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Track and Field
at Battle on the Bayou
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Hosts Sooner Indoor Saturday
February 15, 2006 | Track and Field
NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma hosts the 32nd annual Sooner Indoor at the Mosier Indoor Track Saturday, Feb. 18. The meet marks the final competition before the University of Nebraska hosts the Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 24-25.
Field events begin at 10 a.m. with the women's weight throw. Running events begin at 12:30 p.m. with the women's mile run.
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Ticket Prices
The Sooner Indoor will be a non-ticketed event. Admission is free.
Parking
Parking is available in the eastern most portion of the Duck Pond parking lot. Enter from Brooks Street and head to the far east end of the lot (the end closest to the Duck Pond). A pedestrian gate on the northeast corner of the John Jacobs Track Facility is open to a sidewalk that crosses over to the entryway of the Mosier Indoor Facility.
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Junior Ronnie Pines returns to the site where he set the nation's fastest collegiate time in the 60-meter dash at 6.60 seconds Saturday at the Sooner Indoor.
Pines mark was set in the finals of the J.D. Martin Invitational on Feb. 4. The time broke the meet record, which he set in 2005 while a student-athlete at Barton County Community College, and facility record, set in 2004 by two-time national champion DaBryan Blanton.
As of Feb. 14, Pines' 6.60 time is No. 1 among all collegians, No. 7 among Americans and No. 13 in the world in 2006.
Pines will be in position to lower his time even further, considering that OU alum Shomari Wilson and sophomore Marcus Pugh -- second (6.66) and third place (6.69) behind Pines during the record-breaking run -- will be in the field pushing him again.
Getting to Know the Sooner Coaching Staff
Martin Smith was announced as Oklahoma sixth head track & field coach on June 30, 2005, and quickly assembled impressive staff of assistants to usher in the new era of Sooner track & field.
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In the Polls
The OU men's dropped out of the Trackwire Top 25 in week two after opening in the No. 25 spot.
Sprinters Yolanda Goff and Ronnie Pines hold strong in the Dandy Dozen this week. Goff is ranked No. 9 in the 60. Pines is No. 4.
Jessica Eldridge makes her season debut on the list ranked No. 12 in the mile run. Oklahoma's women's distance medley relay is No. 8.
The full Trackwire Top 25 and Dandy Dozen can be viewed at www.trackwire.com.
What's at Stake?
The Sooner Indoor will be OU's final opportunity to tune up in a competitive atmosphere before traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for the Big 12 Championships next week.
Another point of emphasis will be achieving marks under the NCAA automatic and provisional qualifying standards on what proved to be a kind facility for the Sooners during their last hosting gig, the J.D. Martin Invitational.
The 2006 Sooner Indoor Field
OU will host student-athletes of 21 men's and 24 women's universities, colleges and clubs from around the region. Among those are:
Men: Abilene Christian, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Hawks Track Club, Howard Payne University, Huston-TIllotson, Missouri Southern, North Texas, Northwood University, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Paul Quinn, PTC Elite, Pure Speed Track & Field Club, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwest Christian, Southwestern Oklahoma, Speed By Choice Track Club, Sprint Athletics Track Club, Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Women: Abilene Christian, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Baylor, Central Arkansas, Hawks Track Club, Howard Payne University, Huston-Tillotson, Missouri Southern, New Mexico Junior College, North Texas, Northwood University, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Paul Quinn, PTC Elite, Pure Speed Track & Field Club, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwest Christian, Southwestern Oklahoma, Sterling College, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Zion's Club.
No Place Like Home
Oklahoma had its most impressive showing of the season during its last competition in Norman at the J.D. Martin Invitational and will look forward to its return home this weekend.
The last time OU ran at Mosier, Ronnie Pines ran an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 6.60 seconds in the 60-meter dash, still the fastest collegiate time in the nation this year, and four other Sooners established or bettered their provisional qualifying times. In all, 20 Sooners set personal bests in their respective events.
OU returns from its third visit to its home-away-from-home this season, the Randal Tyson Track Complex on the University of Arkansas campus.
Arkansas is the host of the 2006 NCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Alumni in the Field
Three former Sooners -- Michael Blackwood, DaBryan Blanton and Shomari Wilson -- will take to the track for the Sooner Indoor.
