Two Red Raiders Earn All-American Honors at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Two Texas Tech male track & field athletes earned top-20 finishes during day one of the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. Wednesday.

Kyle Thompson cleared 5.30m/17-4.50  in the pole vault to finish 12^th, becoming the first Red Raider to earn second-team All-American  honors in that event since 2012.

"I just wanted to leave it all out there," Thompson said. "It was such an honor to compete here. It was my goal all season. Coach [Tom] Slagle and I made some adjustments to take me to the next level this year, and now we'll tweak some more things for next year's indoor season. I know I can accomplish even more than what I did this year."

Texas Tech Head Coach Wes Kittley said he excited for Thompson.

"He wasn't supposed to be here entering regionals, but he stepped up in a big way," Kittley said. "I'm so happy that both he and Jerome Wilson were able to compete here in their final outdoor seasons."

Long jumper Wilson covered 7.44m/24-5.0 on his second attempt helping him finish 19^th earning honorable mention All-American honors.

Things did not turn out so favorable for the men’s 4x 400 relay team of Joseph Richards III, Kyle Collins, C.J. Jones and Steve Champlin. Jones suffered a severe cramp in the final turn of the third leg of a qualifying heat, and the Red Raiders were not able to recover and failed to advance.

Action at the NCAA Championships continues Thursday, with the women's running event prelims and select field event finals.