Friday, March 8
Birmingham, Ala.
All Day
Baylor
vs
NCAA Indoor Championships
Track & Field Set For NCAA Indoor Championships
3/6/2019 5:10:00 PM | Track & Field
Fourteen Bears will compete Friday and Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Todd Harbour says it was "pretty lonely down there at College Station last year," when junior quarter-milers Wil London and Kiana Horton were Baylor's only entrants at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"When there's not a lot of people, it's a lot harder," London said, "because you're by yourself, you don't really have anyone to talk to."
That won't be a problem this year. While London and Horton are making repeat trips and hungry to compete for national championships in the 400 meters, they have plenty of company this time with both 4x400 relays and a pair of pole vaulters qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships that begin Friday in Birmingham, Ala.
"Last year was definitely a lonely nationals," said Horton, who placed eighth at last year's meet to earn the second of her three All-America honors. "This year, it's better to have a group, because you get to have your team there in the stands cheering for you some familiar faces, because the national meet is always packed. It's always a little more nerve-wracking than anything else. It's good to have a big group going there to support you and keep you focused."
Ranked second and fifth, respectively, going into the meet, London and Horton are both legitimate title contenders in the open 400.
"I wouldn't put it past either one of them to win it," Harbour said. "I think Wil is extremely hungry, but I wouldn't say Kiana is any less hungry. They're seniors, they would both like to run post-collegiately. So, everything you do now is setting you up for shot contracts and opportunities to compete at the next level. It's a big deal. They're still competing for Baylor, but you already have a mindset of, 'OK, whatever I do here is going to help my cause.'''
London, running at his sixth NCAA indoor or outdoor meet, has never finished higher than eighth. He was eighth at each of the last two NCAA Outdoor Championships and eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships three years ago as a freshman in Birmingham.
"I'm probably going to feel a little déjà vu," said London, who broke Baylor's 15-year-old school record by winning the Big 12 title two weeks ago with a 45.19 clocking. "The last time I was at Birmingham was my freshman year and I ran the exact same things, the 400 and the 4x4. We came in third in the 4x4 and I finished last in the 400. I ran a terrible race strategy. I know I'm a lot smarter and I'm a lot stronger. I just have to go out there and know that this is my last chance to get an indoor title."
Five of the top six 400-meter runners compete for Texas schools, led by Houston's Kahmari Montgomery at 45.04. London knows he may have to top his school-record time to win a national title.
"No, it's going to take that," he said. "I know for a fact it's going to take that. You've got me running 45.1, you've got the guy in front who's running 45-flat, and then you've got a couple guys right there that are running 45.2, 45.3, so it's going to take (a sub-45-second time) to win it."
Horton took down a school record that had stood for 20 years, breaking Hall of Famer Yulanda Nelson's mark of 52.39 that was set at the 1999 NCAA Championships. The senior quarter-miler blazed to a winning time of 52.18 in winning her second straight Big 12 title.
"Luckily, I got the outdoor record last year, so I was like, 'I've got to get the indoor now so I can have both,''' Horton said. "It was amazing. It was one of my biggest goals going into the indoor season is to get the record. And, obviously, everyone wants to win a Big 12, so it was nice winning my third one. I was kind of on a high all track meet long."
In a loaded field at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Horton may have to go under 52 seconds to win the individual title. Georgia sophomore Lynna Irby has the best time going in at 52.02, followed by Kyra Constantine of USC (52.07) and Syaira Richardson of Texas A&M (52.09).
"I feel like my chances are just as high as anyone else," Horton said. "Everybody is very competitive, all the girls I'm running against are amazing. I just have to give my all. If I do what my coach tells me to do, then everything should fall into place."
Horton is more of a longshot in the 200 meters with a 15th-ranked time of 23.10, but she will have three chances to earn All-America honors this weekend. The women's 4x400 relay of Horton, Victoria Powell, Aaliyah Miller and Sydney Washington won the Big 12 title and is ranked 15thgoing into nationals.
