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May 30, 1997

Red Raiders Ready for NCAA Outdoor Championships

The Texas Tech track and field teams will head for Bloomington, Ind. this week to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Making the trip will be sophomore Amber Affeldt, freshmen Josephus Howard and Desmond Johnson, sophomore Scott Jesko, junior Leon Gordon and seniors Dion Miller and Quent Bearden.

Affeldt, the current Big 12 Champion in the 800 meters will be making her first trip to the national meet. She qualified for the competition after clocking a school record setting time of 2:05.88 in the 800 meters at the Gatorade Invitational. At the Big 12 Championships in Waco, Affeldt won 800 meters with a time of 2:06.90.

On the men's side, freshman Josephus Howard will compete in three events. It marks the first time in school history that one track athlete has competed in the national meet in three events. The 1997 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Howard is the current Big 12 Champion in the 200 meters. He also was runner-up in the 100 meters and was part of the 400 meter relay that took second place at the conference meet. Howard qualified for the meet in the 200 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays where he ran a 20.53. His 100 meters qualifying time came at the Texas Tech Invitational, when he ran a 10.26. Howard will also run on the sprint relay squad, which qualified at the Mt. SAC Relays when they ran a 39.51.

Former Olympian Leon Gordon will run for the Red Raiders in the 100 meters. His qualifying time was set at the Texas Invitational, where he clocked a 10.31. Gordon will also run on the 400 meter relay.

The current school record holder in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters will also run in the 400 meters at the NCAA meet. Desmond Johnson finished fifth in the quarter at the Big 12 Championships and he also improved his qualifying time. Johnson ran a 45.85. He will also run on Tech's sprint relay.

Senior Quent Bearden ran his season best and NCAA qualifying time of 1:48.83 in the 800 meters at the LSU Last Chance Meet. He finished fourth at the Big 12 Championships with a 1:50.78.

The fourth sprinter on the 400 relay is senior Dion Miller. He ran a season best 10.46 in the 100 meters and finished sixth in the event at the Big 12 Championships.

Scott Jesko will also travel to Bloomington as an alternate on the sprint relay squad. His best 100 meters time this season was a 10.52.

Texas Tech Competitors - NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships: The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will get underway on Wednesday, June 4 and wrap up on Saturday, June 7. Here is a look at when members of the Texas Tech track team are scheduled to compete. 

Wednesday, June 4
Time      Event (Round)             Competitors (Season Best)
2:40 p.m. 400-Meter Relay (Semis)   Leon Gordon, Josephus Howard, 
                                    Dion Miller, Scott Jesko (39.51)
3:25 p.m. 800-Meters (Semis)        Amber Affeldt (2:05.88)
3:35 p.m. 800-Meters (Semis)        Quent Bearden (1:48.83)
5 p.m.    200-Meters (Trials)       Josephus Howard (20.53)
Thursday, June 5
Time      Event (Round)             Competitors (Season Best)
3:50 p.m. 400-Meters (Semis)        Desmond Johnson (45.85)
4:20 p.m. 100-Meters (Trials)       Josephus Howard (10.26), Leon Gordon (10.31)
Friday, June 6
Time      Event
3 p.m.    400-Meter Relay (M) Final
3:45 p.m. 100-Meter Dash (M) Semis
3:55 p.m. 800-Meter Run (W) Final
4:05 p.m. 800-Meter Run (M) Final
5:40 p.m. 200-Meter Dash (M) Semis
Saturday, June 7
Time      Event
3:30 p.m. 400-Meter Dash (M) Final
4 p.m.    100-Meter Dash (M) Final
4:40 p.m. 200-Meter Dash (M) Final
6 p.m.    Awards Ceremony

