LAWRENCE, KANSAS, May 15–17 — Just one of the headliners at the Big 12 Championships, BYU senior Meghan Hunter stunned in the 800 with a 1:58.99 breakthrough. “I saw the time [with 200 left] and thought, I still feel good, I’m going to do it. I’m going to break 2:00. How far under can I go?”
A powerful drive coming off the last turn saw her extend her lead to 10 meters as she became the No. 3 collegian ever. Her PR before the start was the 2:00.67 she ran in Provo earlier in the month.
Baylor’s Alexis Brown also moved to No. 3 among collegians with her opening long jump of 23-¾ (7.03), with just a faint 0.4 wind at her back. The world-leading mark also ties her for No. 8 among Americans, as she is the 14th American to better the 7-meter barrier. “That was big for her,” said Bears coach Michael Ford.
The Texas Tech women won their first-ever Big 12 title, outscoring BYU, 127–112½. The Red Raiders won four events, led by thrower Shelby Frank, who took the hammer with a meet record 230-10 (70.37) and then captured the discus with a 203-10 (62.14).
Sophomore Temitope Adeshina captured the high jump with a third-attempt clearance at 6-5½ (1.97), tying her own Nigerian record. The NCAA Indoor champion then went out after three shots at 6-6¾ (2.00). Teammate Victoria Gorlova got the Raiders’ remaining win in the triple jump (44-9¾/13.66).
Said Tech coach Wes Kittley, whose teams captured both men’s and women’s titles, “It’s probably one of the highlights of our whole coaching career here, to win four in one year. It’s so hard to do to win one. To be able to do it with the men and the women together, what a special year for our women, because they really got over the hump after getting close for so many years.”
TCU frosh Indya Mayberry scored the only double win in the running events, taking the 100 in 11.03 and the 200 in 22.47.
Iowa State junior Rachel Joseph took the lead on the final turn of the 400 and ran away to win in 50.81, just short of the best she set in the Trials semis last summer.
Lexy Halladay-Lowry showed her dominance over the 5000 field, the BYU senior winning by more than 15 seconds in 15:14.93 over Oklahoma State frosh Isca Chelangat (15:31.35).
In the 100 hurdles, Central Florida’s Adaobi Tabugbo impressed, hitting 12.87 with a 0.9 wind to take the measure of Texas Tech’s Destiny Smith. It was the first legal performance under 13.00 for the Nigerian senior.
Safhia Hinds, a junior at Kansas State by way of Jamaica and South Plains JC, outran Calisha Taylor of Baylor in the 400 hurdles, 55.90–56.10.
BIG 12 WOMEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Texas Tech 127; 2. BYU 112½; 3. TCU 86; 4. Baylor 84½; 5. Kansas 55.83; 6. Oklahoma State 52½.
100(1.8): 1. ***Indya Mayberry (TCU) 11.03; 2. Alexis Brown (Bay) 11.08; 3. Iyana Gray (TCU) 11.15; 4. I’Asia Wilson (UCF) 11.21.
200(0.8): 1. Mayberry 22.47; 2. *Tiriah Kelley (Bay) 22.64; 3. Gray 22.91; 4. *Kya Epps (Cinc) 22.98.
400: 1. *Rachel Joseph (IaSt) 50.81; 2. Sami Oblad (BYU) 51.87; 3. *Mekenze Kelley (TxT) 52.15; 4. **Pearl Awanya’ (Ks-Gha) 52.36.
800: 1. Meghan Hunter (BYU) 1:58.99 (3, 6 C);
2. *Fanny Arendt’ (TxT-Lux) 2:00.91; 3. **Emmaculate Jemutai’ (Ks-Ken) 2:01.83; 4. *Makayla Clark (IaSt) 2:02.14.
1500: 1. Jemutai’ 4:08.60; 2. *Carlee Hansen (BYU) 4:08.70; 3. *Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 4:09.49; 4. *Erin Vringer’ (Ut-Can) 4:10.23.
