June 10, 2003
The TCU men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held in Sacramento, California, June 11-14. The Frogs will be represented at the national meet by Jabari Fields, Michael Frater and Monica Twum in the 100 meter dash; Kandis Bell and Donita Harmon in the 200 meter dash; Brandon Simpson in the 400 meter dash; Jackson Langat in the 800 meter run; Reggie Harrell in the 110-meter high hurdles; Chris Peoples in the high jump; Aundre Edwards in the long jump; Brandal Lawrence in the triple jump; and both the men's and women's 4x100 meter relay teams.
"I was pleased with our performances at the regional meet," said Head Coach Monte Stratton. "Health is a major issue for us at the national meet. We hope we can keep it together to compete in the men's 4x1. Our 4x4 unit, which had a chance to win at nationals, had three of the six eligible runners injured. We were unable to compete at the regional meet and were denied entry into the national meet, so that's a disappointment. I think our women's 4x1 will have a strong performance at nationals and hopefully we can finish in the top three in that event."
The Horned Frog men will go into the national meet expected to tie for 15th place in the nation with 17 points at the meet, according to the latest Trackwire.com poll, released June 5. Trackwire predicts a fourth and fifth place finish from Michael Frater (5 points) and Jabari Fields (4 points) in the 100 meter dash, a fifth place finish from Brandon Simpson (4 points) in the 400 meter dash, a sixth place finish by the men's 4x100 meter relay team (3 points) and an eighth place finish from Aundre Edwards (1 point) in the long jump. They also predict a 10th place finish from Jackson Langat in the 800 meter run. On the women's side, TCU's 4x100 meter relay team is tabbed to place eighth, while Monica Twum is 12th on the "Dandy Dozen" list in the 100 meter dash.
The TCU women's 4x100 meter relay team is expected to make a change in their foursome for the NCAA Championships. Freshman Kandis Bell is slated to replace senior Tiffany Starts on the third leg of the relay, joining sophomore La' Toya White, freshman Donita Harmon and senior Monica Twum on the unit. The Frogs enter the meet with the sixth fastest time in the nation at 44.00 seconds. Last year, TCU earned all-America status by placing eighth in the event at the NCAA meet. White, Starts and Twum were on that relay along with Chaunte Baldwin. However, Twum was injured during the preliminary rounds and was replaced by Heather Hanchak in the finals.
CBS is slated to televise the NCAA Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in taped-delay fashion on Saturday, June 21 starting at 3pm EST.
Here are updated bios on TCU's declared athletes:
Cleavon Dillon
Sophomore * 4x100 Relay
All-American long jumper who ran the second leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad... that relay qualified for the national meet by placing third in the Midwest Regional with a season-best time of 39.33 seconds... placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the long jump in 2002.
Aundre Edwards
Junior * Long Jump
All-American long jumper who is tied for the fifth best mark in the nation with a best leap of 7.99 meters (26-02.75) on two occasions - April 19 at the TCU Invitational and April 25 at the Penn Relays - both resulting in gold medals... won the Conference USA championships with a leap of 7.60 meters... finished second in the Midwest Region with a jump of 7.91 meters (25-11.50)... ranked eighth on Trackwire.com's "Dandy Dozen"... placed fifth at the 2002 NCAA outdoor meet with a jump of 7.85 meters... placed 11th at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships with a mark of 7.59 meters after winning the C-USA indoor title with a jump of 7.78 meters... is the school indoor record holder with a jump of 7.87 meters.
Jabari Fields
Junior * 100m/4x100 Relay
Junior sprint specialist who will compete in the 100 and as the leadoff leg on the 4x1 relay... is tied for the ninth fastest 100 time in the nation with a mark of 10.22 seconds, recorded in the prelims at the Midwest Regional meet... won the Conference USA title in 10.25 seconds... also won the C-USA 200 with a time of 20.59... listed fifth on Trackwire.com's "Dandy Dozen" in the 100 meters... ran the third leg on TCU's silver medal winning 4x4 relay squad at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, earning all-America distinction.
Michael Frater
Junior * 100m/4x100 Relay
Junior all-American sprinter who has battled injuries throughout the outdoor season but has really come on strong of late... suffered a hamstring injury while finishing fifth in the 2003 NCAA Indoor Champion-ships at 60 meters and did not compete during the outdoor season until the conference meet... placed second in the C-USA 100 meters with a time of 10.26 seconds... also ran the anchor leg on TCU's silver medal-winning 4x1 relay... turned in his best time of the season, 10.13 seconds, which ranks fifth on the descending order list, in the Midwest Region prelims... was the regional 100-meter dash champion with a time of 10.38 into a slight headwind... listed fourth on Trackwire's "Dandy Dozen" in the 100 meters... placed fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100 a season ago... owns the Frogs' fifth-fastest 100 meters in history (10.05)... is also a first team academic all-district selection with a 3.49 GPA in political science.
Reggie Harrell
Sophomore * 110m Hurdles
Attends TCU on a football scholarship and is projected as a starting wide receiver on the gridiron this fall... is the Conference USA champion in both the indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 110-meter hurdles... owns the nation's 19th best time (13.74), set while winning the C-USA outdoor title... placed fifth in the Midwest Region, logging a prelim time of 13.84 and a finals time of 13.93 to earn a trip to Sacramento... did not compete in track a year ago... was the 2001 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in both indoor and outdoor track... was the only freshman to reach the national semifinals in the high hurdles in 2001... best outdoor time is 13.73.
