Jones Sets Two Records at NCAA T&F Midwest Regional

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Senior Laverne Jones came into the Midwest Regional Championships as the top-ranked sprinter in the 100 and the 200. She finished the first day of the meet at Anderson Track and Field Complex as the new regional record holder in both events.

She posted the fastest qualifying time in the 100 with an 11.25, breaking the meet record of 11.28 set by Baylor's Lakadron Ivory in last year's meet. Ivory had the second fastest qualifying time with an 11.26 and Marshevet Hooker of Texas had the third best time with an 11.28. Four of the nine finalists are from the Big 12 as Priscilla Lopes of Nebraska had the ninth best time.

At the Big 12 Championships four weeks ago, Jones was second, Hooker third and Ivory fourth. Lopes false started in the conference final.

The 11.25 Jones ran today is a career best for her and sets an OU school record in that event. She had the best all-time mark in the 100 with an 11.28 but it was not eligible for a record because of the wind reading.

In the 200 prelim today, Jones finished with the second fastest time but got the meet record because the wind reading was legal during her race. She finished with a 22.90 with a wind reading of 1.5 while Ashlee Wiliams' time of 22.79 was not eligible for a record because the wind reading during her heat with 3.5.

Competitiors today battled swirling winds, temperatures in the mid 90s and humidity in the 70-80 percent mark.

Jones also ran the first leg of OU's 400-meter relay which qualified for Saturday's final. Jones, Ashley Freeman, Kelsey Strecker and Yolanda Goff combined for a 44.96 to finish third in their heat and seventh overall. The time is a season best and ranks as the eighth best time in school history.

Senior Robert Smith finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 24-9.25. Senior Cory Crosby, who was injured during the Big 12 Championships, also competed in the long jump but the injury held him back. He finished 16th with a season low of 22-7. Smith will compete in the triple jump final on Saturday.

An injury also knocked Sooner sophomore DaBryan Blanton out of the meet. Ranked third in the region in the 100 heading into competition, Blanton scratched from the race just before the prelims. After going through warmups for the event, he was unable to get his injured hamstring to loosen up enough to run. Blanton injured the hamstring winning the 100 at the Big 12 meet and was forced to scratch from the 200 final at that meet. Because he was forced to scratch prior to the start of the race, he will not be eligible to run at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, in two weeks.

In other results from the first day of the meet, senior Leslie Dunlap finished 10th in the pole vault, clearing 12-10. Dunlap cleared the first height of the competition (11-10) on her second attempt and the second height (12-4) on her third attempt. She missed her first two attempts at 12-10 then got over the bar on her third attempt. The bar bounced but didn't fall, advancing Dunlap to 13-1.75. She missed all three attempts at that height which was the height it took to finish in the top five and qualify for the NCAA meet. Lindsey Bourne cleared 11-10 and tied for 20th while Jennifer Plank didn't clear the opening height.

Freshman Jon McMillian cleared 7-1 on his final attempt, then missed three tries at 7-2.25, the height that placed a jumper in the top four, again earning a trip to NCAA. Eight jumpers went out at 7-1 but only two advanced to the jump off for fifth place and a trip to the NCAA. Those jumpers were selected based on number of misses in the competition.

Salah Hussein finished sixth in his heat in the 1500 with a 3:55.84 and missed advancing to the final by two spots. The top four in each of two heats qualified and the next four fastest times also advanced. Hussein missed on his finish in his heat and was 14th on the time list, missing again by two spots. Josh Scott finished 21st in the men's 200 with a 21.68.

Freshman Jessica Eldridge saw her 1500 prelim cancelled and the event turned into a Saturday final only. Also scheduled to compete in final only events on Saturday are Renea' Burns in the javelin, Austin Landreth and Scott Martin in the pole vault, Lucretia Rimmer in the triple jump, Smith in the triple jump, Catherine Odell in the 3000-meter steeplechase and Blake Culp in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

The top five in each individual event and the top three in each relay advance to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.