Championship Central

By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

The Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held Friday and Saturday at Texas A&M's Gilliam Track Stadium. Texas A&M will be defending its 2011 men's championship while Texas A&M and Kansas are the favorites to win the women's title that was won last season by former member school Nebraska.

The Big 12 has four men's teams and five women's squads ranked in the top 25 in the nation in the latest USTFCCCA poll. Texas A&M boasts the top rated teams heading into the meet as the men are currently third and the women are ranked fifth. Behind TAMU is No. 5 Texas, No. 14 Kansas State and No. 21 Oklahoma on the men's side. Kansas (No. 7), Texas (No. 11), Texas Tech (No.12) and Iowa State (No. 13) represent the league's women squads.

A total of six men, in seven different events, have already qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 9-10, while on the women's side six individuals, in seven different events have earned a spot at the NCAA Championships. The Texas and Kansas women's 4x400 meter relay teams, along with Texas A&M's and Oklahoma's 4000 meter distance medley men's squads will be in Nampa, Idaho.

Oklahoma (2010), Texas (1999, 2006, 2008-09), Texas A&M (2011) and former league member Nebraska (1997, '98, 2000-05, '07) are the only squads to win the men's indoor title, while the Longhorns (1998-99, 2002-03, '06), Aggies (2007-10) and Huskers (1997, 2000-01, 2004-05, '11) are the only teams to garner a women's title.

Action begins on Friday morning with the women's pentathlon at 11 a.m., while the men's heptathlon starts at 1 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., the prelims for the mile will commence. On Saturday, finals will start at 3 p.m. A full schedule, live results and complete coverage is available at Big12Sports.com.

Tickets for the Big 12 Indoor Championships are $15 for general admission, $25 for the bronze seating section, $30 in the silver section and $40 for the gold section. Tickets may be purchased through the Texas A&M Athletic Ticket Office, aggieathletics.com or by calling 888-99-AGGIE.

Baylor women
Baylor's women are led by defending 60-hurdle champion Tiffani McReynolds, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 at 8.18 seconds. Along with the league's top-ranked distance medley relay team, the Lady Bears also feature a trio of second-ranked field-event performers. School-record-setting throwers Skylar White and Erin Atkinson are ranked second in the Big 12 in the shot put and weight throw. White holds the BU record in the shot put with a season-best of 56-10 and Atkinson is tops in BU history in the weight with a season-best of 67-9. In the triple jump, All-American Jessica Ubanyionwu sits second in the league with a season-best of 41-4.5.

Iowa State women
The Cyclones are ranked 13th nationally. Four-time All-American Betsy Saina leads the Cyclone women into the Big 12 Championships as the defending champion in the 5,000-meter run. Saina currently holds the conference's top times in the 3000 and 5000-meter runs. Saina is joined in the distance races by Meaghan Nelson and Dani Stack who are also at the top of the Big 12 performance lists in the 3000 and 5000 meter races. Kianna Elahi leads the Cyclone sprints with the conference's top time in the 600-yard run and she looks for a Big 12 title in her senior campaign.

Kansas women
The Jayhawks are ranked sixth nationally in the most recent coaches' poll and have eight athletes who rank in the NCAA's top 25 in event rankings. Junior Andrea Geubelle has been impressive in the horizontal jumps. She's only female track and field athlete to be twice named Big 12 athlete of the week. Sophomore sprinter Diamond Dixon should be a factor in the sprints in the 60, 200 and 400 meters plus the 4x400 relay. Junior long jumper Francine Simpson is the top long jumper in the Big 12 rankings while sophomore Demi Payne is the second-ranked pole vaulter in the Big 12.

Kansas State women
The Wildcats boast a dominant distant runner in senior Boglarka Bozzay, who has yet to lose a race this year in three events. Senior Ryann Krais also is one of the nation's best in her event as she is currently ranked No. 4 on the NCAA list in the pentathlon. Krais finished second last year at the Big 12 Championship and went on to claim the NCAA title outdoors in the heptathlon. K-State's throwers could be a force as well with three Wildcats rank in the top eight in the weight throw.

Missouri women
The Tigers should have success in the middle and long distance running events. Laura Roxberg has the top time in the Big 12 in the mile. Freshman Jasmine Webb (600 meters), sophomore Alison Ross (1,000 meters) and junior Bailey Belvis (mile and 3,000 meters) also will be in contention for medals. The distance medley relay team has posted the third-best time in the Big 12. High jumpers Camile Hayes and Stacy Swinberg will be hoping to go big in the high jump.

Oklahoma women
The Sooners are aiming to improve on last year's fifth-place finish in the Big 12 Championships. Junior Tia Brooks continues to lead the nation with the top mark in the shot put (60-8). That is the third best by an American this year and 11th best in the world this year. Shawns Anderson is ranked 2nd in the Big 12 in the 60 meters while Shakeeri Cole has the Big 12's second-best time in the 600 meters. Jessica Engel in the 3,000 meters and Kristen Rice in the high jump should also be in contention to place.

Oklahoma State women
The Cowgirls' Natalja Piliusina is the defending indoor 800 meter Big 12 champion. Her time at the conference meet last year of 2:05.86 was the school record until she broke her own record this season with a time of 2:05.56 at the Tyson Invitational. Piliusina is also a member of the defending champion distance medley relay. Oklahoma State, as it did last year, has not competed in the DMR headed into the Big 12 Championships.