Blackwood is a former Olympic medalist, Blanton is a two-time NCAA National Champion and Wilson is the school-record holder in the indoor 200-meter dash.
Next on the Calendar
Oklahoma travels to Lincoln, Neb., for the 10th Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Devaney Center of the University of Nebraska campus Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25.
The OU men placed fifth in conference during the 2005 indoor season. The OU women were 11th.
Sooners Take a Bite out of the Big Apple
Head coach Martin Smith's last minute decision to travel to New York was rewarded handily as the OU women's distance medley relay accomplished a program first when it ran under the NCAA provisional qualifying time at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 3.
The squad, made up of Catherine Odell, Tijhanni Newton, Kristi Cook and Jessica Eldridge, finished fourth in a loaded field at The Armory Track in Manhattan.
Their time of 11:14.63 broke the school record, set in 2004, by over 15 seconds. Odell, Cook and Eldridge ran legs on the previous record-holding relay.
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Toni Toni Toni
Listed as who to watch last week, Toni Smith didn't disappoint.
The junior broke the school record in the triple jump with a 41-9.25 (12.73) leap at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 11. Smith's effort came on the heels of winning the long jump the day before.
Though it was the best by a Sooner, Smith set a personal best of over 43 feet while a student-athlete at Cal State Northridge.
Smith is looking for more of the same at this week's Sooner Indoor, where the Mosier Indoor Track is noted for favoring the horizontal jumpers. The Denver native has stated she is aiming for 44 feet come Saturday.
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Run Ronnie Run
Ronnie Pines is making a quick impact among the Sooners' sprint corps.
Listed as who to watch last weekend, the junior college transfer ran the fastest 60-meter dash in the nation by a collegiate athlete on Feb. 4 at the J.D. Martin Invitational in Norman.
The mark broke his own meet record and two-time national champion DaBryan Blanton's facility record. It also ranks as the 13th best time run in the world this year.
Having earned a guaranteed spot in the national championship field, Pines' goal is to keep lowering his 60 time and run a qualifying mark in the 200. He will undoubtedly be a favorite for the national title in both come March 11.
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18 and Life
Senior pole vaulter Scott Martin turned heads in 2005 when he cleared 18-0.50 (5.50 meters) at the NCAA National Indoor Championships.
The performance earned him fourth place, second all-time in the OU records books, as he became just the sixth Sooner pole vaulter to earn All-America status.
After failing to post a height at the season-opening Arkansas Invitational, Martin wasn't disappointed as much as relieved at his performance. According to Martin, he usually has one “no height” each season and was “happy to get it out of the way early.”
Martin posted his season best at home during the J.D. Martin Invitational. The Tulsa native jumped 17-4.50 (5.30 meters), besting the NCAA provisional qualifying standard.
The Tulsa native looks to contend for a national title again this season and with the help of teammate Chip Heuser, the podium at nationals may sparkle with Crimson and Cream in 2006.
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OU's Wise Man
Dermillo Wise may soon be bringing gold to the OU trophy case.
After winning the NJCAA national penathlon championships as a freshman and sophomore at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College, the junior won't rest on laurels now that he is at OU.
Wise long jumped to an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 24-5.75 (7.46 meters) at the season-opener in Fayetteville, Ark., and returned the next week to run the best 60-meter hurdles time by a Sooner this season and sixth all-time.
Wise is so impressive, in fact, that coaches are unsure exactly how they will use the Floridian in the Big 12 Championships because of his ability to score points in so many different events.
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King Cole
Freshman sprinter Leslie Cole is the type of trendsetter coaches like. The Idabel, Okla., native is adapting quickly to the performance required of a Divison I athlete.
In her first month of competition, Cole has cut almost three-tenths from her 60-meter dash time and eight-tenths off her 200. She already ranks No. 4 on OU's all-time performance list in the 60 meters.
These efforts are providing valuable company to junior Yolanda Goff, who is a favorite to sweep the short sprints wherever she goes.
Cole's run of 7.46 seconds in the preliminaries of the J.D. Martin Invitational missed the NCAA provisional qualifying standard by .02 seconds. The mark is the fastest ever run by a Sooner freshman.