Making their mark - Red Raiders season notes

  • Amber Affeldt holds the school's second fastest time in the 400 meters. Her mark of 54.43 was set at the Texas Tech Invitational on March 15.
  • Affeldt's time of 2:05.88 in the 800 meters is a school record. It also provided her with a first place finish at the Gatorade Invitational in Miami, Fla. The mark is also a provisionally qualifying time.
  • At the LSU Last Chance Meet, senior Quent Bearden ran his season best with a 1:48.83 in the 800 meters.
  • The Sprint Medley Relay team broke a 17 year record when they ran a 3:16.70 at the Mt. SAC Relays.
  • Josephus Howard will be competing in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 200 meters. His automatic qualifying time of 20.53 was set at the Mt. SAC Relays.
  • Accompanying Howard at the NCAA meet will be fellow freshman Desmond Johnson. His time of 46.41 in the 400 meters was set at the Mt. SAC Relays.
  • Desmond Johnson is the current school record holder in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters. He captured the outdoor crown at the Big 12 Conference Meet when he broke Jimmy Jones' time of 46.02 (set in 1986) with a mark of 45.85.
  • The Red Raider's 4x100 meter relay team has qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships, however the team hopes to better their time this weekend. Their mark of 39.51 was set at the Mt. SAC Relays.
  • The 200 meter school record is close to being erased. Howard's time of 20.53 is about as close as one can get to breaking the school mark of 20.52. That time was set in 1990 by David Shephard.

Big 12 Conference Meet - Texas Tech teams takes big strides in Waco: The Red Raiders claimed their first Big 12 Outdoor Champions when freshman Josephus "Pap" Howard won the 200 meters and sophomore Amber Affeldt took home the 800 meter crown. That, along with several other stellar performances, helped make Tech's first venture at the inaugural Big 12 Outdoor Championships memorable.

  • Affeldt won her heat in the 800 meter preliminaries with a time of 2:09.01. In the finals, she became the Big 12 Champion by running a 2:06.90.
  • Howard won his preliminary heat in the 200 meters and took first place in the finals with a time of 20.69. He also won his 100 meter preliminary heat and finished second in the finals. He was the second leg on the 400 Meter Relay team that finished second with a time of 39.70. Pap finished the meet with 18 individual points. That was the third highest total among all competitors. For his efforts he was named the Big 12 Conference's Outstanding Male Track and Field Athlete.
  • Dion Milller finished sixth in the 100 meters with a time of 10.46.
  • Leon Gordon finished second in his 100-Meter preliminary heat. He was clocked at 10.39.
  • Freshman Desmond Johnson took third place in his preliminary heat of the 400 meters. In the finals, Johnson finished fifth with a mark of 45.85.
  • Senior Quent Bearden won his preliminary heat of the 800 meters. In the finals, Bearden ran a 1:50.78 to finish fourth.
  • The Red Raider 400 Meter Relay team notched a second place finish with a time of 39.70. Crew members include Gordon, Howard, Miller and Johnson. 
Racing to the NCAAs - Where and how they qualified
Athlete         Event        Time    Meet                    Place (Round) 
Amber Affeldt   800 Meters   2:05.88 Gatorade Invittational  1st 
Ami Peters      100 Hurdles  13.63   Mt. SAC Relays          2nd
Leon Gordon     100 Meters   10.31   Texas Invitational      2nd (trials)
Jospehus Howard 100 Meters   10.26   Texas Tech Invitational 1st
Josephus Howard 200 Meters   20.53   Mt. SAC Relays          1st (prelims)
Desmond Johnson 400 Meters   45.85   Big 12 Championships    5th
Quent Bearden   800 Meters   1:48.83 LSU Last Chance         2nd
Sprint Relay    4x100 Relays 39.51   Mt. SAC Relays          3rd

Nationally Speaking - Tech times make national list: Sophomore Amber Affeldt has the 13th best time in the nation in the 800 meters with a 2:05.88.

On the men's side, Josephus Howard is 14th in the 100 meters with a time of 10.26 and 10th in the 200 meters with a 20.53. Leon Gordon is 25th in the 100 meters with a mark of 10.31. Desmond Johnson is 18th in the 400 meters with a time of 46.41.

The Red Raiders' 4x100 Meter Relay crew is 11th with a time of 39.51. Tech's Sprint Medley Relay is currently tenth with a time of 3:16.70.

