TUCSON, ARIZONA, May 14–16 — For local fans looking for some star power from the host Wildcats at the Big 12 Championships, speedster Mason Lawyer was there to provide it.
The Arizona senior swept the 100 and 200, first edging Houston’s Louie Hinchliffe, 9.93w to 9.97w, as a big 3.9 gust pushed them both under 10 seconds. In the 200 later that night, he didn’t need the wind to smash the meet record, dashing 20.02 (-0.1) to win by 0.16 over Baylor’s Laurenz Colbert.
But while Lawyer took those sprint battles for the hosts, Texas Tech won the war. Proving you don’t need a lot of individual victories to win conference titles, they got it done with more depth than anyone else and continued their recent domination of the Big 12. The Red Raiders only captured two of 21 events — as many as Lawyer — but defended their crown decisively anyway, thanks to scoring in 17 events.
Their 127-point tally was 26 markers clear of host Arizona (101), while Houston was 3rd (87.33) as just 5 points separated the Cougars, Kansas State, Iowa State and BYU. It was the third straight outdoor title for the Red Raiders and also completed an indoor/outdoor season sweep.
Lawyer’s double was significant enough for the hosts that a Wildcats Radio interviewer invoked Arizona alum Olympic medalist (and 5-time NFL Pro-Bowler) Michael Bates, the last from the school to win a 100/200 conference double in 1991 — back when they were in the Pac-12.
“That’s a big name to follow, to do something that he’s done,” said Lawyer, in his first year in Tucson after transferring from Washington State.
Meanwhile, Tech was led by Kenyan distance standout Titus Kimaru and hurdle/sprint star Malachi Snow. Kimaru captured Friday’s steeple in 8:32.85, then added some clinching points with his 3rd-place finish in the 5000 (13:52.17) — won by Oklahoma State’s Will Muirhead.
Snow, whose 60 dash/60H double had sparked the Red Raiders to their indoor title, rocketed to a windy 13.08 (3.8) triumph over Baylor’s Demario Prince (13.14). That moved the junior to No. 9 on the all-conditions collegiate all-time list. All of that came after his top-seeded 4 x 100 was beaten by Hinchliffe and Houston earlier. “I’m just trying to execute and win races,” said Snow.
“We had kind of an up-and-down meet, for both men and women,” said Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley. “But we just really showed some grit today and I couldn’t be more proud.”
One tough defeat Tech had to overcome was in the triple jump, where NCAA leader Jonathan Seremes, the 2-time NCAA indoor champ and transfer from Missouri, was upset by Kansas State’s soph from India, Selva Prabhu. Right after he bounded a legal, 5th-round 56-1 (17.09), Prabhu rode a 4.6 breeze for a monster all-conditions PR 56-4¾ (17.19).
It was the second big horizontal jump win for K-State after junior Tafadzwa Chikomba, 3rd at NCAA Indoor, hit a collegiate-leader and his first career 27-footer Friday, 27-1¾ (8.27) to overcome Tech’s Zaid Latif at 26-4¼ (8.03).
But Tech’s depth was perhaps most on display in the pole vault, where they went 3-4-6 with frosh Jackson Bragg, Sean Gribble and Sam Hurley — behind the Kansas 1-2 punch of Anthony Meacham and Bryce Barkdull.
Meanwhile, the hosts also got wins from Tyler Michelini in the shot at 65-4 (19.91) — followed by teammate Sam Hala’Ufia in 2nd — and Jett Kinder in the jav at 229-9 (70.02).
BYU picked up two distance wins, starting with Thursday’s 10K as Creed Thompson came from 3 seconds down to catch Oklahoma State’s Denis Kipngetich in the final lap with a 61.06 closer for a 29:20.31 triumph. Two days later, Carter Cutting sprinted 51.48 off a very slow 1500 pace for the 3:58.63 victory.
Arizona State notched victories in the 400 and 800, as Big 12 indoor champ Jayden Davis was the only man under 45 at 44.98, then senior Dayton Carlson finished best at twice the distance with a 1:46.07 winner.
BIG 12 MEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Texas Tech 127; 2. Arizona 101; 3. Houston 87⅓; 4. Kansas State 83⅓; 5. Iowa State 82½; 6. BYU 82⅓;
7. Oklahoma State 62; 8. Kansas 49½; 9. Arizona State 39; 10. Baylor 37; 11. TCU 27; 12. Cincinnati 24; 13. Colorado 17.
100(3.9): 1. Mason Lawyer (Az) 9.93w; 2. Louie Hinchliffe’ (Hous-GB) 9.97w; 3. Dakari Charlton (Hous) 10.11w.
