Three Qualify for NCs on First Day

DES MOINES Three Sooners automatically qualified for the NCAA National Track and Field Championships with their results Friday at the NCAA Midwest Regional at Drake Stadium.

Frankie Wright and Dermillo Wise finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the men's long jump as both qualified for the national championships. Wright jumped a personal best 25-2.50 (7.68) and Wise leapt 25-1.25 (7.65).

Barrett Saunders of Kansas, the Big 12 Champion, won the event title at 25-9.25 (7.85).

The last time a Sooner qualified for the national championships in the men's long jump was 1988 when Russell Adams earned All-America honors with his 10th-place finish.

The top five in individual events and top three relays earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif., in two weeks.

Wright returned to the track to qualify for the regional finals in the 400-meter dash. Wright finished second in his heat with the fourth fastest time overall after running a personal best 46.24.

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Wise was the runner-up in the second of three heats of the men's 110-meter hurdles, clocking 14.00, the fourth fastest overall time, to advance to the finals.

Chip Heuser, who cleared 17-1.00 (5.21), finished in a three-way tie for second place in the men's pole vault to qualify for the national championships.

Scott Martin had to settle for a sixth-place result after a jump-off with Nebraska's Gable Baldwin. Martin should still qualify for the national championships with an at-large selection, however, as he entered the meet ranked as the nation's No. 4 vaulter.

OU's women's 4x100-meter relay of Leslie Cole, Yolanda Goff, Scottesha Miller and Larica Urbina was third fastest in the preliminaries and qualified for the finals after running a school record time of 44.14.

The former women's 4x100 school record was 44.16 run by Katherine Burns, Carla Wilson, Kim Nichols and Darlena Morganfield in 1989.

Leonarde Smith turned a personal best run in the 400-meter hurdles into a qualifying spot for Saturday's finals. Smith won the fourth of four heats in 51.33, the fifth fastest time overall.

Goff qualified for the finals of the women's 100-meter dash, running 11.46. Urbina just missed the final advancing spot, running ninth fastest overall at 11.61.

The men's 4x100-meter relay of Ronnie Pines, Marcus Pugh, Sheldon Leith and Jacobi Mitchell was second fastest overall in the preliminaries, clocking 39.90 to win the second of two heats. UT-Arlington won the first heat in 39.85.

Leith, the region's No. 2-ranked hurdler, slightly pulled his hamstring during his relay leg and could only muster a 14.13-second run in the 110-meter hurdles, placing 10th.

Pugh advanced to the finals in the 100 and 200 after winning his individual heats.

Originally, Pugh was second in his heat of the 100 after a poor start, but a timing error forced a re-run of the race. Pugh claimed the victory in the second attempt in 10.42.

The extra run was costly, however, for Mitchell who also ran the repeat of the 100 and missed a spot in the finals by .05 seconds. Mitchell (21.33) finished second, and 12th overall, to Pugh (21.32) in their heat of the 200, missing the finals by the slimmest of margins, but could make nationals with an at-large bid.

Jessica Eldridge (4:22.65) was a heat winner and second fastest overall in the women's 1500-meter run preliminaries. Eldridge, who holds the No. 1 ranking in the Midwest region, runs in the final Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Tijahnni Newton, who ran a personal best 54.29, just missed the women's 400 final, placing ninth overall.

Katherine Johnson tied for 11th, after the tiebreaker on number of attempts, in the women's high jump. Johnson was one of sixth athletes to clear a best of 5-9.25 (1.76).

Kevin Bookout placed 14th in the discus throw. His lone legal throw traveled 170-2 (51.87), after fouling on his first and third attempts.

The Midwest Regional continues Saturday, May 26, at 1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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