RICHARDSON, Texas - After helping guide the men's track & field team to one of their most successful indoor seasons in program history,
George Garcia and
Bryce Spencer were named LSC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch by the conference on Wednesday, Mar. 15.
The 19 total men's student athletes were nominated by the various member institutions of the Lone Star Conference.
At the Indoor National Championships, Spencer finished second in the weight throw, earning USTFCCCA First Team All-American honors. Spencer opened the day with a toss of 19.03 meters on his first throw, before slinging a throw of 20.98 meters, smashing his own school record set earlier in the season in the event by 1.36 meters. The mark also set a new facility record for the Virginia Beach Sports Complex, beating the old mark of 20.28 meters set by Troy Yearwood of North Carolina. Spencer faulted on his final throw, but took his heat by 0.54 meters, beating out Dominic Nutter of Walsh.
After the final eight throwers competed in the second heat, Spencer advanced to the finals sitting in second-place overall. The Sundown, Texas native faulted on his final three throws, but only Ben Haas got as close as 0.32 meters to the senior, and Spencer claimed the silver medal in the weight throw, the Chaps first ever medal at the NCAA Division-II Indoor Championships.
Spencer also earned All-Region honors, helping guide the Chaps to a no. 26 national ranking, their highest in program history for indoor track & field at the Division-II level.
Garcia had a fantastic freshman campaign, earning USTFCCA All-Region honors in the 400-meter run and 4x400 meter relay. Garcia earned First Team All-Conference accolades in the 400-meter run and as a member of the men's 4x400 meter relay team. The freshman was phenomenal this season, breaking and resetting the record in the event three times this season, including a first-place finish in his first-ever college race at the Corky Classic. At the Lone Star Conference Championships, Garcia made history in the men's 400-meter run, winning the race with a time of 47.29 seconds. That time beat his school record mark in the event by 0.30 seconds. Garcia beat Brien Pittman of West Texas A&M by 0.23 seconds. Garcia's time was the thirteenth fastest time in Division-II when adjusted for altitude (47.40 seconds). His time would've been the fourth-fastest in the country if altitude was not taken into account.
Garcia was also part of the men's 4x400 meter relay team that won the event championship at the LSC Indoor Championships with a time of 3:12.90. The quartet upset the team from West Texas A&M by 0.20 seconds. The mark also breaks the school record in the event set in 1972 at the Astrodome by 0.02 seconds. When adjusted for elevation, the group finished the year with the 13th fastest time in the country (3:13.34), just missing out on qualifying for the national championship event.
The 2023 LSC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held May 4-6 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, hosted by Lubbock Christian University. The NCAA Division II Championships are set for May 25-27 at CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colo.
The Chaps' attention now turns toward the 2023 outdoor season, which begins on Saturday, Mar. 18 at the WT Spring Break Classic on the campus of West Texas A&M. Action begins at 12:00 PM from Canyon. For more information, fans can head to lcuchaps.com.
LSC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch
| Name |
School |
Class |
Event |
Major |
Hometown (HS) |
| Elvis Kryukov |
Angelo State |
JR |
Multis |
Management |
Limassol, Cyprus (Agios Athanasios) |
| Oussama Elbouchayby |
Angelo State |
FR |
Distance |
Kinesiology |
Marrakech, Morocco (Mousa Noussair) |
| Lamon Miles |
Cameron |
SO |
Mid. Distance |
Sports Ex Sci |
Del City, Okla. (DCHS) |
| Josh Villescas |
Cameron |
JR |
Long Jump |
Business Adm. |
Gadsden, N.M. (GHS) |
| Adam Whitehead |
DBU |
JR |
5,000, 10,000 |
Phil, Poli, Eco |
Gilbert, Ariz. (Arete Prep Academy) |
| Timothy Frederick |
Eastern New Mexico |
JR |
Sprints |
Physical Ed |
La Brea, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Alexander Johnson |
Eastern New Mexico |
JR |
Javelin |
Physical Ed |
Spanish Town, Jamaica (Dinthill) |
| George Garcia |
Lubbock Christian |
FR |
Sprinter |
Secondary Ed |
El Paso, Texas (Eastwood HS) |
| Bryce Spencer |
Lubbock Christian |
SR |
Thrower |
Biology |
Sundown, Texas (SHS) |
| Chaney Martin |
Oklahoma Christian |
JR |
Multis |
Mech Eng. |
West Plains, Mo. (WPHS) |
| Dylan Burrows |
Oklahoma Christian |
JR |
Mid. Distance |
Sports Mngt. |
Melbourne, Australia (Peninsula) |
| Nigusom Knight |
St. Edward's |
SR |
Distance |
Undecided |
Tyler, Texas (Legacy HS) |
| Ja'Qualon Scott |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
SO |
Sprints, Hurdles |
Bus. Marketing |
Houston, Texas (L.V. Hightower HS) |
| Thomas Nieto |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
SO |
Pole Vault |
Undecided |
Ibaque, Columbia |
| Ashton Turner |
UT Tyler |
SO |
Springs, Hurdles |
Undecided |
Fort Worth, Texas (Crowley HS) |
| Ty McDaniel |
UT Tyler |
GR |
Throws |
Kinesiology |
Tecumseh, Mich. (Lindale HS) |
| Joseph Oreva |
West Texas A&M |
JR |
Long Jump |
Fine Arts |
Ughelli, Nigeria (Noble Crest) |
| Quinton Sansing |
West Texas A&M |
SR |
200,400, 4X400 |
Agriculture |
Floresville, Texas (FHS) |
| Aaron Perez |
Western New Mexico |
SO |
Distance |
Kinesiology |
El Paso, N.M. (Eastwood HS) |
