The U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials resume for the second of a four-day session on Thursday in Eugene, Oregon. The Texas Tech athletes most likely to make the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics are hurdlers Caleb Dean and Aleisha Johnson, long jumper Monae Nichols and sprinter Courtney Lindsay.
Fred Curley, a former South Plains College All-American who won a silver medal in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, has qualified for the event for the second consecutive Olympics, while Vernon Norwood, another South Plains College athlete, placed fourth in the 400 meters and is a favorite to be a member of Team USA in the relay.
Here’s a quick look at some of the current and former players from the area who will be competing Thursday through Sunday at Hayward Field.
Related:Former Texas Tech All-American Monae Nichols wins medal at World Championships
Related:Former Texas Tech hurdler and national champion Aleisha Johnson continues to perform well | Williams
Bryce Hoppel, Midland, 800 meters
The former Midland High School star is the favorite to compete in a second straight Olympics. He has won six U.S. national championships, including the last five in a row, and won gold at the world indoor championships in March.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 6:30pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:44pm and the final is on Sunday at 6:51pm.
Jonah Koech, Texas Tech University, 800 meters
Koech was named a First Team All-American as a senior on Texas Tech’s national championship team in 2019. He was runner-up to Hoppel at the national championships two years ago.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 6:30pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:44pm and the final is on Sunday at 6:51pm.
Related:Texas Tech alum Koech selected to U.S. World Championship team
Vincent Crisp, Texas Tech University, 800 meters
Crisp finished fifth at this year’s U.S. Indoor Championships and was a first-team All-American on Texas Tech’s national championship-winning team in 2019 as a senior.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 6:30pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:44pm and the final is on Sunday at 6:51pm.
Related:Tech’s Vincent Crisp breaks NCAA record in indoor 600-yard dash
CJ Jones, Texas Tech University, 800 meters
Jones played for the Red Raiders from 2015-19, winning a Big 12 title in 2016 and placing second and third twice in the 800 meters. He finished eighth in the 800 meters at last year’s outdoor national championships.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 6:30pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:44pm and the final is on Sunday at 6:51pm.
Robert Dunning, South Plains College, 110-meter hurdles
Dunning won NJCAA championships in the 60 and 110 hurdles as a freshman at South Plains in 2017. He won the NCAA championship in the 110 hurdles at Alabama in 2021 and was undefeated in the event that season. He celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday and advanced to the first round on Monday.
schedule: The semi-finals will be held on Thursday at 7:01 p.m. and the finals will be held on Friday at 9:50 p.m.
Monae Nichols, Texas Tech University, long jump
Nichols is having a strong 2024 season, placing third at the U.S. Indoor Championships in February and second at the World Championships in March. She entered the Olympic Trials as the fifth seed with a record of 22 feet, 5¾ inches.
schedule: Qualifying will be held on Thursday at 8:18pm, with the finals on Saturday at 7:20pm.
Caleb Dean, Texas Tech University, 400m hurdles
Dean won the 60-meter indoor hurdles and the 400-meter outdoor hurdles at the NCAA Championships this year, becoming the first athlete to achieve both feats, and is one of two fierce competitors vying for the other two spots, excluding Olympic silver medalist and American record holder Rai Benjamin.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 8:20pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:21pm and the final is on Sunday at 7:20pm.
Related:Texas Tech hurdler Caleb Dean among three Bowerman Award finalists
Chris Robinson, South Plains College, 400m Hurdles
Robinson won NJCAA championships in three events at South Plains College in 2021 and 2022. Since transferring to the University of Alabama, he set the facility record in the 400-meter hurdles (48.12) at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin and won the NCAA title in 2023.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 8:20pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 8:21pm and the final is on Sunday at 7:20pm.
Devin Roberson, Texas Tech University, discus
The two-time Big 12 Conference champion finished 10th at the NCAA outdoor meet in Eugene two weeks ago.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 8.45pm and the final is on Saturday at 6.30pm.
Simone Watkins, Texas Tech University, 400m hurdles
The two-time state champion hurdler from Frisco played for Tech from 2020-2023. He transferred to Howard University this year and won the MEAC title in the 400-meter hurdles, making his first appearance in the NCAA Championships.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 8:49pm, the semi-finals are on Saturday at 7:41pm and the final is on Sunday at 7:29pm.
Courtney Lindsay, Texas Tech University, 200 meters
Lindsey, who will be a senior at Tech in 2023, won the 100 and placed second in the 200 at the NCAA outdoor championships. He placed sixth in the 100 on Sunday. His 19.71 seconds for the 200, which he ran two months ago, was the third-fastest time in the prelims behind Noah Lyles’ 19.47 and Kenny Bednarek’s 19.67.
schedule: The first round is on Thursday at 9:33pm, the semi-finals are on Friday at 9:28pm and the final is on Saturday at 8:49pm.
Fred Curley, South Plains College, 200 meters
Curley has won seven world championship medals in sprints and relays. He has already been selected for the U.S. 100m team at the Paris Games, and his 200m qualifying time of 19.86 was the fifth-fastest of the field.
scheduleFirst round, Thursday at 9:33pm. Semi-finals, Friday at 9:28pm. Finals, Saturday at 8:49pm.
Aleisha Johnson, Texas Tech University, 100m hurdles
The 100-meter hurdles is a highlight for U.S. women, including former world record holder Keni Harrison, former world champion Nia Ali, collegiate record holder Masai Russell and world silver medalist Christina Clemons. Six U.S. women have qualified under 12.50 seconds in the heats, including Johnson, a 2019 Polytechnic graduate who was runner-up at the U.S. Championships two years ago and was last year’s U.S. champion in the 60-meter hurdles.
schedule: The first round is on Friday at 7:28pm, the semi-finals are on Saturday at 7:04pm and the final is on Sunday at 7pm.
Stacey Brown Jr., Texas Tech University, triple jump
Brown, a freshman transfer from Texas, posted a season-best result of 53 feet, 11 inches and a third in March. He finished fifth and third in the triple jump at the Big 12 indoor and outdoor meets.
schedule: Qualifying will be at 8:20pm on Friday and the final will be at 5:55pm on Sunday.
Omar Craddock, triple jump
Craddock was a three-time NCAA champion and three-time national champion at Florida from 2012 to 2015. The 33-year-old Craddock is a Lubbock native who attended Littlefield Elementary School through the junior year and posted a personal record of 58-0 ¼ in 2019.
schedule: Qualifying will be at 8:20pm on Friday and the final will be at 5:55pm on Sunday.