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Cooking Up Success
Among the surprising performances to come out of the Razorback Invitational was junior Kristi Cook's sixth-place run in the 800 meters.
Her 2:13.32 run was over three seconds faster than her previous personal best and exactly five seconds better than she ran on the same track one week earlier.
The run put three Sooners in the top six of the 800 at the meet and in the top 12 of the Big 12 performance rankings.
Cook ran the 800-meter leg of OU's distance medley relay at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 3. With its 11:14.63 run, the relay broke the school record by over 15 seconds and ran under the NCAA provisional qualifying standard for the first time in program history.
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Chip on his Shoulder
After breaking his wrist and missing the entire 2005 season, sophomore pole vaulter Chip Heuser is ready to deliver on what is expecting to be a promising collegiate career.
Heuser, the 2004 USA Junior National champion, won the season-opening Arkansas Invitational after clearing 17-6.50 (5.35 meters), an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
While attempting to clear a height of over 17 feet at the National Pole Vault Summit (Jan. 18), Heuser was so high he actually kicked the bar off its supports with his foot.
He jumped a season best 17-8.50 (5.40 meters) en route to winning the event at the J.D. Martin Invitational.
The Louisville, Ky., native holds the Kentucky state high school and national Catholic high school indoor and outdoor records. The 2003 Kentucky High School Athlete of the Year also led his high school, St. Xavier, to three straight state track & field titles.
Heuser and teammate Scott Martin will be two of the favorites to win the Big 12 and national titles in 2006.
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Odell Coming of Age
If you need one sure thing, count of Catherine Odell. Last season, the Enid, Okla., native had no signs of a sophomore slump as she became the Sooners' most improved distance runner and qualified for the national outdoor championships in the 1500-meter run.
After redshirting during the cross country season while getting used to new head coach Martin Smith's training program, Odell was on fire to begin 2006, putting the pressure on six-time national qualifier Jessica Eldridge during the first two meets of the season.
She currently ranks eighth in the Big 12 in the 800 (2:12.56) and ninth in the 1,000 (2:55.19) and has marks in OU's all-time top 10 in both events.
Odell, who celebrated her 21st birthday Friday, Jan. 27, will ran the opening leg (1,000 meters) on OU's distance medley relay that broke the school record by over 15 seconds and ran under the NCAA provisional qualifying standard for the first time in program history with its 11:14.63 time at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 3.
Oklahoma's NCAA Qualifiers
Oklahoma has established 11 provisional or automatic entries for the 2006 NCAA National Indoor Track and Field Championships. Only five Sooners competed in the championships last year. The following is a list of those qualified in 2006 with their national rank in parenthesis:
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Tyson Invitational Revisited
Oklahoma junior Toni Smith broke the school record in the triple jump Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
Smith placed third and surpassed the NCAA provisional qualifying standard with a leap of 41-feet, 9.25 inches (12.73 meters).
Her effort came on the heels of winning the women's long jump the day before.
Frankie Wright placed fourth in the men's long jump with a leap of 24-7.25 (7.50), surpassing the provisional qualifying standard.
Wright's mark ranks ninth on OU's all-time performance list, which includes three former Olympians.
Dermillo Wise, who established a provisional mark in the event on Jan. 13, placed sixth with a season best jump of 24-6.25 (7.47).
Jessica Eldridge placed third in the championship division of the women's mile. Her time of 4:44.89 beat the provisional standard by over two seconds.
Eldridge and Kristi Cook finished third (2:10.60) and fourth (2:10.64), respectively, in a tightly contested 800-meter run -- the margin of victory from first to fifth was less than one second.
Brayon Brown finished third (1:51.47) in the championship division of the 800-meter run.
Jason Coleman placed fourth in the 3,000-meter run. His time of 8:24.86 ranked eighth on OU's all-time performance list.
Sophomore Tydree Lewis placed fourth in the men's triple jump, leaping 48-10.0 (14.88).
Marcus Pugh took sixth in the 200-meter dash, running in a season best 21.46.
Saturday, June 13
Friday, June 12
Thursday, June 11
Wednesday, June 10
