Fox To Broadcast Big 12 Track & Field Meet on Delayed Basis

NORMAN, Okla. A three week schedule of broadcasts of the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the Fox Sports Network will begin Thursday.

The first broadcasts will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports New York, Fox Sports New England, Fox Sports Pittsburgh, Fox Sports South, Madison Square Garden, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Arizona, and Fox Sports West

The broadcasts Thursday will start a three week schedule of broadcasts that will end May 30. This marks the eighth consecutive year for the Fox Sports Network to televise the championship. More than 15 Fox affiliated stations nationwide will air the event. A schedule of broadcasts is listed below. Check local listings for telecast times as well.

Nebraska won its fourth men's title during the meet while Texas won its fifth women's title in the eight-year history of the meet. A total of 15 former champions repeated and/or regained their titles at the meet held at OU's John Jacobs Field.

Raasin McIntosh of Texas (400-meter intermediate hurdles), Darold Williamson of Baylor (400-meter dash) and Jonathan Johnson of Texas Tech (800-meter run) became three-time champions. Carl Myerscough of Nebraska won his third discus title and picked up his second shot put title as well (his first came in 2002). Becky Breisch of Nebraska added a second consecutive shot put title.

Others who successfully defended their titles included DaBryan Blanton of Oklahoma (100-meter dash); Brendan Christian of Texas (200-meter dash); Katy Doyle of Texas A&M (javelin); Sanya Richards of Texas (100- and 200-meter dash) and Ineta Radvica of Nebraska (triple jump). Dathan Ritzenhein of Colorado, the 2002 champion in the 5000, won the 5000 title again in 2004.

Jermaine Cooper of Texas won the 110-meter high hurdles title in 2004 after winning the title for the first time in 2002. Eric Eshbach of Nebraska won the pole vault title after first winning it in 2000. Richards (100 and 200), Radvica (long and triple jump) and Myerscough (shot put and discus) were double champions in 2004. For Richards, it marked her second year to double in the 100 and 200.

And while the faces on the relays may have changed, the Texas women and the Baylor men continued to rule. The UT women have never lost an 400-meter relay final and have won seven of eight 1600-meter relay titles. The Baylor women broke that string in 1998, the second year of the meet. The Baylor men have won seven consecutive 1600-meter championships after Oklahoma won the first one in conference history.

Seven meet records and five stadium records were set or tied during the three days of competition. Richards tied the meet record in the 200 with a 22.73 in the prelims on Friday.

Melissa Gulli of Texas A&M set the stadium record in the 5000 with a 16:24.78. Ann Gaffigan of Nebraska broke the meet record in the 3000-meter steeplechase and set a stadium record in the event with a 10:17.92. Jenny Green of Nebraska tied the meet record in the pole vault and set a stadium record with a 13-5.25. Radvica set a stadium record in the triple jump with a 45-8.50.

Doyle broke the meet record in the javelin with a throw of 179-7. Johnson set a meet record in the 800 with a 1:47.12, breaking the record held by the only four-time winner of the men's 800, Derrick Peterson of Missouri. In the shot put, Myerscough broke his own meet record and set a stadium record with his winning throw of 67-9.50. He added a meet record in the discus with his winning effort of 208-0.

Through the three days of the meet, a total of 249 NCAA Regional qualifying marks were posted. That total includes duplicate marks by some athletes as well as athletes who already had qualifying marks recorded. In the women's 200, two runners posted regional marks but did not advance to the nine-person final.

In the final of that event, it took at least a regional qualifying time to score a point. It also took a regional qualifying mark to score in the women's 100 meter hurdles, the women's steeplechase, the women's pole vault, the women's shot put, the women's discus throw, the women's hammer throw, the men's pole vault and the men's shot put. One runner in the women's 1500 had a regional time in the prelims but did not advance to the nine-runner final.

In the women's and men's long jump, the ninth and 10th placers had regional marks but scored no team points. In the women's triple jump, women's javelin and men's discus, all nine finalists had regional marks but only eight scored team points.

Aki Heikkinen of Texas Tech recorded the only NCAA automatic qualifying mark with his winning score in the decathlon. Another seven recorded NCAA provisional qualifying marks including Hans Uldal of Missouri in the decathlon; Jessica Stockard of Missouri, Jordan Willman of Baylor, Sara Jane Baker of Nebraska, Jennifer Johnson of Texas A&M and Ashley Selig of Nebraska in the heptathlon; and Gulli of Texas A&M in the 10,000-meter run.

TV SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 6, 2004: Fox Sports Ohio 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports New York 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports New England 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Pittsburgh 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports South 12 p.m. Eastern; Madison Square Garden 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Midwest 11 a.m. Central; Fox Sports Southwest 12 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Arizona 12 p.m. Mountain; Fox Sports West 2 1 p.m. Pacific

Friday, May 7, 2004: Fox Sports Detroit 12 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Rocky Mountain 1 p.m. Mountain

Saturday, May 8, 2004: Fox Sports Detroit 4 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Florida 3 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports New England 2 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Ohio 5 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Midwest 3 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Midwest 4 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Southwest 7 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Arizona 11 aa.m. Mountain; Fox Sports Rocky Mountain 4 p.m. Mountain; Fox Sports West 2 5 p.m. Pacific; Fox Sports Bay Area 5 p.m. Pacific

Sunday, May 9, 2004: Comcast Mid-Atlantic 1 p.m. Eastern; Comcast Sports Network 1 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports South 1 p.m. Eastern; Fox Sports North 1 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Wisconsin 3 p.m. Central

Monday, May 10, 2004: Comcast Mid-Atlantic 2 a.m. Eastern; Fox Sports Southwest 1 p.m. Central; Fox Sports West 2 2 p.m. Pacific

Tuesday, May 11, 2004: Fox Sports North 1 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Wisconsin 1 p.m. Central

Wednesday, May 12, 2004: Fox Sports Ohio 1 p.m.Eastern; Fox Sports Midwest 12 p.m. Central; Fox Sports Rocky Mountain 11 a.m. Mountain; Fox Sports Northwest 1 p.m. Pacific

Thursday, May 13, 2004: Fox Sports New England 1 p.m. Eastern

Friday, May 14, 2004: Fox Sports Chicago 12 p.m. Central

Saturday, May 22, 2004: Fox Sports Chicago 3 p.m. Central

Sunday, May 23, 2004: Fox Sports West 2 a.m. Pacific

Wednesday, May 26, 2004: Fox Sports New England 1 p.m. Eastern

Sunday, May 30, 2004: Comcast Mid-Atlantic 11 p.m. Eastern