Texas women
The Longhorns will try to win their first Big 12 Indoor Championship since 2006. Texas has strong competitors in the sprint and field events. UT should be particularly strong in the 400 meters with Stacey-Ann Smith, Briana Nelson and Kendra Chambers all ranked high on the Conference performance list. A'Lexus Brannon had one of the nation's top efforts in the long jump and also will compete in the triple jump. Shanay Briscoe, Victoria Lucas, Beverly Owoyele and Alicia Peterson all should finish near the top in the high jump.

Texas A&M women
The Aggies are ranked fifth nationally and will be seeking their fifth indoor title in the last six seasons. Texas A&M returns a pair of indoor champions from 4x400 relay members in Donique' Flemings (2010) and Ibukun Mayungbe (2011). Sophomore Ashley Collier has the Big 12's top time in the 60 meters. Laura Asimakis should finish near the top in the pole vault.

Texas Tech women
The Lady Raiders will have several performers who should wind up on the podium. In the 60 meter hurdles, junior Katie Grimes and senior Roxie Greve give Texas Tech a solid one-two punch. The 4x400 relay team also should contend for a medal. Senior All-American Kelly Closse is one of the top weight throwers in the country. Precious Nwokey (pentathlon) and Cierra White (200 meters) also have recorded top efforts during the season.

Baylor men
Newcomer Patrick Schoenball and the Bears' 4x400-meter relay team each hold down the Conference's top spots in their respective events. Schoenball, a freshman, holds the top mark in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:23.68, while the 4x400 team of Zwede Hewitt, Justin Allen, Drew Seale and Blake Heriot has a league-best mark of 3:07.17. Individually, Hewitt is ranked third in the league in the 400 meters with a career-best of 47.18, while newcomer Everett Walker is fourth in the 200 meters at 21.23.

Iowa State men
The Cyclones are led by senior Ian Warner, who will fight for the 60-meter dash title. Warner comes into the conference championship meet with the third-fastest time in the Big  12. In the field events, the Cyclones will look for a strong performance from senior Akeem Holmes, who has his sights set on the Big 12 triple jump title. Holmes currently has the fourth-best triple jump mark in the conference so far this season.

Kansas men
The Jayhawks have several competitors who will compete for medals and NCAA qualifying standards. Sophomore pole vaulter Alex Bishop has topped the 17-foot mark in his past four meets. Junior Kyle Clemons is a sprinter whose top event is the 400 meters and also leads a 4x400 meter relay team that has notched the fifth-best time in the Big 12. Senior distance specialist Donny Wasinger will see action in the 1,000 meters and distance medley relay.

Kansas State men
The Wildcats, ranked 14th nationally, rely on the high jump and multi programs to earn points. Defending high jump champion Erik Kynard seeks a second consecutive Big 12 title. Mantas Silkauskas broke the K-State school record in the heptathlon last year at the NCAA Championship to finish seventh. Junior Tomas Kirielius is also strong in the heptathlon. The Wildcats could score many points in the weight throw with three in the top 10 of the Big 12 rankings.

Missouri men
The Tigers' Jacob Bullinger, a two-time All-Big 12 performer, has the Conference's top performance in the weight throw while teammate Brian Duncan has the second-best weight-throw effort. Missouri junior Malcolm Pennix had the best long jump in the nation early in the season and will be trying to win what should be a highly competitive event at the Big 12 meet. Blake Irwin (800 meters), Dan Quigley (5,000 meters), Jeremy Lampley (triple jump) and Brooks Mosier (shot put) are other Tigers that figure to be in the mix for medals.

Oklahoma men
The Sooners, ranked 21st nationally, should be strong in the mile run. Oklahoma has five runners on its roster with sub four-minute mile personal bests. Three of those times have been run this season by George Alex, Frezer Legesse and Eric Harasyn. Alex has set the program record in the mile and 3,000-meter runs this year. OU's distance medley relay team enters the meet with NCAA automatic qualifying time of 9:30.13.

Oklahoma State men
The Cowboys will rely on their distance runners. German Fernandez, a senior, will be defending last year's one mile conference championship and junior Tom Farrell is the defending conference champion in the 3,000 meters. Fernandez also owns won the mile and the 3,000 meters in 2009. Senior Colby Lowe won the 3,000 in 2010 and will be trying to give Oklahoma State its third consecutive 3,000 meter championship.

Texas men
The Longhorns last won the Big 12 indoor title in 2009, the last of four consecutive Conference championships. Texas should make its mark in the field events, particularly the long jump and the shot put. Marquise Goodwin, who won the 2010 outdoor long jump title, will be a threat to win a medal event though he has jumped only once competitively. Freshman Ryan Crouser broke a 20-year-old school record in the shot put. Junior Maston Wallace is a threat to win the pole vault title.

Texas A&M men
The Aggies are ranked third nationally by the USTFCCCA and are seeking to defend their 2011 indoor title Returning conference indoor champions for the Aggies include Joey Roberts in the 800 meters along with Michael Preble from the men's 4x400. Ameer Webb has the top Big 12 times in the 60 and 200 meter sprints. Ricky Babineaux has the top time in the 400 meters as does A&M's distance medley relay team.

Texas Tech men
The Red Raiders tested themselves against a difficult indoor schedule and hope that reaps dividends in the Big 12 and NCAA championships. Sophomore Kyal Meyers will try to defend his pole vault title while junior Bryce Lamb is one of the top horizontal jumpers in the country. He swept the long jump and triple jump events at the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Championships. Sophomore Reid Strong (mile and 3,000 meters) is a threat to win or at least medal in both events.