"It took us a while for us to get it together, but we finally pulled together with some cohesion at conference and slid in and got that spot," Horton said.
On the men's side, the 4x400 relay of London, Howard Fields III, Jayson Baldridge and Matthew Moorer was bumped out of the fastest heat by Western Kentucky and goes into the meet with a fifth-ranked time of 3:04.49.
"I talked to Coach (Clyde Hart) and I talked to the fellas about it," London said. "And as long as we go out there and execute just like we've been doing this whole year, we can win it in any other heat. We're just blessed with a chance to run there, in a lane in any heat. We have the opportunity, we just have to use it."
Freshman pole vaulter KC Lightfoot also broke the school record and won the Big 12 title and goes in with the sixth-best mark nationally at 18 feet, 7 ½ inches. LSU freshman Mondo Duplantis is ranked first at 19-5.
On the women's side, sophomore Tuesdi Tidwell beat her previous best by nine inches and was the Big 12 runner-up with a mark of 14-2 ½, barely sliding in with a top-16 mark. Two Arkansas vaulters have topped the 15-foot mark.
"That was amazing," Harbour said of Tidwell. "She had four 14-footers that she beat that were already on the (NCAA) descending order list in our conference to get second. Tuesdi and KC, both of those were amazing performances."
After the national indoor meet, Baylor goes right into the outdoor season and wil open at next weekend's Trojan Invitational in Los Angeles.
WACO, Texas – School record holders Wil London, Kiana Horton, and KC Lightfoot are part of a group of 14 Baylor track & field athletes competing at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday (March 8-9) at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
"This is an outstanding group of athletes that are traveling to compete in Birmingham," head coach Todd Harbour said. "They have all competed at a high level this indoor season, and we hope to continue that this weekend in Birmingham. We are excited to see what this weekend will bring."
London, fresh off running 45.19 to win the 400 meters at the Big 12 Championships and break Jeremy Wariner's Baylor indoor record, enters the NCAA Championships ranked No. 2 in the nation. The senior from Waco, Texas, will also anchor the No. 5-ranked men's 4x400-meter relay team alongside Matthew Moorer, Howard Fields III, and Jayson Baldridge. Caleb Dickson and Maxwell Willis will also travel as alternates for the relay.
The semifinals for the men's 400 meters will take place Friday at 6:42 p.m. CT, with the final being Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. The men' 4x400-meter relay will conclude the meet Saturday at 6:55 p.m. CT.
Lightfoot has the sixth-best pole vault in the NCAA this season at 18-7.5 (5.68m), hitting the mark for the second time this season to win the Big 12 Championship as a freshman. The Lee's Summit, Mo., product has twice bested a Baylor indoor record (18-4.75) that previously stood for 28 years. The men's pole vault is set for Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Horton will have the busiest schedule of the weekend, competing in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4x400-meter relay. The senior from San Antonio, Texas, is the No. 5-ranked runner in the nation in the 400 meters (52.29@ - adjusted for altitude) after breaking Yulanda Nelson's school record to win her second consecutive Big 12 Championship. Horton is ranked 15th in the 200 meters (23.10@), and is the anchor for 4x4 team along with Victoria Powell, Aaliyah Miller, and Sydney Washington that ranks No. 15 (3:34.36@).
The semifinals of the women's 400 meters will be Friday at 6:27 p.m. CT, with the final going Saturday at 4:50 p.m. CT. The women's 4x400-meter relay is scheduled for Saturday at 6:40 p.m. CT.
Tuesdi Tidwell will compete in her first NCAA Championships after flying into the No. 14 spot in the NCAA to finish second in the pole vault at the Big 12 Championships (14-2.5, 4.33m). The sophomore from Early, Texas, now has the fourth-best indoor mark in school history. The women's pole vault will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
Heading into the NCAA Championships, the Baylor men's team is ranked No. 18 in the country while the women are in the No. 41 spot.
