Texas Tech Indoor Invitational Results

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech transfer Sage Lasater returned to Lubbock in a McMurry University uniform and immediately made an impact for her new school with an automatic qualifying mark in the pole vault. In  addition to Lasater, four other McMurry athletes set provisional marks in the indoor season debut Saturday.

Lasater's jump of 12 feet and 7.5 inches not only ensured herself a trip to Depau, Ind. March 12-13, but the sophomore set McMurry's school record in her first meet passing her new teammate, Holly Rollins' previous mark of 11 feet and 10 inches.

However, the new competition pushed Rollins as well. The junior, and the 2008 outdoor national champion in the pole vault, recorded a personal indoor best with a jump of 12 feet and 1.5 inches, which was also a provisional qualifying mark.

The men's team, who finished fourth overall at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships last season, got off to a good start with three athletes setting provisional marks.

Gavan Bass, a sophomore sprinter and long jumper, placed fifth overall at the Texas Tech Indoor Invitational with a mark of 22 feet and 8.5 inches, which was a provisional mark.

Pole vaulting wasn't just successful on the women's side, but senior Thomas Dimitri and Cory Altenberg each jumped provisional marks at 16-00.75 and 15-07 respectively. Dimitri's jump was also good for second at the meet while Altenberg was third.

Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with the performance of the vaulters.  I feel like the first meet is a learning time," said head coach Barbara Crousen. "it gives the athletes a chance to see where they are and where they need to go."

McMurry returns to Lubbock Friday and Saturday for the Texas Tech Invitational.

"We will go back to Tech and the athletes will have a feel for indoor.  The problem we have is we train on outdoor and compete indoor and several variables come into play," said Crousen. "No wind, rain, snow, a 200-meter track vs. a-400 meter track. Our new athletes now understand indoor. We are a little rusty from the winter break and need to train through the first meets - if we happen to qualify in the meantime that is just a bonus."

Below are other top performances from McMurry athletes:

o Bessie Edwards 3rd in the women's long jump at 16 feet 1 _
o Sydney Payne 2nd in the women's high jump at 4 feet 11 inches.
o Chris Strube 4th in the men's pole vault at 14 feet 1 _ inches.
o Stryker Pena 3rd in the men's high jump at 6 feet 4 _ inches.
o Zach Shew 6th in the men's high jump at 6 feet 2 _ inches.
o Josh Zu-Bolton 6th in the men's 55m with a time of 6.59
o Kenneth Turner 6th in the men's 200m with a time of 22.89

o The men's 4x400m relay of Ben Coker, Kevin Cunningham, Marcus Thompson, and Terry Smith were 6th with a time of 3:25.47.