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A new generation of athlete is here. The kind who instantly impacts the team he becomes a part of, regardless of age.
Brad Buckman and P.J. Tucker contributed heavily to post-season basketball runs in their first seasons as Longhorns. Huston Street as a freshman became the key ingredient on the way to the baseball team's fourth national title.
Since gracefully warming the 40 Acres with his presence two years ago, Brendan Christian has become one of the key pieces of Texas' track team's successes of the past and the high anticipation for the future.
"I work hard," Christian said about his work-ethic as a sprinter. "I always stay focused on track."
Thus far in his collegiate career, Christian has captured three of a possible four 200-meter titles (both outdoor and indoor), and has posted second and first finishes in Big 12 100-meter outdoor competition. Christian and an array of athletes together hold two school records in the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relays, and Christian also owns a 200-meter individual record after his spectacular performance at the Midwest Region in College Station.
At the regional meet, Christian soared to a time of 10.11 in the prelims, three-hundredths of a second faster than the historic Johnny "Lam" Jones. He did not even realize he broke the school record until his best friend and roommate Quincy Boles asked him what the school record was.
Not only did he chase down "Lam," but in Christian's next time out on the track, he beat his own record by two-hundredths of a second en route to winning the region. However, the latter time was considered wind-aided and will not be apart of the record books.
Jones, two-time All-American wide receiver and first-ever professional football player to sign a million-dollar contract, was considered "without a doubt the single fastest man of his time" by the University's Assistant Athletic Director Bill Little.
Jones captured a gold medal straight out of high school and put his mark in Texas' record books at the 1977 Texas Relays with a 10.14 record time.
At the 1976 Texas Relays, Jones ran a 9.85 time, but the official time-keeping device malfunctioned, not allowing the spectacular time in the record books. The unofficial time would have stood as a world record until 1992.
A little more than 27 years have passed since Jones' run, and Christian has put himself in front of one of the most historic athletic figures the University has ever produced. Now the attention shifts to his final meet of the season, the NCAA championships, which begin Wednesday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
"I think I have a small advantage having the championships on my track," Christian said. "I know exactly how it feels."
In the latest Track-wire rankings, Christian is predicted to finish fourth in the 100-meter and sixth in the 200-meter. The 4x100-meter relay team that he is a part of is predicted to finish in the top 10 as well.
However, Christian is not settling for early predictions. This past week he has prepared diligently to better both his 100- and 200-meter marks by working on "technical stuff."
When asked why students and fans should come out and watch Texas at the national championships, he knew what to say, but elected to pass it over to his wordy roommate Boles.
With a grin the size of Texas, Boles replied, "Easy - to watch the Horns win, of course."
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