200(-0.1): 1. Lawyer 20.02; 2. Laurenz Colbert (Bay) 20.18; 3. Charlton 20.28; 4. *Jaelyn Reeves-Lile (Hous) 20.35.
400: 1. *Jayden Davis (AzSt) 44.98; 2. **Brian Tinega’ (TxT-Ken) 45.25; 3. **Tavon Underwood (KsSt) 45.30; 4. **Ronnie Kendrick (TCU) 45.45.
800: 1. Dayton Carlson (AzSt) 1:46.07; 2. Hafez Mahadi’ (OkSt-Qat) 1:46.64; 3. ***Kyzer Dunbar (TxT) 1:46.90.
1500: 1. *Carter Cutting (BYU) 3:58.63; 2. Emanuel Galdino (IaSt) 3:59.21; 3. ***Lawi Ngetich’ (Az-Ken) 3:59.27.
St: 1. **Titus Kimaru’ (TxT-Ken) 8:32.85; 2. **Joash Ruto’ (IaSt-Ken) 8:35.51; 3. *Kole Mathison (Co) 8:38.78.
5000: 1. Will Muirhead (OkSt) 13:49.19; 2. **Robin Kwemoi Bera’ (IaSt-Ken) 13:51.61; 3. Kimaru’ 13:52.17.
10,000: 1. Creed Thompson (BYU) 29:20.31; 2. *Denis Kipngetich’ (OkSt-Ken) 29:23.30; 3. Sanele Masondo’ (IaSt-SA) 29:29.53.
110H(3.8): 1. *Malachi Snow (TxT) 13.08w (a-c: 9, x C);
2. *Demario Prince’ (Bay-Jam) 13.14w; 3. *John Paredes’ (Az-Col) 13.47w; 4. Joel Nyatusah (TxT) 13.47w.
400H: 1. *Jayden Douglas (TCU) 49.32; 2. *Danny Tragarz (Co) 49.84; 3. Sean Dixon (TxT) 50.05; 4. Yan Vazquez’ (Az-PR) 50.10.
4 x 100: 1. Houston 38.51 (Mulholland, Aigboboh, Charlton, Hinchliffe);
2. Arizona 38.62; 3. Texas Tech 38.90; 4. Baylor 39.38.
4 x 400: I–1. BYU 3:03.71; 3. Kansas State 3:04.20; 4. Cincinnati 3:04.52 (Lloyd 44.60). II–1. Baylor 3:02.90 (Spencer’, Franklin, Hashmi, Honeyman); 2. Houston 3:04.18.
HJ: 1. *Antrea Mita’ (Hous-Gre) 7-5 (2.26); 2. Sam Hurley (TxT) 7-2½ (2.20); 3. tie, ***Tyson Seeser (IaSt) & **Kierson Wicks (Ks) 7-1 (2.16).
PV: 1. Anthony Meacham (Ks) 18-5½ (5.63); 2. **Bryce Barkdull (Ks) 18-1¾ (5.53); 3. ***Jackson Bragg (TxT) 17-9¾ (5.43).
LJ: 1. *Tafadzwa Chikomba’ (KsSt-Zim) 27-1¾ (8.27); 2. *Zaid Latif’ (TxT-Mor) 26-4¼ (8.03); 3. **Uroy Ryan’ (KsSt-StV) 26-¾ (7.94).
TJ: 1. **Selva Prabhu’ (KsSt-Ind) 56-4¾w (17.19); 2. **Jonathan Seremes’ (TxT-Fra) 56-1 (17.09); 3. ***Antone Smith (Az) 55-7 (16.94).
SP: 1. *Tyler Michelini (Az) 65-4 (19.91); 2. *Sam Hala’Ufia (Az) 63-2¼ (19.26).
DT: 1. Canaan Wharry (Hous) 191-10 (58.49); 2. Bryant 190-7 (58.08); 3. *Ricardo Hayles’ (KsSt-Jam) 189-9 (57.84).
HT: 1. Orry Willems’ (Cinc-Bel) 225-2 (68.65); 2. Gary Moore (KsSt) 220-6 (67.22).
JT: 1. Jett Kinder (Az) 229-9 (70.02); 2. *Riley Marx (KsSt) 225-6 (68.75); 3. Justice Miller (IaSt) 223-6 (68.12).
Dec: 1. John Swabik (Ks) 7819; 2. ***Dorian Charles’ (KsSt-Tri) 7748; 3. Steven Schmidt (OkSt) 7729.
