Texas Tech freshman breaks indoor record

Kyzer Dunbar had not yet added a picture to the Texas Tech sports website when he added his name to the record book for the team.

At the Jarvis Scott Invite on Saturday, the rookie sprinter won the 600-yard run in 1 minute, 8.14 seconds, breaking the school record, which had stood since 2013. He had only run three races for the Red Raiders before this one.

Dunbar, a 5-foot-10, 137-pound native of New Orleans, made program history before his biography page even showed his picture. The space where his picture should be remains blank.

"I have worked very hard," Dunbar said after the race. "A few weeks ago, I hurt my hamstring, so to be able to come out here and get better and put on a great show for the Texas Tech fans, man, it is amazing."

Vincent Crisp, one of the best middle-distance runners in Texas Tech history, held the previous school record that Dunbar beat. From 2016 to 2019, Crisp was named to the first team of All-America once and the second team four times.

Crisp kept working as a professional after he left Lubbock. He was mostly an 800-meter expert. He has often made it to the U.S. He has consistently qualified for both the Olympic Trials and state championships. At the 2023 U.S. Indoor Championships, he finished third in the 800 meters.

Dunbar set the record at Texas Tech's last home meet of the indoor season during the regular season. There are not many indoor races that go the 600-yard route, and the ones that do only happen at certain meets. It requires both sprint speed and middle-distance endurance.

Even though Dunbar had only been with the team for a short time, he put on a fantastic show in front of his home crowd, showing that he could have a big impact as the Red Raiders move toward title season.

With postseason meets coming up, Dunbar's early success gives Texas Tech's indoor track and field team more strength. It also means that when his headshot goes online, it will go with a record holder's resume.

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