PHOTO BY AMANDA GARCIA | ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO: Jarret Kachel, junior middle distance runner, and Jarred Murray, freshman middle distance runner train for the Texas Tech Invitational.
Tammy Luksich
Sports Editor
The WTAMU track team competed in its seventh meet of the season at the McMurray Relays in Abliene on April 3.
In the running events, Josh Braddock, freshman sprinter, Jose Velazquez, senior distance runner, and Thomas Harris, sophomore distance runner, were among some of the WT athletes to place in their individual events.
Braddock placed second in the 400-meter run with a time of 49.98. Velazquez also placed second in the 5000-meter run clocking a time of 16:24.70. Harris fell ten seconds short of breaking the Wilford Moore Stadium record in the steeplechase after running a time of 10:23.59.
“This meet helped us show that we are not afraid of big competition,” Darren Flowers, head coach, said. “We can compete with just about anyone. The effort and work ethic has been phenomenal and these student-athletes have established a strong foundation in our program.”
Although the wind conditions gusted up to 30 mph, the WT track team has been working on preparing for those types of conditions.
“For distance events, we use strategies like drafting into the wind and passing when the wind is to our backs in order to conserve energy,” Flowers said. “For other events we just try to do what we do every day in practice. Being in West Texas, we see windy conditions on a weekly basis.”
Jarret Kachel, junior middle distance runner, competed in the 800 meter run finishing seventh with a time of 2:03.11. Kachel also finished seventh in the 1500-meter run clocking a time of 4:18.55. Teammate Jared Murray, freshman middle distance runner, placed 14th in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:07.37.
“Jarret is an upperclassman who has shown great leadership and will be someone I look to and depend on next year as well,” Flowers said.
In the field events, David Gordon, sophomore high jumper, placed seventh in the high jump with a jump of 5-11 ½.
In the shot put, Dane Hamrick, freshman thrower, finished fourth with a distance of 48-8 ¼. Teammate Esteban Montemayor, freshman thrower, placed 12th with a throw of 40-4 ¼. Eldon Grimslid, senior thrower, finished just behind Montemayor with a throw of 39-8 1/2. Grimslid, a crossover football athlete, is competing to train for a decathlon.
As for the women, Jasmine Harris, freshman sprinter, placed seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.32. In the 5000-meter run, Mariana Chavira, senior distance runner, finished third with a time of 20:21.98. Ashlee Covin, sophomore sprinter, clocked a time of 1:20.13 in the 400-meter hurdles.
Although the team is in its first season since 1986, more athletes have begun to participate. WT Track began the season with 12 men and three women has expanded to 22 men and six women.
“The roster does continue to grow simply because of the interest that has been sparked by this new program,” Flowers said. “We are at the point now with our recruiting class coming in next year where we will have to conduct tryouts each semester to determine adding anyone else to the roster.”
WT track will look to compete again April 9 in Lubbock at the Texas Tech Invitational.
“The Texas Tech meet is known for providing some great performances,” Flowers said.
We are really getting into the last five or six weeks of our season and this is a time where we really need to start rounding into shape for our best performances of the year.”