Frogs in the Olympics

Fort Worth, TX

8/4/2008

When the Olympic games begin on August 8, TCU fans have something to cheer about.  Six former TCU students and one current TCU student will represent their respective countries in the Olympic games.

Four former TCU track stars will compete in Sprints in the Olympic games. Lewis Banda will represent Zimbabwe, Virgil Hodge and Kim Collins will represent St. Kitts & Nevis, and Michael Frater will represent Jamaica.

Former Flyin' Frogs Michael Frater and Kim Collins will begin action at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing on Friday, Aug. 15. Frater and Collins will open action on the track at 10 a.m. CT.

The following is a breakdown of each of the track and field athletes competing at The National Stadium in Beijing. TCU Track and Field coach Darryl Anderson also offers comments on each former Flyin' Frog.

Kim Collins (at TCU 2000-2001)
Competition: Friday, August 15, 2008
Event: Men's 100 meter Qualifying Heats
Coverage: 10 a.m. CT (Daytime NBC)

Collins Bio
Collins represented St. Kitts in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and placed sixth in the 100 meter final. He has also made appearances at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and in five World Track and Field Championships, including the 2003 meet held in Paris, France, where he captured the gold medal. He was a quarterfinalist in the 100 meters at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta and finished seventh in the 100 meters at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He won the 100-meter dash at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and continues to be one of the world's top sprinters while training regularly in Fort Worth.

Anderson On Collins
"Kim Collins has had a steady season. He has run well in the 100 and is a factor to make the final. He is a big-meet guy and hopefully does extremely well in Beijing. He always seems to find a way to medal."

Michael Frater (at TCU 2000-2004)
Competition: Friday, August 15, 2008
Event: Men's 100 meter Qualifying Heats
Coverage: 10 a.m. CT (Daytime NBC)

Frater Bio
A seven-time All-American with a unique running style, Michael Frater left TCU as one of the top sprinters in school history.

Frater earned his first All-America certificate as a sophomore in the indoor 60-meter dash and placed fourth at nationals in the 100-meters during the outdoor season. As a junior, Frater placed fifth at the NCAA Indoor meet in the 60, took the bronze medal in the 100 during the outdoor season and ran the anchor leg on the 4x100 relay unit that placed sixth. He posted a career-best time of 10.05 seconds at the TCU Invitational. Frater earned the silver medal at the 2004 NCAA Championships in the 100 meter dash, missing the gold by just eight-thousandths of a second. He anchored the Frogs' 4x100 relay unit, which finished fourth in the nation.

Anderson On Frater
"He is running really well right now and is the third Jamaican behind potentially the gold and silver medalist. He is on a very intriguing team, not only in the 100, but also in the 4x100. Overall, Michael just like Kim has a great opportunity to make the finals in the 100. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we had two TCU alumni in the finals of the men's 100 meter dash."

Lewis Banda (at TCU in 2006)
Competition: Monday, August 18, 2008
Event: Men's 400 meter First Round
Coverage: 10 a.m. CT (Daytime NBC)

Banda Bio
Despite being on the TCU campus for just one season after transferring from Arizona State, Lewis Banda did more in his time in one season than many do in their entire careers. Banda earned five All-America certificates and set the school record in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters. A native of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Banda earned three of his five All-America honors during the outdoor season.

Anderson On Banda
"Lewis Banda has basically pulled out of the games because he hurt his back. It's unfortunate, but he can qualify for the Olympics again in four years after making the semifinals of the men's 400 at the 2004 Olympics."

Virgil Hodge (at TCU 2004-2008)
Competition: Saturday, August 16, 2008
Event: Women's 100 meter First Round
Coverage: 3 p.m. CT (Daytime NBC)

Hodge Bio
Hodge will represent St. Kitts in both the 100 and 200 meters at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She clocked a time of 11.39 in the 100 meters to place first overall at the St. Kitts National Track & Field Championship and Olympic Qualifier. In the 200 meters in St. Kitts, the six-time All-American crossed the finish line in 22.87 seconds to win the event. At the MWC Championships, Hodge, who set a new St. Kitts national record in the 100, closed out her MWC career in style as she clocked a new personal best time of 11.21 seconds in the 100 meters to claim her third-straight conference outdoor title. She also won her third-straight 200-meter championship title.

Anderson On Hodge
"I talked to her this morning and she is ready and excited. Really, she is taking it all in and is ready to go. She trained well with me when she was back here and looked sharp. I am very interested in seeing how she does. She has a chance to make the finals in the 200 meters if she gets back to being the Virgil that we all know. She is healthy, which she wasn't at the end of her college season and really looked good before heading over, so we will see. She starts in the 100 tomorrow in Beijing and we are looking for some good things from her."


Former TCU baseball standout Jake Arrieta (at TCU 2006-2007) will represent the United States as a pitcher on the Olympic baseball team.

Lili Guiscardo, a TCU swimmer from 1999-2001, will compete in the breaststroke in the 2008 games. Edgar Crespo, a current TCU swimmer, will also compete in the breaststroke.


For more information about these outstanding Frogs, visit www.gofrogs.com.