For more information on the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the City of Birmingham, visit https://www.bhamfasttrack.com/.
For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.
Baylor Bear Insider
Todd Harbour says it was "pretty lonely down there at College Station last year," when junior quarter-milers Wil London and Kiana Horton were Baylor's only entrants at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"When there's not a lot of people, it's a lot harder," London said, "because you're by yourself, you don't really have anyone to talk to."
That won't be a problem this year. While London and Horton are making repeat trips and hungry to compete for national championships in the 400 meters, they have plenty of company this time with both 4x400 relays and a pair of pole vaulters qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships that begin Friday in Birmingham, Ala.
"Last year was definitely a lonely nationals," said Horton, who placed eighth at last year's meet to earn the second of her three All-America honors. "This year, it's better to have a group, because you get to have your team there in the stands cheering for you some familiar faces, because the national meet is always packed. It's always a little more nerve-wracking than anything else. It's good to have a big group going there to support you and keep you focused."
Ranked second and fifth, respectively, going into the meet, London and Horton are both legitimate title contenders in the open 400.
"I wouldn't put it past either one of them to win it," Harbour said. "I think Wil is extremely hungry, but I wouldn't say Kiana is any less hungry. They're seniors, they would both like to run post-collegiately. So, everything you do now is setting you up for shot contracts and opportunities to compete at the next level. It's a big deal. They're still competing for Baylor, but you already have a mindset of, 'OK, whatever I do here is going to help my cause.'''
London, running at his sixth NCAA indoor or outdoor meet, has never finished higher than eighth. He was eighth at each of the last two NCAA Outdoor Championships and eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships three years ago as a freshman in Birmingham.
"I'm probably going to feel a little déjà vu," said London, who broke Baylor's 15-year-old school record by winning the Big 12 title two weeks ago with a 45.19 clocking. "The last time I was at Birmingham was my freshman year and I ran the exact same things, the 400 and the 4x4. We came in third in the 4x4 and I finished last in the 400. I ran a terrible race strategy. I know I'm a lot smarter and I'm a lot stronger. I just have to go out there and know that this is my last chance to get an indoor title."
Five of the top six 400-meter runners compete for Texas schools, led by Houston's Kahmari Montgomery at 45.04. London knows he may have to top his school-record time to win a national title.
"No, it's going to take that," he said. "I know for a fact it's going to take that. You've got me running 45.1, you've got the guy in front who's running 45-flat, and then you've got a couple guys right there that are running 45.2, 45.3, so it's going to take (a sub-45-second time) to win it."
Horton took down a school record that had stood for 20 years, breaking Hall of Famer Yulanda Nelson's mark of 52.39 that was set at the 1999 NCAA Championships. The senior quarter-miler blazed to a winning time of 52.18 in winning her second straight Big 12 title.
"Luckily, I got the outdoor record last year, so I was like, 'I've got to get the indoor now so I can have both,''' Horton said. "It was amazing. It was one of my biggest goals going into the indoor season is to get the record. And, obviously, everyone wants to win a Big 12, so it was nice winning my third one. I was kind of on a high all track meet long."
In a loaded field at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Horton may have to go under 52 seconds to win the individual title. Georgia sophomore Lynna Irby has the best time going in at 52.02, followed by Kyra Constantine of USC (52.07) and Syaira Richardson of Texas A&M (52.09).
"I feel like my chances are just as high as anyone else," Horton said. "Everybody is very competitive, all the girls I'm running against are amazing. I just have to give my all. If I do what my coach tells me to do, then everything should fall into place."
Horton is more of a longshot in the 200 meters with a 15th-ranked time of 23.10, but she will have three chances to earn All-America honors this weekend. The women's 4x400 relay of Horton, Victoria Powell, Aaliyah Miller and Sydney Washington won the Big 12 title and is ranked 15thgoing into nationals.
"It took us a while for us to get it together, but we finally pulled together with some cohesion at conference and slid in and got that spot," Horton said.
