Olympians, All-Americans And National Leaders In The Meet

Jan. 30, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - In many events, the third annual J.D. Martin Invitational Saturday will look like a combination mini-conference, mini-NCAA and mini-Olympic event as some of the top track and field athletes in the country come to town to compete. Included in that group is the world's top ranked 400-meter runner from the 2002 outdoor season, former Sooner Michael Blackwood. Field event action begins at 10 a.m. at the Mosier Indoor Facility with events on the track starting at 12:30 p.m. The meet will follow a rolling schedule.

Blackwood, a five-time All-American while competing for the Sooners, won the final three events of the Grand Prix circuit last summer to finish the outdoor season ranked number one in the world in the 400. Blackwood, who won the 2000 Big 12 Outdoor title in the 400, won five events on the Grand Prix circuit last summer. He competed for Jamaica during the 2000 Olympics, winning a bronze medal as a member of the 1600-meter relay.

Other athletes to watch include Kansas State entries who include the 2002 USA Indoor National triple jump champion Vanitta Kinard who has a personal best of 45-9.75 and has jumped 44-1 this year; Erin Mortimer, a former all-American in distance events; Sheila Burrell, a 2000 Olympian in the heptathlon, 2001 bronze medalist at the World Championships, and U.S. National Champion in the heptathlon in 2002; Karol Rovelto, a 2000 Olympian in the high jump who has a personal best of 6-4 and has cleared 6-0.75 in 2003; Austra Skujyte, the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Champion in heptathlon, the 2002 Big 12 outdoor champion in the long jump and a 2000 Olympian; Nathan Leeper, a 2000 Olympian who has won the last two indoor and outdoor U.S. Championships in the high jump; and Jared MacLeod, who has an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 60-meter hurdles and will run the 60 and 200 in the meet.

Other top performers include Josh Landreth, older brother of Sooner vaulter, Austin Landreth, and an All-American at Arkansas; GiGi Miller, a former All-American at Arkansas in the triple jump and heptathlon; Angel Heath, a former All-American at Barton County, who is now competing for Arkansas in the sprints; Jessie Gordon, a former state of Oklahoma champion, who is competing for Arkansas in the distance events; former Wichita State jumper Randy Lewis, who will competed unattached in the long jump; and Einar Hjartarson of Southern Methodist, the eighth ranked men's collegiate high jumper in the country as of this week.

Former Sooners scheduled to compete include multi-time All-American Shomari Wilson, who will compete in the 60-meter dash; Alesha Peel, who qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles in 2001; Michael McNamara, a multi-time NCAA qualifier in the pole vault; and Joey Scott, who has the second best mark all-time in OU history in the 60-meter hurdles.

The race to watch may be the men's 60-meter hurdles. Five hurdlers best times under 8 seconds are entered and the possibility exists for a matchup between OU sophomore Jason Stanley, currently ranked eighth in the country and second in the Big 12, and Scott to meet in the final. Stanley broke Scott's school record last year but the two never competed together as Sooners.

And as expected in a meet named for a former Sooner pole vaulter, the men's and women's pole vault field is strong. The men's field contains 13 vaulters who have cleared 16-4.75 or better including three current Sooners (Robin Hanna, Austin Landreth and Michael Westlund) and one former Sooner (McNamara). The women's field contains 12 vaulters who have cleared 11-7.75 or better. That group includes 2002 Big 12 indoor champ Leslie Dunlap and three of her Sooner teammates (Lindsey Bourne, Devon Fox and Mary Waytula.)

J.D. Martin retired from OU following the 1997 season. He had served as OU's head coach for 33 years after competing for the Sooners as a pole vaulter. He coached 22 national champions and countless conference winners. He led Sooner teams to top five NCAA finishes six times and two Big Eight titles. He served as a coach for the 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival and was meet director for three NCAA Indoor Championships and the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival. He coached several Olympic medalists including gold-medal winner Jason Rouser in the 1996 games.

There is no admission charge for the meet. Because of ongoing construction in the area, fans are encouraged to park in the Duck Pond lot which can be accessed from Brooks Street. Entry to the Mosier is through the door on the northeast side of the building.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Olympians, All-Americans And National Leaders In The Meet

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors