RRTL had mentioned that while Chris Muncie, a prized 400 meter recruit was committed to Tech, he had been rumored that he might go to Arkansas. Well it appears that this has come to pass. Fortunately the 400 is an area of strength for Texas Tech.
From this morning's El Paso Times: "Montwood senior Chris Muncie, a state track qualifier, will sign with Arkansas."
Posted on 2/4 4:41 PM | IP: Logged
Thanks, RF, for finding that. I think that the coaches soured on Muncie when he went for the trip to Arkansas after verbally committing to Tech. As I mentioned earlier this year, the ironic thing is that Muncie has a better chance of making the 4X400 relay at Arkansas, arguably the best track program in the nation.
Mostly, I hoped that Tech got him simply because he was a west Texas kid - in this case a FAR west Texas kid.
Posted on 2/4 7:21 PM | IP: Logged
RRTL, do most T&F guys sign the first day of the recruiting period like in football, or do these signings trickle in? When do you expect to know how Tech's complete class looks?
Thanks for all the info you give us.
Posted on 2/4 7:23 PM | IP: Logged
Much more of a trickle in process in track and field. The actual signing period for track does not close until Aug. 1. A lot of kids wait until the spring state track meet, hoping to improve their chances of more scholarship. I do expect to see Tech announce the first several signings either late this week or early next. I think there will be enough kids sign to make a sizeable release fairly quickly.
Incidentally, I saw on the TAMU site that the Aggies announced an 18 person class, 10 women and 8 men. One kid who I was very interested in was Bonnie Richardson, the kid who won A state all by herself for Rochelle. In the press box at her regional meet last year, there was a lot of discussion about whether a major D-1 program would take a chance of a raw kid like Bonnie. I guess TAMU did!
Posted on 2/4 7:45 PM | IP: Logged
Looking at the Dallas Morning News this a.m. brought one piece of recruiting bad news and one piece of GREAT news related to recruiting.
First the bad news: Skylar White, the outstanding girl thrower from DeSoto inexplicably signed with Baylor. At the first meet of the year, I heard that she verballed to Tech. This makes NO sense. Baylor is a great school for sprinters and women distance runners - it is a wasteland for throwers! I don't even know if they have a weights coach. Their throwers are at the bottom of the barrel every single year. Tech, on the other hand, has the best discus thrower (DeDe Carter) and shotputter (Patience Knight) and the 2nd best hammer thrower (Ozie Okolie) in the conference and the best throws coach in the Big 12 in Cliff Felkins. DeDe and Patience both graduate this year and there will be a void in this roster that Skylar could have filled perfectly. However, she signs with Baylor, where she will fade into mediocrity after dominating the Texas HS throws scene for 3 years.
Now, the good news: Candace Jackson, the great sprinter from Dallas Skyline, signed with Tech. Candace ran on the 5A 1st place 4X100 and 4X400 relays for Skyline. She finished 2nd in the 5A 200 and returns as the sprinter to beat in 5A in 2009. She was ranked in the top 10 nationally in the 200 as a junior and has a valid shot at being the top 200 meter HS runner in the nation. Another huge point for Tech - the Red Raiders have consistently lost the top Metroplex sprinters to TAMU, UT a nd Baylor over the past few years. Now, Tech gets the TOP Metroplex sprinter and that will send a postive message to other sprinters. Candace's time is immediately Big 12 finals worthy, breaking up those points for TAMU, Baylor and UT points.
Candace will team with Terra Evans, the outstanding freshman Tech sprinter, to give Tech one-half of a world-class sprint relay. Now, Tech just needs to find those other 2 sprinters!
Posted on 2/5 8:22 AM | IP: Logged
More good news - Katie Grimes of Canyon signed with Texas Tech yesterday.
Link: Katie Grimes Posted on 2/5 9:04 AM | IP: Logged
Thanks, RF. I am very, very high on Katie Grimes and what she can do for the track team.
This is the entry I just posted on "Inside the Double T". Thought I would paste it in here for the track and field faithful to review as well:
Yesterday was also the beginning of the signing period for Tech's spring sports, including track and field. One big difference between football and track - yesterday was the beginning AND the end of 2009 recruiting, except for some preferred walkon prospects. However, in track and field it is just the beginning of a long haul that can last until the August 1 closing date.
