SPRINTS/HURDLES
(Christy Udoh-TEXAS)
The sprints in the Big 12 are always exciting. The conference is loaded with All-American talent in each sprint event. On the women's side Texas has perhaps the most loaded sprints roster since the championship teams under former head coach Beverly Kearney. New head coach Mario Santega spent the past 10 seasons at the university and clearly knows what it takes to win the Big 12 title and a national title.
Christy Udoh, Courtney Okolo and Brianna Nelson are a few of the big names returning for Texas this season. Udoh finished 2nd last indoor season in the 200 meters at the conference championship and placed 7th overall nationally earning All-American Honors. She is the top returning 200 meter runner and a senior leader for the Lady Longhorns.
In the 60 meter dash Texas received a transfer in the name of Morolake Akinosun. Akinosun followed her coach Tonja Buford-Bailey who became the Asst Head coach and director women's sprints. Akinosun like her coach spent last season in the Big 10. She claimed the Big 10 title as a freshman and her time is the top returning 60 meter performance from last season in the conference. Defending champion Tianna Valentine of Kansas is still a threat to repeat.
In the 400 meter dash Texas has perhaps the most loaded group of 400 runners ever assembled at an American university. Ashley Spencer is another Illinois transfer but she comes with a little more hardware in her trophy case. Spencer burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2012 running a 50.50 to win the world junior title nearly a month after winning the NCAA title as a freshman. What makes her story more interesting is she spent her high school career as a low hurdler. Spencer followed up her freshman campaign by defending her outdoor title with a time of 50.28. Along with Courtney Okolo (51.09), Brianna Nelson (52.18) true freshman Kendall Baisden (52.03) the 4x400 relay record set by Sanya Richards group in 2003 maybe in jeopardy. The lone challenger is defending indoor champion Diamond Dixon. This event should be fantastic to watch.
In the women's hurdles Tiffany McReynolds of Baylor and Morgan Snow of Texas lead this talented group. McReynolds has been a big name in collegiate track and field for quite some time. As a freshman she claimed the big 12 title in excellent fashion and won the Texas Relays 100 meter hurdles en route to All-American honors that same season. She has still been a threat all these years but have been slowed due to injuries. McReynolds looks to put it all together this season against a charging Morgan Snow of Baylor who claimed the outdoor title in the conference last season.
FIELD EVENTS
(Lindsay Vollmer)
This will be another banner year for the Big 12 in the field events. This conference like the sprints/hurdles has produced many All-Americans. Returning champions this season would be Shanae Briscoe in the High Jump and Kaitlin Petrillose in the Pole Vault also from Texas are headlining this talented group.
Lorraine Ugen of TCU is another talented athlete in the Big 12. Ugen is coming off an excellent outdoor season in which she earned her first national title in the women's long jump and earned a personal best jump of 22 feet 2 inches.
Another NCAA Champion returning is Lindsay Vollmer of Kansas. Vollmer won the women's heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championship after breaking records at the Big 12 conference meet en route to a title there. Vollmer also claimed the conference title indoors in the pentathlon. She looks to make up for a disappointing performance at last season NCAA Indoor Championship to another another title to her trophy case.
A new era will begin in the women's shot put. Last season Tia Brooks a 2012 Olympian, finished her final season at Oklahoma claiming both indoor and outdoor titles for both conference and national. Christina Hillman of Iowa State is the next up to represent the conference. As a sophomore she sat in the shadow of Brooks but looks to use the new beginning as an opportunity to place her stamp on the conference.
DISTANCE
There is a lot of new names in the distance events in this conference. Many All-Conference and All-American athletes have now graduated and moved to the next phase in their careers. One mainstay returning is defending 800 meter champion Nataljia Piliusina of Oklahoma State. Piliusina also stepped to a higher race in the women's 1,500 at the NCAA Outdoor meet and shocked many by claiming the NCAA title in the event. It's fair to say she is the clear headliner in the conference and may be looking for the mid-distance sweep at the conference championship.
Teammates Olicia Williams and Mariah Kelley of Baylor look to challenge Piliusina in both events for conference title. Williams a true freshman last season will also be on the national radar to compete for All-American honors. Top returnee from last outdoor season in the women's 1,500 was Sara Sutherland of Texas who claimed the Big 12 Outdoor title in the event. She will look to challenge Piliusina for the indoor crown in the women's mile.
TEAM RACE
Texas may just have too much fire power for Kansas to compete this season after losing some of their All-Americans to graduation. However they do return a very talented group of athletes in all phases of track and field and will have the aura of defending NCAA Outdoor Champions and Big 12 Indoor Champions along with them. This should be an entertaining season for the Big 12 conference.
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