TCU’s indoor track and field season concluded on Saturday at the Big 12 Championships, a meet that was filled with career-highs, season-bests and a trio of conference titles.
Destiny Longmire kicked off the meet Friday being crowned conference champion in the women’s long jump.
Entering the meet ranked 10th nationally, Longmire set a new personal-best with a 6.39 meter jump. No one was able to top her, and she took home the title in her first Big 12 Championship. She had previously won a conference title while competing in the Mountain West
TCU had another top-five finisher in the women’s long jump, as Chyna Ries finished fourth with a career high 6.17 meter jump. She had spent the winter battling injuries and made her debut at the championships.
“I’m really excited for the long jump girls,” head coach Darryl Anderson said. “Anytime you come in and win a title in the Big 12 it says a lot, and for Destiny to come in and jump nearly 21 feet says a lot.”
Following the lead of the long jumpers, sophomore Chengetayi Mapaya won the men’s triple jump title.
Entering the meet, Mapaya was the sixth-ranked triple jumper in the conference but came out on top this weekend with a new school record jump of 16.83 meters.
Finishing out the trio of winners was Lily Beckford, who won the women’s 600-yard.
Beckford ran a time of 1:19.97 in the prelims on Friday afternoon. She brought this momentum into the finals the following day, where she improved her time to 1:19.69, which was the top time in the Big 12 this season.
Also with noteworthy performances on Friday were TCU’s pole vaulters. Both Adam McAdoo and Kendahl Shue broke their own school record. McAdoo set a 5.08m for the men, while Shue improved the women’s record to 3.88m.
In the men’s 600-yard, Derrick Mokaleng took second place with a school-record time of 1:07.75. Jostyn Andrews also placed, taking sixth with a career-best time of 1:09.51.
With the indoor season coming to an end, the Frogs will refocus their attention as they transition to the 2019 outdoor track and field season.
Anderson said the playing field is even now that all teams will move practices outside. One barrier TCU struggles with during the indoor season is the lack of a training facility, but this gives them an advantage in the outdoor season.
“We’re always without a roof, and now, heading into outdoors, everyone is going to be without a roof,” said Anderson. “Some of the other schools have indoor facilities as well for when it’s cold. If you don’t have one, you work with what you have. Texas weather is bipolar, and this season was brutal on our training. That’s the reality of it. But now everyone is moving outside, and we all have to deal with the same environment.”
Those who qualified will advance to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship March 8-9. Those who did not will focus on the Frogs’ first meet of the 2019 outdoor track and field season, which is set to take place on Saturday, March 16 when they host the TCU Invitational.
