McMillian, Jones Advance to NCAA Finals

AUSTIN, Texas -- Jon McMillian and Laverne Jones made it interesting for the Sooners but in the end both earned trips to the finals in their respective events during competition Thursday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Jones will compete in the 100-meter dash final at 9:10 p.m. Friday while McMillian will jump in the high jump final at 7 p.m. Saturday.

For OU's other competitors Thursday, it was a matter of close but not quite. Freshman Scott Martin went out on the final bar before the height that advanced to Saturday's final while another Sooner freshman, Jessica Eldridge, missed qualifying for the final in the 1500 by less than 2.5 seconds.

Jones tied her own school record in the 100 prelims, running 11.25 to finish second in her weather-delayed preliminary. Because of the storms that hit Austin on Wednesday, the NCAA Track and Field Committee decided to reduce the competition in the sprints to a preliminary and a final only. According to Jones' coach, Shanon Atkinson, that change worked to her benefit.

“Laverne got out well today and this race just knocks the rust off for her,” Atkinson said. “We expected some great times, they just happened in a preliminary round instead of a semifinal round. When you have a prelim and a semifinal, you use the prelim as a jump start, then use the semi to get your time. It will work to Laverne's benefit that she only had one race today. She is so fast and so strong and it helps that she is able to concentrate on just the 100. Several of the other runners in the 100 final will run the 200 prelims later tonight and will have the 400-meter relay to run before the 100 final on Friday.

“We'll spend the time between now and the race refining her technical approach to the race and building our plan to run from an outside lane. That, too, should be a benefit for her.”

The top time from each of four prelims plus the next five fastest times advanced. Jones had the fourth fastest non-winning time, running in the only heat that had a legal wind reading. Lauryn Williams of Miami had the fastest qualifying time with a 10.94 but the wind was in excess of 2.0 meters per second.

McMillian cleared the first two heights of the competition, 6-9 and 6-10.75, on his first attempt. He then used all three attempts to clear 7-0.25 and cleared 7-1.5 on his third and final attempt. A total of 14 jumpers advanced to the final and four of those 14 used their final attempt at 7-1.5 to advance.

“We're excited that John got into the final and we were fairly certain that it would take a jump of 7-1 or better to qualify,” said Tom Williams, OU's high jump coach. “We knew if people were jumping well and the weather conditions were good, which they were today, that it would take at least a 7-1 to get in. We prepared for that and concentrated on getting over those early bars to put Jon in a position to take the higher bars. He's been working on some things to make those higher bars easier to get over. Now, we will relax, stay cool, watch some video and get ready for Saturday's final.”

Martin opened the competition for the Sooners on Friday. He cleared the first two heights on his first attempt, then missed on three tries at 17-4.5. He easily sailed over the bar at 16-4.75 and 16-10.75. He went under the bard on his first attempt at 17-4.5, cleared the bar on his second attempt but knocked it off on the way down, then hit the bar with his foot on the way up on his third try at 17-4.5.

Eldridge finished ninth in her heat and 16th overall in the 1500 with a 4:23.19. The top four in each heat plus the next four times advanced to the final and three of the next four times came from the first heat which Eldridge ran in. She was one of three freshmen in the 27-runner field and none of them advanced to the 12-person final on Saturday. She will see those other freshmen again in two weeks when she competes in the U.S. Junior Nationals.

McMillian, Jones Advance to NCAA Finals

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