Red Raiders host third-annual Jarvis Scott Open

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech track and field team closes out the indoor regular season hosting the third-annual Jarvis Scott Open Friday and Saturday at the Sports Performance Center.

 

Tech will also have a group distant runners competing in Boston, Mass., in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

 

History of Jarvis Scott

Scott was born on April 6, 1947 in Waco, Texas before she moved with her family to Los Angeles at the age of nine. She started running at David Starr Jordan High School where she became the first female to compete in in track & field. By the age of 21, Scott had qualified for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the 400m and 800m, becoming the first American to accomplish such feat. She would give up her spot in the 800m to her friend Francie Kraker in an act of solidarity as Scott would go on to place sixth in the 400m finals.

 

Scott started her coaching career in 1977 at Cal State Los Angeles – where she is now in its Athletics Hall of Fame – and made her way to Lubbock in 1979 as the first head coach for both the men’s and women’s cross country programs as well as the first women’s track and field head coach. Scott held both of those roles up until her retirement in 1991. She remained heavily involved in the global track community and in Lubbock, before her passing on September 29, 2017. Her legacy lives on at Texas Tech from becoming the first African American head coach for any sport, to helping develop the cross country and women’s track & field programs to what they are today.

 

Rankings

In the week three U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings the men’s team remained at No. 1 for a third-straight week, while the women’s squad moved up one spot to No. 12.

 

Last Time Out

The Red Raiders capped off a three-day road trip to Kansas State competing in the DeLoss Dodds Invite. During that meet, Ruta Lasmane registered a triple jump mark of 13.97m (45-10) for the No. 1 mark in the country and No. 6 in TTU history. For her efforts, Lasmane was named the Big 12 Athlete of the Week Wednesday afternoon.

 

Meanwhile, Shaemar Uter clocked in at 45.97 in the 400m, giving him a top-6 time in the country.

 

In The Know

A Red Raider recently announced to The Bowerman Mid-Indoor Watch List in Temitope Adeshina will high jump for the fourth time this year.

 

Caleb Dean will look to go in the 60m as the men’s side will also look to improve on their 3:05.00 4×400 time this season. That time is currently seventh in the country.

 

Edward Rush will make his season debut in Boston running the mile. He currently holds a personal best of 4:01.75. Gideon Kiplimo, who has one indoor meet under his belt this year running the mile, will race in the 800m in Boston.

 

Lasmane will try the long jump this weekend as Omamuyovwi Erhire will go in the triple jump.

 

–TECH–

Release Provided By Chris Duarte Texas Tech Athletics