Sooners Break Longtime School Records at ISU Track and Field Qualifier

The attack on the University of Oklahoma track and field record book continued over the weekend and, as a result, several Sooners are awaiting an important call from the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Games Committee. The final field for the 2004 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships is set to be announced later tonight. The meet opens on Friday in Fayetteville, Ark.

At the Iowa State NCAA Qualifier on Saturday, a pair of Sooner freshmen, Jessica Eldridge and Salah Hussein, recorded NCAA provisional times in the mile run. Both times were season bests for the Sooner runners and both established OU school records in the process. Eldridge's time of 4:38.79 missed an automatic qualifying time by .29 seconds and broke the OU school record that had been in place since 1981. Former Sooner All-American Kellie Cathey had held the record with a 4:43.1. Eldridge, who also has a provisional qualifying mark in the 800, ranked eighth in the mile and 15th in the 800 after final qualifying marks had been added to the list Sunday night. Her qualifying time in the 800, 2:06.33, also broke a long standing school record, beating the previous mark of 2:07.38 posted by Lenell Miller in 1992.

While Eldridge will probably have another chance to run during the indoor season, Hussein's final race was Saturday. He still will have a school record to remember his final effort in the indoor mile. Hussein recorded a 4:04.64 which met the NCAA provisional standard. However, he ranks 43rd on the final declaration list. The time by Hussein broke the school record of 4:04.94 established in 1981 by former Sooner All-American Erin Rankin.

With the records set Saturday, the Sooners have changed the school records in six events during the 2004 indoor season.

Other Sooners awaiting invitations to the NCAA meet include Aldwyn Sappleton, who is 17th in the 800, and Austin Landreth, who is 17th in the pole vault. The men's 1600-meter relay and the women's distance medley relay also have provisional qualifying marks this season but, with the limits on the field, will not get invitations. Sappleton qualified for the indoor 800 last year and earned All-America honors in the outdoor 800 last June. Landreth has qualified for two NCAA Outdoor meets and this would be his first trip to the NCAA Indoor should he be included in the field.

The Sooners also have two athletes who have automatic qualifying times in three events. Sophomore DaBryan Blanton is tied for second in the 60 meter dash on the final qualifier's list with a 6.57. He and Tyson Gay of Arkansas recorded their best times in conference meet action a week ago. The leader, Johnie Drake of Central Michigan, has a 6.54 but has not improved that mark since it was posted January 23. Senior LaVerne Jones is ranked sixth in the 60 with a 7.24 and is eighth in the 200 with a 23.31 on the final list. Four of the five marks ahead of Jones in the 60 were posted the last weekend of February while four of the seven ahead of her in the 200 were posted the last weekend of February. Jones got her marks during the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28.

Blanton earned All-America honors in the 60 last year as a freshman and Jones became the first Sooner woman to earn All-America honors in two individual events since 1982 when she doubled in the 60 and 200 last year.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Break Longtime School Records at ISU Track and Field Qualifier

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors