Blanton Repeats as NCAA Champion

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Junior DaBryan Blanton made the most of the best 30 meters of his career to repeat as NCAA champion in the 60-meter dash on the second day of action at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. The meet was held at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Blanton ran a 6.58 in the final, equalling the time he recorded in the prelims on Friday, to beat Dusty Stamer of Nebraska to the finish line. Stamer had won the last head-to-head meeting between the two at the Big 12 Championship.

According to Blanton's coach, Shanon Atkinson, the Sooner sprinter had to overcome a less than perfect start.

“DaBryan didn't have the start tonight that he had yesterday but he made up for that in the middle of the race, the last 30 meters. Unlike the prelim, he was pushed during the first 30 meters and he responded the way a champion does. His final 30 meters was probably his best of the season.”

Another Sooner, senior Aldwyn Sappleton, finished eighth in the 800-meter run to earn individual All-America honors in an indoor event for the first time in his career.

Blanton's win was one for the history book. He became only the second Sooner in school history to repeat as a national champion in an individual event. He also is the first in more than 38 years. Bill Calhoun won back-to-back national titles in the indoor 440-yard dash in 1966-67, 17 years before Blanton was born and seven years before Sooner sprints coach Atkinson was born.

“It so much harder to defend a title than to win the first one,” Atkinson explained. “We were both a bit more intense on Friday because it had been almost two weeks since he had run a race. We kept it loose today, followed the same routine as we did yesterday. The start wasn't there tonight but he put it together in the second half.

“This was a huge win for our program,” Atkinson continued, “and a big win for DaBryan. So many people had forgotten about him, discounted him because he was injured last spring during the outdoor season and because he didn't repeat as Big 12 champion. After the preliminary race yesterday, people began remembering what he had done in the past and what he could do.

“It also was very important that so many of his teammates came over from Norman to cheer him on. This atmosphere (in Fayetteville) can be overwhelming to anyone. It really helped to have most of the sprint group here as well as other members of the Sooner team.”

For Sappleton, the finish capped a solid Sooner indoor career that had produced more than its share of challenges. The senior had earned All-America honors as a member of the indoor 1600-meter relay in 2002 but he had never advanced to the final in an individual indoor event.

“I am so proud of what Aldwyn accomplished tonight,” said Rodney Rothoff, the Sooners' middle distance/distance coach. “I know Aldwyn wanted to finish higher but the race just didn't play out that way. He went out a little too hard in the first 150 meters and that caught up with him at the end.”

Sappleton started the race in the fifth position and had moved to fourth by the end of the first lap. He maintained his position in fourth until the final lap started when the eventual winner, Kevin Hicks of Florida A&M, shot to the front and took control of the race.

“Aldwyn proved tonight that he can run with the best in the country. We are excited about this performance, especially since the indoor season isn't particularly his favorite ... you don't run much indoors in Jamaica. He overcame a lot of adversity to get where he was tonight and we will build from these performances for the outdoor season,” Rothoff added.

OU's final competitor on Saturday, Jon McMillian, cleared the opening height of 6-10.25 on his second attempt, then failed to clear the second bar, 6-11.75, to finish 13th in the high jump. Martin, a sophomore, was competing with a sprained ankle on his plant foot which may have had some affect on his performance.

The Sooner men finished with 16 points, good for a 12th place finish in the team standings, the Sooners' best team finish since 1997.

The meet will be broadcast on a tape delayed basis. It will air Wednesday, March 16, on ESPN 2 at noon.

The Sooners will now turn their attention to the 2005 outdoor season. The season-opening meets are scheduled for March 25. Some Sooners will go to Waco, Texas, for the Dr Pepper Invitational while others will go to Arlington, Texas, to the UTA Invitational.

NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, OU results only

Finals
Men's 60-meter dash -- 1. DaBryan Blanton, 6.58
Men's 800-meter run -- 8. Aldwyn Sappleton, 1:48.37
Men's high jump -- 13. Jon McMillian, 6-10.

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