Blanton, Bookout Set for NCAA Finals

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- They may have gotten there in different ways, but when DaBryan Blanton and Kevin Bookout walk into Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex Friday night, both will have the same goal -- to leave as an NCAA champion.

Blanton arguably was one of the pre-meet favorites in the 100-meter dash. He had won the last two NCAA Indoor titles in the 60-meter dash, had added his third Big 12 title in the 100 in mid May and won a second NCAA Regional title in the 100 just two weeks ago. He had the third best time in the country with the 10.12 he ran at the TCU Invitational on April 23. And, according to Blanton, his new approach to training had helped him stay healthy this spring.

Then, on the eve of the meet, one of the sprinters ahead of Blanton was ruled ineligible to compete and essentially the 100-meter dash came down to two -- Blanton and Walter Dix of Florida State, who had run a 10.06 on May 27 and was the East Regional champion in the 100. The two were in different heats in the first round of the 100 on Wednesday. Blanton finished with a 10.31 in the qualifying round, Dix a 10.35 and those times were the second and third best recorded. That led them to be lined up side by side later Wednesday in the semifinal round.

Blanton, known for his ability to get strong, quick starts, took an early lead in the semifinal, then Dix just slipped past him at the finish line to win the race. Dix finished with a 10.30 and Blanton put up another 10.31. The two proved on Wednesday they were the ones to beat as the next best time in the 100 semifinals was 10.41, a huge difference in the short sprint race.

“Our plan in the semis was to run a good, tactical race ... to start strong and run strong through 70 meters and let that gets him into the final,” OU sprints coach Shanon Atkinson said. “This race tonight isn't about beating one person because any of the runners in the field can win. It's about DaBryan running his race. For DaBryan, that means to have a strong start, to run hard through the first 50 meters and then accelerate at 50 meters. The winner will be determined by which runner has the best acceleration in the 50-80 meter part of the race. The final 20 meters is all about strength and DaBryan is as strong as anyone out there.

“He's ready to go,” Atkinson continued. “It's a major advantage for him that he has won the last two NCAA Indoor titles in the 60. He's been in this pressure and thrived in it. He also has the advantage of having been in the 100 final on this same track two years ago. This is something he has wanted for two years and he's ready to go after it tonight.”

Tonight at 8:20 p.m. (PDT), the pair will again be lined up side by side. Blanton will be looking for his first NCAA outdoor 100 title on the same track that he was the favorite on two years ago. A false start in the final wiped out that dream. Then last summer, his dreams of qualifying for the Olympics came to a halt on this track after he failed to advance from the first round. The 2004 Olympic Trial race was his first since injuring a hamstring at the 2004 Big 12 Outdoor. That injury kept him out of last year's regional meet which kept him out of the NCAA Championship and slowed his training for the Trials.

And while all of those things may be in the back of his mind on Friday, the one primary thought will be to have a quick, clean start and to carry that advantage through the end to a title.

Minutes before Blanton's pursuit of his dream, Bookout, the redshirt sophomore, begins competition in the shot put final. Out of 27 throwers entered in the meet, Bookout was ranked 25th heading into Wednesday's qualifying round. Unlike many of his competitors, Bookout wasn't bothered by the steady to heavy rainfall that started early in the day and continued throughout the evening. On his second throw of the qualifying round, Bookout recorded a 60-1 throw, his second best of the season. That effort left him sixth overall when the qualifying ended 30 minutes later.

Missing from the 12-man shot put final tonight are four of the top 10 throwers entering the meet and five of the top 15. For Bookout, a finish in the top eight to earn All-America honors as he did at this facility in 2003 as a true freshman is a very real possibility. Some might say a dream come true since he missed the entire 2004 season after shoulder surgery.

“I know I can throw it farther than I did in competition on Wednesday,” Bookout said. “I had several 62 foot throws during warmups. I knew I had a good release on my second throw but I was surprised when they called out the measurement. I really didn't think it was that good.

“I was next to last coming in and I finished sixth in qualifying. I think it will take a 62 foot throw to place and I know that I have that effort in me,” Bookout added.

Ed Wade, Bookout's throwing coach, also believes a 62-footer is possible and also wasn't surprised to see Bookout emerge from the qualifying round.

“I knew some of those top throwers were going to have trouble with the weather conditions,” Wade said. “Rain and wet conditions affect a spinner more than a glider. I was a spinner when I threw and I had problems getting everything working together for a good throw in wet conditions. Kevin is a glider and those conditions don't affect him as much. He just needs to get some more throws in and we will see 62 feet consistently.

“He threw a lot on Monday and Tuesday, threw really hard. We took it easy on yesterday, just did some things to stay active. He will be ready tonight,” Wade added.

The top 12 from preliminary action will take to the ring on Friday at 8:15 p.m. After three rounds of throws, the top nine will advance to a second round of three throws to determine the final finish.

The top eight in all events earn All-America honors. Additionally, All-America honors are awarded to the top eight U.S. citizens in each event field.

On Friday, Blanton and Bookout will be looking to add their names to the list once again.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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