St: 1. Sarah Tait’ (WV-GB) 9:44.72; 2. **Taylor Lovell (BYU) 9:49.54; 3. ***Ebba Cronholm’ (Ks-Swe) 10:00.55; 4. *Elizabeth Dildine (BYU) 10:09.59; 5. ***Nelah Roberts (BYU) 10:10.31; 6. **Raygan Peterson (BYU) 10:10.38.
5000: 1. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 15:14.93; 2. ***Isca Chelangat (OkSt) 15:31.35; 3. *Maelle Porcher’ (IaSt-Fra) 15:32.59; 4. *Jenna Hutchins (BYU) 15:36.14.
10,000: 1. ***Joy Naukot’ (WV-Ken) 33:30.84; 2. Morgan Jensen (Ut) 33:47.03; 3. **Abbey Nechanicky (Co) 33:51.54; 4. Destiny Everett (BYU) 33:53.52.
100H(0.9): 1. Adaobi Tabugbo’ (UCF-Ngr) 12.87; 2. Destiny Smith (TxT) 13.09; 3. **Amari Kiluvia (TCU) 13.10; 4. ***Macaela Walker (Cinc) 13.13; 5. *Kaycee McCoy (Hous) 13.27.
400H: 1. *Safhia Hinds (KsSt) 55.90; 2. Calisha Taylor’ (Bay-Jam) 56.10; 3. **Amelliah Birdow (TCU) 56.11; 4. *Antonia Sanchez Nunez’ (Az-Mex) 56.23.
4 x 100: 1. Baylor 42.73 (Kelley, Lowe, Brown, Francois); 2. TCU 43.09; 3. UCF 43.74; 4. Utah 44.05; 5. Arizona 44.13.
4 x 400: I–1. Iowa State 3:33.83. II–1. UCF 3:33.62 (Pulliam, Johnson, Harris, Newberry); 2. Arizona 3:33.88; 3. TCU 3:34.63; 4. Baylor 3:35.00.
Field Events
HJ: 1. **Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-5½ (1.97) (out CL) (x, =9 C);
2. **Sharie Enoe’ (KsSt-Jam) 6-2 (1.88); 3. **Claire Lowrey (TxT) 5-11½ (1.82).
PV: 1. **Molly Haywood (Bay) 14-10 (4.52); 2. **Mason Meinershagen (Ks) 14-1¾ (4.31); 3. Rebekah Erikson (BYU) 14-1¾.
LJ: 1. Alexis Brown (Bay) 23-¾ (7.03) (CL) (=3, =3 C) (23-¾, 22-10, f, p, p, p) (7.03, 6.96, f, p, p, p);
2. ***Janae De Gannes’ (Bay-Tri) 21-3½ (6.49); 3. Victoria Gorlova’ (TxT-Rus) 21-0w (6.40) (20-11¾/6.39); 4. **Alexandria Johnson (AzSt) 21-0w.
TJ: 1. Gorlova’ 44-9¾ (13.66); 2. **Tamiah Washington (TxT) 44-8¾ (13.63); 3. Busola Akinduro’ (TxT-Can) 44-7 (13.59).
SP: 1. KeAyla Dove (Hous) 59-6¼ (18.14); 2. Gretchen Hoekstre (BYU) 57-3½ (17.46).
DT: 1. Shelby Frank (TxT) 203-10 (62.14); 2. Amanda Ngandu-Ntumba’ (Cinc-Fra) 194-10 (59.38); 3. Zoe Burleson (TxT) 193-2 (58.89).
HT: 1. Shelby Frank (TxT) 230-10 (70.37); 2. Emma Robbins (OkSt) 226-1 (68.92); 3. Monique Hardy (KsSt) 223-4 (68.07).
JT: 1. **Irene Jepkemboi’ (TCU-Ken) 188-11 (57.59); 2. **Erin Tack (Az) 178-4 (54.37); 3. Maria Bienvenu (TCU) 173-7 (52.92).
Hept: 1. *Annie Molenhouse (OkSt) 5729; 2. **Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Cinc) 5551; 3. Olivija Vaitaityte’ (OkSt-Lit) 5509.