Track and Field honors announced - Howard named Big 12 Men's Outstanding Freshman: Texas Tech freshman Josephus Howard was named the Big 12 Conference's Outdoor Track and Field Outstanding Freshman.

Howard won the 200 meter dash and was runner-up in the 100 meter dash earlier this month at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. The Round Rock, Texas native was also a member of the 400 meter relay team which finished second. He will run in the 100 meters, 200 meters and as part of the 400 meter relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships beginning June 4 in Bloomington, Indiana. It's the first time in school history that one athlete has qualified for the national meet in three events. Howard's top time in the 200 meters this season is a 20.53, while his best 100 meter mark is 10.26. Both times lead the Red Raider squad.

"This is a great honor bestowed on Josephus. In a conference loaded with talent like the Big 12, this is a tremendous honor. It is very exciting to have a freshman of his caliber lead our team. It shows the direction that Josephus and our program are headed," Texas Tech men's head coach Greg Sholars said.

Others honored by the Big 12 include Texas coaches Beverly Kearney and Bubba Thornton as Big 12 Coaches of the Year. The Women's Outstanding performer was split between Anjanette Kirkland of Texas A&M and Tressa Thompson of Nebraska. Scott Warren of Nebraska was the Male Outstanding Performer while Cecilia Javerstam of Baylor was named the Women's Outstanding Freshman.

Middle distance crew strengthens - Women's team adds two: The Texas Tech women's track team has added two middledistance runners to their squad for next season. Coming to Tech will be Melissa Gilbert and Ngozi Iwu.

Gilbert of Jersey Village High School in Houston, Texas was a state qualifier in the 800 meters this season. She has run personal bests of 2:17.5 in the 800 meters and 5:11.4 in the 1600 meters.

"Melissa will add depth to our strong middle distance area," assistant track coach Kirk Elias said.

Iwu, a product of Hastings High School in the Alief Independent School district, is currently ranked second in the state in the 800 meters. Last season she finished as the number two runner in the state in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.00. She has been a regional qualifier in the event for the last two years.

"I think she is the best half-miler in the state. She is a very talented young athlete. We feel she will fit in very well with our middle distance group. She should have a solid impact. It will give us some quality depth in an already solid part of our program. We are thrilled that she has chosen Tech to continue her career," said Texas Tech head track and field coach Liz Parke.

Iwu, who is Nigerian, has also experienced success in cross country. During her first season, she helped guide her team to the regional meet. This season the cross country squad finished as district champions and again advanced to the regional meet. Iwu plans to major in Psychology while at Tech.

Gilbert and Iwu will join Dawn Charlier, Corrie Weathers, Courtney Nolen, and Big 12 Outdoor 800 meter Champion Amber Affeldt on the Tech middle distance crew.

Preparing for the future - Men's team gains three: Joining the Texas Tech men's track team next season will be distance runner Michael Kariuki, and sprinters Rohan McDonald and Shamron Turner.

A transfer from Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., Kariuki is one of the top distance runners in the nation. In 1995 he placed third at the Junior College National Cross Country meet. His top times include 14:05.00 in the 5000 meters and a 23:31.00 finish in the 8K.

Kariuki, who is Kenyan, plans to major in Chemistry. He is an honor student at Butler County.

Rohan McDonald, a transfer from Central Arizona placed sixth at the World Junior Championship in the 400 meters. The Jamaican finished as the Junior College National runner up in the quarter mile last season. His top time is 46.2 in the event.

Turner is the lone high schooler joining the Red Raider track squad. A product of Kimball High School in Dallas, Texas, Turner ran the 200 meters, 400 meters, 400 meter relay and 1600 meter relay this season. He was a state qualifier in the 400 meters and the 1600 meter relay. His top time in the 200 meters is 20.9.

Turner and McDonald will join a Texas Tech sprint crew that includes Indoor All-Americans Leon Gordon, Josephus Howard, and Desmond Johnson.

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