Texas Tech High Jumpers Finish First, Second at NCAA Outdoor Championships
JaCorian Duffield and Bradley Adkins made history at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Friday by becoming the first teammates to ever finish 1-2 in the high jump event in both the indoor and outdoor championships.
It also marked the first time teammates had taken the top two places since 1939.
After struggling early in the contest, the two Red Raider jumpers got on a roll, clearing five of six jumps and even see-sawing over the lead.
Adkins cleared the bar at 2.25m/7-4.5 in his first attempt to take the lead. Duffield countered, also clearing the height on his first attempt to regain the lead.
Duffield then cleared 2.28m/7-5.75 on his first attempt to extend his lead. It was a lead that Duffield would not relinquish as both Adkins and East Carolina Avion Jones failed to successfully clear that height.
Adkins was award second place due to clearing the previous height on his first attempt.
This is a special moment," Duffield said. "I don't think it has really hit me yet, especially Bradley and I going 1-2 again. Going into the fall, we knew that if we put in the work, we would be capable of something like this. To come out here and be able to do it is truly a blessing. God is good.”
Duffield is the third Red Raider in program history to win a national outdoor championship and the first to win the high jump event. He is also the first Tech athlete to win both indoor and outdoor national championships.
Freshman Trey Culver, the third Tech jumper to qualify for the national championships, continued to exceed any and all expectations for his early career by earning second team All-American honors placing 11th in the event, clearing the bar at 2.16m/ 7-1.
The 1-2 finish for Duffield and Adkins earned the Red Raiders 18 team points helping Tech to a ninth-place finish in the team standings. It is the first time Tech has finished in the top 10 in both the indoor and outdoor championships in the same season.
"Another incredible NCAA Championship performance from JaCorian and Bradley," Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittley said. "To do something that has never been done in NCAA history is incredible. I am so proud of both of them. For JaCorian, our senior leader, what a perfect way for him to end his career here. That propelled us to a top 10 finish as well, which is just amazing. I'm so proud of this program for being top 10 in indoors and outdoors."
In his fourth appearance at the Outdoor Championships, discus thrower Kole Weldon earned second team All-American honors by placing 10th with a throw of 58.20m/190-11.
On Saturday, senior Cierra White claimed first team All-American honors for the fifth time in her Red Raider career at the Outdoor Championships by clocking a time of 22.94 seconds in the finals of the 200-meter dash to finish seventh in that race.
White also earned All-American honors six times for her performances in four indoor seasons for a total of 11 post season awards.
"My time at Texas Tech has been special," White said. "It's been an amazing journey. I have been lucky enough to qualify for this meet all four years I've been at Tech, and it's my second-straight year to be first team All-American in the 200. I didn't have the performance I wanted, but I'm still happy with the outcome. I know I have grown so much on and off the track, but I'm proud of myself for what I have accomplished here."
“ [White] is everything you want a student-athlete to be, and I can't put into words what she has meant to this program. She is an amazing runner, and even a better person. She has been such an incredible ambassador for Texas Tech. I'm going to hate to lose her," Kittley said.
Sophomore Paetyn Revell finished an impressive season by earning honorable mention All-American recognition by placing 19th in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 12.54m/41-1.75.
Tech finished the championships with 10 team points good enough for a 20th place finish in team standings. It was most points the Red Raider women have scored in the championships since 2009 and it marked its highest team finish since 2008.
Select members of Texas Tech track & field will be back in action at the U.S. Track & Field Championships June 25-28, in Eugene, Ore.