honor of his career by turning in a seasonal best time of 46.46 in the men's 400 meters to record an eighth-place finish.


Mitchell, McDaniel, Dungey and Clemore Henry were all honored on the regional squad after clocking a seasonal best time of 39.70 in the 4x100 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.


In the 5,000 meters, sophomore Festus Kigen claimed all-region recognition after crossing the finish line in Lincoln in eighth-place with a time of 14:07.51.


In the field events, seniors Joe Brown and Jonathan Jackson were honored in the javelin and triple jump, respectively. Brown, who recorded a fifth-place finish and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships, made the squad by crushing his own school record in the men's javelin. Jackson earned recognition by earning runner-up honors in the men's triple jump by soaring 54 feet, 3 1/4 inches.


Representation on All-Conference Squad

After winning 15 of the 27 events on the final day of competition at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships in Fort Worth, the TCU track and field team was honored by the league with the announcement of the conferences Men's and Women's All-MWC Outdoor team.


As announced by the league office, TCU had 22 student-athletes named to the Mountain West Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field team. Following a second-place finish the men's team had 13 honorees, while the women's team had nine selections after placing fourth overall.


In total, TCU's women's team had all-conference selections in nine events, while the men's team had all-conference selections in 12 different events.


Headlining TCU's selections were TCU juniors Kishelle Paul and Jessica Clarke, who both made the squad four times. Otis McDaniel and Virgil Hodge both were honored three times, while Andon Mitchell, Clemore Henry, Festus Kigen Jonathan Jackson, Matthew Love, Jordan Pitts, Justyn Warner, Mychal Dungey and La'Quinta Ross were all-conference selections in two events. Finally, earning recognition for a single event were Che Chavez, Joe Brown, Dell Guy, Sean Zurko, Candis Kelley, JimAnne Hejny, Neidra Covington, Stormy Harrison and Shekila Wilkinson.


Paul, who collected third-place honors in the 100-meter hurdles, earned runner-up honors in the 400-meter hurdles by breaking the previous complex record in the event. Clarke was honored for winning the women's 400 meters with the fifth-fastest time in championship history, as well as placing second in the 200 meters. Both Flyin' Frogs were part of relay squads that finished first overall for the second-consecutive year.


McDaniel had a solid outing as he won the conference title in the 200 meters, while also posting runner-up honors in the 100 meters. Hodge, who set a new St. Kitts national record in the 100, closed out her MWC career in style as she clocked a new personal best time of 11.21 seconds in the 100 meters to claim her third-straight conference outdoor title. She also won her third-straight 200-meter championship title.


Overall, TCU had five athletes honored in the 200, four in the 100, three in the 400 and triple jump, two in the shot put and one in the 1,500, 5,000, long jump and javelin. In addition, all four relays and hurdle events were honored with all-conference recognition.


TCU In The MWC

For the season, TCU had the top mark posted in 13 different events in the Mountain West, including all four relays. All in all, the Purple and White have seven of the top marks posted on the men's side and six for the women.


Overall, the Flyin' Frogs have the top times in the 100, 200, 110m high hurdles, 4x100, 4x400, triple jump and long jump on the men's side. The Purple and White women claim the top spot in the 100, 200, triple jump, 400m hurdles, 4x100 and 4x400.


Up Next

The 2008 Olympic Trials will take place in Eugene, Ore., in late June.  









 




 












			

			
			

					
					
			
				

				

	

	
 

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