TCU Track & Field Earns All-Conference Accolades
FORT WORTH, Texas – After claiming seven individual conference titles at the 2011 Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships this past weekend, the TCU track and field team was honored with the announcement of 17 student-athletes listed on the league’s Men’s and Women’s All-Mountain West Conference Indoor teams Monday.
Senior sprinter Jessica Young headlined the meet on the women’s side, receiving the conference’s High Point Award and Outstanding Female Performance Award. The Columbia, S.C., product captured the women’s 60-meter and 200-meter titles, while also anchoring the Frogs’ gold medal 4×400 relay team.
In the 60 meters, Young dashed to the finish line at 7.17 seconds to win the gold medal and set a multitude of benchmarks, snapping records for the MWC, the championship meet, the Albuquerque Convention Center, as well as the TCU program record and set a new personal best. The win was Young’s second 60-meter MWC title after finishing ahead of the pack in 2009 and the fifth-straight 60-meter MWC crown for TCU.
Young followed by claiming gold in the women’s 200 meters with an NCAA automatic time of 23.20. Her clocking surpassed former Frog Virgil Hodge’s MWC Championship meet record of 23.27 and reset Arizona State’s Jasmine Chaney’s Albuquerque Convention Center record.
Juarez earned All-MWC considerations after finishing second in the women’s 400 meters and as a member of TCU’s championship 4×400 squad.
From the infield, sophomore Kelsey Samuels and senior Stormy Harrison finished 1-2, respectively, in the women’s shot put to claim all-MWC honors. Samuels earned her first conference indoor gold medal by tossing the shot 50 feet, 7 3/4 inches and finished just ahead of silver medalist Harrison’s toss of 49 feet, 9 ½ inches. With the gold medal, TCU has now taken the top spot in the women’s shot put in five of the last six years.
Junior Whitney Gipson earned her first all-conference selection after capturing the women’s long jump title. Samantha Collins followed Gipson on the list after taking third-place accolades in the event.
Sophomore Larrisa Matthews made the all-MWC squad in the women’s 60-meter hurdles for the second-straight year, finishing third in the finals. Quinterra Charles and Teneshia Peart were also honored, collecting league recognition as members of the women’s 4×400.
On the men’s side, Mychal Dungey received all-league honors after claiming gold medal accolades in the men’s 200 meters with a seasonal-best time of 21.15 seconds. He also helped the men’s 4×400 cross the finish line in third place in Albuquerque.
Sophomore Charles Silmon claimed a pair of nods from the league after earning third place honors in the men’s 60 meters and 200 meters. Junior Jack O’Brien claimed all-conference recognition after his third place performance in the men’s 800 meters.
After joining the squad in January, newcomers Lavon Collins and Narada Jackson exploded onto the conference scene with all-MWC accolades as members of the men’s bronze medal 4×400 relay. Senior Sean Zurko also collected all-league status as the men’s 4×400 anchor.
In the field events, triple jump gold medalist Cameron Parker picked up his first league honor, while Richard Knotts pounced to a third-place finish in the long jump.
