Balde breaks Tech record in 400m hurdles
The Texas Tech outdoor track and field team concluded its first home meet of the season, the Masked Rider Open, Thursday evening at the Fuller Track & Field Complex.
Full results of today’s meet can be found HERE.
Vanessa Balde highlighted the night portion of the meet with a new school record of 55.71 in her season-opener in the 400m hurdles. The previous record of 56.32 was held by Sylvia Schulz back in May of 2023 (Big 12 Championships). She becomes the first Tech female athlete to go under 56 seconds.
The first win of the day came in the women’s high jump as Claire Lowrey cleared a season-opening 1.85m (6-0 ¾). About an hour later, Kashlee Dickinson won the women’s pole vault clearing 4.13m (13-6 ½). Zaid Latif took home the win in the men’s long jump going 7.66m (25-1 ¾) (1.4w).
The men’s and women’s 4×100 got off to great starts in their season openers. The men’s team of Braylin Byrd, Johnathan Crawford, Josiyah Taylor and Kimarlie Stewart dropped a time of 38.53. The women’s team of Adriane Nwonumah, Olayinka Olajide, Anita Arifa and Mekenze Kelly went 43.02. Both Tech teams took home the win and registered the No. 5 times in school history and lead the NCAA after tonight.
First Team All-American Desean Boyce opened his season in the 400m with a winning time of 45.32. In her first 100m race in just under one year, Alyssa Colbert posted a time of 10.99 (3.1) for the win. For the men, Stewart went 10.11 (1.4) en route to the win.
The men’s pole vault saw three PB marks in the 2-3-4 finish led by Sean Gribble. Sam Hurley and Jackson Bragg rounded out the rest as all three Red Raiders cleared 5.54m (18-2).
Notables
- The women’s discus saw a 1-2 finish thanks to McKenzie Davis (54.45m) and Amori Pierson (53.99)
- Titus Kimaru won the 1500m going 3:48.70
- Symoria Adkins won the women’s 100m hurdles going 12.95 (3.6w)
- Shaemar Uter ran his first 200m race and went 20.32 (4.3w)
- Lovina Ewusi finished 2nd in the 400m hurdles with a time of 57.63
Up Next
Tech will compete next weekend in the 98th-annual Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Release provided by Chris Duarte Texas Tech Athletics