Tech has gotten off to a HUGE start in the recruiting battles. It was officially announced that 5 athletes signed track LOI's. Here is a quick rundown of a stellar class, in and of itself:
MEN
Bryce Lamb, from Chandler, AZ - the reigning Arizona 5A state champ in the LJ and TJ. He was also ranked #3 nationally in both events in the Dyestat list, which is the Bible of HS track and field. In the LJ, Lamb was ranked just behind Marquise Goodwin, the kid from Rowlett who signed with UT. You just watch, Bryce will be stomping Goodwin's butt in the next few years, since the UT jumps coach is WAY overrated.
Julian Wruck - the monster discus thrower from Brisbane, Australia. This kid is 6-6 and 260 pounds. He won the Commonwealth Youth Games in the DT and has thrown the Australian HS discus over 200 feet. The Australian HS discus is heavier than the U.S. HS discus, so his throw is equivalent to a 210-215 throw from a U.S. high schooler. There aren't any Texas high schoolers throwing anywhere in that range right now. And, this kid is only 17. I have seen him and he looks like a kid. He will get bigger and much, much stronger in the next 4 years.
And, football signee Derrick Mays has also told the track coaches that he definitely plans on running track as well. Mays is a legit threat on the track - he was 4th in the 5A 200 last spring, placing behind current Red Raider Markus Henderson.
WOMEN
Start with SHADE WEYGANDT, the three time Texas 5A pole vault champ from Mansfield, who is the all-time greatest Texas HS girl pole vaulter. She was ranked #2 nationally on Dyestat and should be the first Texas girl vaulter to vaulter over 14 feet. I have seen her vault several times, this kid is a future Olympian!
Candace Jackson - the sprinter from Dallas Skyline was 2nd in the 5A 200 in 2008, she also was the leadoff leg for Skyline's state championship 4X100 and 4X400 relays. She ran 3 events at the state meet - 2 golds and a silver. She is considered the top HS senior sprint prospect in Texas in 2009. What is significant with this signing is that Tech has been losing out to TAMU, UT, TCU and Baylor for Metroplex sprinters for the past few years - Candace is the top HS girl sprinter in the Metroplex this year and Tech signed her. That is huge in the recruiting battles!
Katie Grimes - last, but certainly not least. Katie is a perfect heptathlete prospect. For Canyon in 2008, she won the 100H and 300H, placed 2nd in the TJ and 7th in the LJ. That was 28 points personally for Katie AND she ran on Canyon's victorious 4X400 relay. Her goal for 2009? Win all four events, scoring 40 points and again anchor Canyon's 4X400 relay that returns 3 of the 4 runners from 2008.
I expect to see Tech pick up some JC kids very soon as well. There were a few kids that Tech missed out on, but I don't even want to review those right now. I am impressed with the kids Tech did get.
Posted on 2/5 5:20 PM | IP: Logged
Thanks for that info RRTL. You were on the money with Muncie's desire to contribute earlier at UA than at Tech. Chris would have been a welcomed additon to our team, nevertheless. Here is what Lenny Jurado of the El Paso Times wrote:
Muncie likely will participate in both football and track and field, he said. Muncie, who played wide receiver in 2008, is getting track money, but he will try out for the football team.
As a runner, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound specimen finished fourth in the 400-meter dash and sixth in the 200 at the Class 5A state championships last year. His personal-bests are 47.30 and 21.38 seconds, respectively.
"From what I understand, he's going to be in that mile relay right off the bat," Rams track coach Joe Vasquez said. "They already told him that with the training that they have year-round, they think that he can run a 45, 44 (in the 400). They have high hopes for him, and I think he'll do it."
LSU, Houston, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Nebraska, UCLA, Notre Dame and Baylor all offered Muncie scholarships.
In the end, he settled for a program with a mere 29 combined men's NCAA indoor and outdoor titles, and one that currently is ranked No. 1 by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
"It's a new test for me, and a new beginning," Muncie said of his future. "I signed early because I felt it would help me become more determined in the track season, knowing that I was a part of the Razorback team and I'd feel more confident in my races representing Arkansas."
Yahoo! Sports
