Bookout, Blanton Advance To The Final At The NCAA T&F Meet

June 11, 2003

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A pair of Sooner freshmen became the latest to advance to the final in their events at the NCAA Track and Field Championships late Wednesday night. The athletes battled rapidly dropping temperatures and gusty winds during the evening portion of the first day of competition at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex on the campus of Cal State-Sacramento.

Sprinter DaBryan Blanton was third in his heat with a 10.40 to advance to Friday's final in the 100 meter dash. Blanton's time was the third fastest posted in the semifinals as he was one of the four automatic qualifiers from the first semifinal heat.

The final in the men's 100 is set for Friday at 9:05 p.m. (Pacific time).

Earlier Wednesday, Blanton had finished second in the prelims with a 10.57, tied for the fourth fastest prelim time.

Freshman Kevin Bookout improved his career best to 60-8.5 and had the eighth best qualifying mark in the men's shot put to advance to the final in that event. For Bookout, it marked the fourth consecutive competition that he had tied or improved his career best mark, stretching back to the ACU Open Classic on May 8. It also marked the second consecutive meet for the Stroud freshman to throw better than 60 feet.

Junior LaVerne Jones finished seventh in her semifinal in the 100 and missed making the final by .07 seconds. She will compete Thursday in the preliminaries of the women's 200. Her first race Thursday is set for 10:15 a.m. with the semifinal in the 200 scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Earlier Wednesday, Jones ran an 11.73 to finish fourth in her heat of the women's 100 and was one of six to advance to the semifinals on time.

Kyle Bookout will open his first trip to the NCAA Championships in the men's discus on Thursday morning. The fifth year senior is in the third flight of the qualifying round which begins at 10:15 a.m. The top 12 plus any ties will advance to the final which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

Also scheduled to compete on Thursday is junior Aldwyn Sappleton who will be running in the first semifinal of the 800 at 11:25 a.m. Sappleton had the 12th best prelim time to advance to the semifinals and will be in the fastest of the two semifinal heats. The top three in each semi plus the next two fastest runners will advance to Saturday's 8:30 p.m. final.

Sappleton took the lead from the gun in his heat of the 800 meter preliminary Wednesday morning and held the lead through 600 meters. He ultimately was third in his heat with a 1:49.35 to advance.

Senior pole vaulter Michael Westlund advanced to the final in that event which is set for 6 p.m. Friday. He and five other vaulters cleared the first and second height without a miss and three who advanced to the final passed on the first height. The vaulters will begin competition on Friday at 16-10.75, the last height cleared in the qualifying round, with a clean slate.

The news wasn't as good for OU's other entrant in the men's pole vault as sophomore Austin Landreth was eliminated after clearing the opening height of 16-4.75, then missing all three attempts at 16-10.75. Landreth won the NCAA Midwest Regional title May 31 by clearing 17-7. He missed on his first attempt at 16-4.75 before clearing on his second try.

Updated information on the Sooners' results will be posted on the OU Athletic web site, www.soonersports.com, at the conclusion of competition each day.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Bookout, Blanton Advance To The Final At The NCAA T&F Meet

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