On the men's side, the 4x400 relay of London, Howard Fields III, Jayson Baldridge and Matthew Moorer was bumped out of the fastest heat by Western Kentucky and goes into the meet with a fifth-ranked time of 3:04.49.
"I talked to Coach (Clyde Hart) and I talked to the fellas about it," London said. "And as long as we go out there and execute just like we've been doing this whole year, we can win it in any other heat. We're just blessed with a chance to run there, in a lane in any heat. We have the opportunity, we just have to use it."
Freshman pole vaulter KC Lightfoot also broke the school record and won the Big 12 title and goes in with the sixth-best mark nationally at 18 feet, 7 ½ inches. LSU freshman Mondo Duplantis is ranked first at 19-5.
On the women's side, sophomore Tuesdi Tidwell beat her previous best by nine inches and was the Big 12 runner-up with a mark of 14-2 ½, barely sliding in with a top-16 mark. Two Arkansas vaulters have topped the 15-foot mark.
"That was amazing," Harbour said of Tidwell. "She had four 14-footers that she beat that were already on the (NCAA) descending order list in our conference to get second. Tuesdi and KC, both of those were amazing performances."
After the national indoor meet, Baylor goes right into the outdoor season and wil open at next weekend's Trojan Invitational in Los Angeles.
WACO, Texas – School record holders Wil London, Kiana Horton, and KC Lightfoot are part of a group of 14 Baylor track & field athletes competing at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday (March 8-9) at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
"This is an outstanding group of athletes that are traveling to compete in Birmingham," head coach Todd Harbour said. "They have all competed at a high level this indoor season, and we hope to continue that this weekend in Birmingham. We are excited to see what this weekend will bring."
London, fresh off running 45.19 to win the 400 meters at the Big 12 Championships and break Jeremy Wariner's Baylor indoor record, enters the NCAA Championships ranked No. 2 in the nation. The senior from Waco, Texas, will also anchor the No. 5-ranked men's 4x400-meter relay team alongside Matthew Moorer, Howard Fields III, and Jayson Baldridge. Caleb Dickson and Maxwell Willis will also travel as alternates for the relay.
The semifinals for the men's 400 meters will take place Friday at 6:42 p.m. CT, with the final being Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. The men' 4x400-meter relay will conclude the meet Saturday at 6:55 p.m. CT.
Lightfoot has the sixth-best pole vault in the NCAA this season at 18-7.5 (5.68m), hitting the mark for the second time this season to win the Big 12 Championship as a freshman. The Lee's Summit, Mo., product has twice bested a Baylor indoor record (18-4.75) that previously stood for 28 years. The men's pole vault is set for Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Horton will have the busiest schedule of the weekend, competing in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4x400-meter relay. The senior from San Antonio, Texas, is the No. 5-ranked runner in the nation in the 400 meters (52.29@ - adjusted for altitude) after breaking Yulanda Nelson's school record to win her second consecutive Big 12 Championship. Horton is ranked 15th in the 200 meters (23.10@), and is the anchor for 4x4 team along with Victoria Powell, Aaliyah Miller, and Sydney Washington that ranks No. 15 (3:34.36@).
The semifinals of the women's 400 meters will be Friday at 6:27 p.m. CT, with the final going Saturday at 4:50 p.m. CT. The women's 4x400-meter relay is scheduled for Saturday at 6:40 p.m. CT.
Tuesdi Tidwell will compete in her first NCAA Championships after flying into the No. 14 spot in the NCAA to finish second in the pole vault at the Big 12 Championships (14-2.5, 4.33m). The sophomore from Early, Texas, now has the fourth-best indoor mark in school history. The women's pole vault will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
Heading into the NCAA Championships, the Baylor men's team is ranked No. 18 in the country while the women are in the No. 41 spot.
For more information on the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the City of Birmingham, visit https://www.bhamfasttrack.com/.
For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.
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