Eldridge, Sappleton Improve NCAA Position at ISU Qualifier

AMES, Iowa -- Jessica Eldridge and Aldwyn Sappleton used the opportunity to run in the ISU Qualifier to improve their standings in the NCAA ranking list on Saturday while another Sooner, Salah Hussein, recorded his first NCAA provisional mark of the season in the mile.

Eldridge finished second behind former All-American Amy Mortimer in the mile with a 4:38.79, an NCAA provisional qualifying time. It also is a season best by nearly seven seconds. With results from other qualifier meets not inlcuded, Eldridge jumped from 22nd to sixth in the event ranking in the mile. She missed an automatic qualifying time by .29 seconds. The Broken Arrow freshman also has a provisional qualifying mark in the 800 and ranked 13th in that event heading into the final weekend for qualifying.

Sappleton lowered his season best time in the 800 to 1:48.42 in the process of finishing seventh in the event. His previous best was 1:49.41. The top six finishers in the event recorded automatic qualifying times and Sappleton missed the automatic mark by just .12 seconds. He improved his standing in the event list from 24th to 16th, again without other qualifier meet results included.

For Hussein, his 4:04.64 in the mile was good for third place and was an NCAA provisional mark for the first time this season. It improved his season best by 12 seconds.

No other Sooners joined the qualifying list today. In the men's pole vault, freshman Scott Martin recorded a season best of 17-0.75 to finish fourth, missing the provisional qualifying mark by four inches. Austin Landreth finished seventh with a 16-6.75 but he already has met the provisional qualifying mark. Former Sooner All-American Michael Westlund finished third in the competition with a 17-0.75.

Senior Leslie Dunlap finished fifth in the women's pole vault, clearing 12-9.50, a season best by two inches. She missed the provisional qualifying mark by two inches. Catherine Odell finished fifth in the mile with a season best of 4:48.47.

Cory Crosby finished eighth in the long jump with a 23-11 and freshman Jon McMillian was 14th in the high jump with a 6-8.25. The OU men's 1600-meter relay finished eighth with a 3:11.12.

Now the Sooners who are on the provisional list must play the waiting game. To be considered for the 2004 Championship, marks must be recorded by Saturday night or Sunday if a team is competing in a conference championship. Declarations must be made by 1 p.m. Monday and the field will be announced Monday night.

OU has two athletes who have automatic marks in three events -- DaBryan Blanton in the 60 and LaVerne Jones in the 60 and 200. The provisional qualifiers inlcude Eldridge, 800 and mile; Sappleton, 800; Hussein, mile; Landreth, pole vault; the women's distance medley relay and the men's 1600 meter relay.