Track Competes at Midwest Regional

NORMAN, Okla. The University of Oklahoma track and field teams compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend to attempt to qualify for the NCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Midwest Regional, hosted by Drake University, begins Friday, May 25, and concludes Saturday, May 26. The top five in individual events and top three relays automatically qualify for the national championships.

Kevin Bookout (shot put), Jessica Eldridge (1500-meter run) and Marcus Pugh (100-meter dash) are ranked No. 1 in the region in their respective events.

Pugh will be the busiest Sooner as he is entered in the 100 and 200 and runs legs on the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

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Bookout is all but a lock to make the national championships field in the shot put. He is also ranked No. 6 in the region in the discus throw entering the meet, allowing the possibility of him qualifying in two events for the first time in his illustrious career.

OU has not fared well traditionally at the region meet since its inception in 2003; but with a record number of men's (22) and women's (13) entries, the Sooners are poised for impressive results. The best overall finish for the men's team was ninth last season. The top women's finish was fourth in 2004.

Men's Start List | Women's Start List

With the men's Big 12 Championship victory, they become one the favorites to claim the regional title. Notwithstanding the addition of Iowa, Minnesota and UTEP, the top teams in the region hail from the Big 12 Conference. Missouri is the lone Big 12 team not in the Midwest region.

Only three Sooners DaBryan Blanton (2005, 100-meter dash), Jessica Eldridge (2004, 1500-meter run), and Austin Landreth (2003, pole vault) have won an individual regional event title.

Events for the Midwest Regional at Drake Stadium begin Friday at 1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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