Jerry Harris
Junior * 4x100 Relay
Major disappointment when he suffered a hamstring injury in the 4x100 relay prelims at the Midwest Regional meet... was the only Frog slated to compete in three events during the regional meet, but was unable to run in the 400, the finals of the 4x1 or in the 4x4 relay... went into the regional meet with the seventh fastest time in the region in the 400 with a mark of 46.13 seconds... finished second in the C-USA Championships with a time of 46.22... earned all-America status after running the anchor leg on TCU's silver medal winning 4x400 meter relay team at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March... finished 10th at the NCAA indoor meet in the 400.
Jackson Langat
Sophomore * 800m
Owns the 12th fastest time in the nation at 800 meters with a season-best mark of 1:48.21, set while placing third at the Midwest Region meet... was the Conference USA champion at both 800 and 1500 meters... is a two-time all-American after placing sixth in the 2003 indoor 800 meters (1:48.50) and running the second leg on TCU's silver medal winning 4x400 meter relay squad... ranked 10th on Trackwire's "Dandy Dozen" at 800 meters... has captured the gold medal in four of five individual events and both relays in which he's competed in 2003.
Brandal Lawrence
Senior * Triple Jump
The Conference USA champion during both the indoor and outdoor season in the triple jump... he won five conference triple jump titles during his collegiate career... ranks 25th in the nation with a best mark of 15.79 meters (51-09.75), set while placing fourth at the region meet... won the conference indoor meet with a jump of 15.82 meters and the outdoor crown with a jump of 15.49 meters... career best marks are a school-record 15.97 meters indoors and 15.88 meters outdoors... placed 11th at the indoor national meet in 2002.
CHRIS PEOPLES
Sophomore * High Jump
A late-addition to the TCU track team, has competed in just three events during his collegiate career... attends TCU on a football scholarship and plays safety for the nationally-ranked squad... finished fourth in the TCU Invitational with a jump of 2.02 meters, then exploded on the scene with a school record jump of 2.22 meters (7-03.25) at the Conference USA Championships, to place second... that mark ranks tied for eighth in the nation... cleared 2.08 meters at the Midwest Regional championships.
TYRONE SANDERS
Junior * 4x100 Relay
Another excellent athlete who is attending TCU on a football scholarship... listed as a starting cornerback on the Horned Frog football team... joined the track team following spring ball and has competed in three meets, the TCU Invitational the Conference USA Outdoor Championships and the Midwest Regional... placed seventh at the C-USA meet in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.54... considered an alternate on the Frogs' 4x1 relay squad, but was asked to step into the third leg at the regional meet with the injury to Jerry Harris and helped TCU to its fastest time of the season, 39.33 seconds, which ranks fifth in the nation this season.
Brandon Simpson
Junior * 400m
Standout quartermiler who ranks third in the nation with a season-best time of 45.25, set while finishing third at the Midwest Region... turned in a 45.65 clocking while winning the Conference USA outdoor title... ranked fifth on Trackwire's "Dandy Dozen" at 400 meters... ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x400 meter relay unit at both the Penn Relays and C-USA Championships... was an NCAA finalist in the 400 a year ago while competing at George Mason, but was disqualified by a false start... earned all-America honors during the indoor season when he ran the leadoff leg on TCU's silver medal winning 4x400 meter relay squad.
David Spencer
Senior * 4x100 Relay
Senior who has battled injuries for much of the past two seasons... missed the entire 2002 campaign with an Achilles' injury... ran the leadoff leg on the 4x100 meter relay unit that placed third at the Penn Relays and second at the Conference USA meet... ran the second leg on TCU's national champion 4x100 meter relay squad in 2001, earning all-America status.
Kandis Bell
Freshman * 200m/4x100 Relay
Freshman who competed in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the regional meet... will compete at in the nationals at 200 meters and expected to take over the third leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad... owns the nation's 15th fastest time in the 200 meters (23.24), set at the Midwest Region prelims... placed eighth at both the Conference USA and Midwest Region meets in the 200.
Donita Harmon
Freshman * 200m/4x100 Relay
Standout freshman sprinter who ranks tied for 12th in the nation in the 200 meters with a season-best mark of 23.17 seconds, set in the Midwest Region prelims... placed sixth in the Midwest Region finals at 200 meters with a time of 23.74... finished second in the Conference USA meet with a mark of 23.37... placed 16th at the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 200 with a time of 23.73... also will run the second leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad.
Tiffany Starts
Senior * 4x100m Relay
Senior sprinter who has run the third leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad during the entire outdoor season... helped the Frogs to the gold medal in the 4x1 at the Midwest Regional Meet with a time of 44.10... earned all-America honors last season when she ran the same leg on the relay team that placed eighth at the national meet.
Monica Twum
Senior * 100m/4x100m Relay
The last hurrah for one of the most decorated female sprinters in recent TCU history... three-time all-American will compete in the 100 meter dash and carry the baton on the anchor leg of TCU's 4x100 meter relay... placed second in the Midwest Region in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.51 into a slight headwind after running an 11.31 in the prelims... also helped TCU capture the regional title in the 4x1 (44.10)... ranks 12th in the nation in the 100 with a season-best mark of 11.29 seconds, set at the TCU Invitational... won the Conference USA title in the 100 with a time of 11.47 seconds... also finished fourth in the conference at 200 meters... was a member of TCU's eighth-place 4x100 meter relay team at the NCAA outdoor meet a year ago... placed sixth in the NCAA indoor meet at 60 meters and seventh in the outdoor 100 during the 2001 season.
La' Toya White
Sophomore * 4x100m Relay
Sophomore sprinter will run as the leadoff leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad... helped that unit to the regional title, winning the event in 44.10, just one-tenth of a second off the season's fastest time... also competed in the region meet in the 100 meter dash... ran the leadoff leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay unit that placed eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships a year ago, earning an all-America certificate.
