Record Number to NCAA Championships

INDIANAPOLIS The NCAA announced its selections for the 2007 National Outdoor Track and Field Championships Tuesday afternoon. The University of Oklahoma has 14 men's and six women's entries accepted to the meet.

The total number of entries and athletes (14 men and eight women) are the most in the program's history. For the first time in history, the University of Oklahoma will have four relays two men's and two women's present.

Only Nebraska, with 15, has more men's entries than Oklahoma.

The NCAA Championships are hosted by Sacramento State University and run June 6-9 at the Alex G. Spanos Track and Field Complex.

Leading the way for the OU men will be the nation's No. 4-ranked triple jumper Shardae Boutte, the Big 12 and Midwest Regional champion, who will be seeking his first NCAA All-America honor after finishing runner-up in the event at the past two junior college national championships.

Men's Entries | Women's Entries

Other top-ranked men include All-Americans Scott Martin (No. 5 in pole vault) and Kevin Bookout (No. 6 in shot put).

Chip Heuser (pole vault), Mitch Henry (decathlon), Marcus Pugh (100-meter dash), Sheldon Leith (110-meter hurdles), Tydree Lewis (triple jump), Leonarde Smith (400-meter hurdles), Dermillo Wise (110-meter hurdles and long jump) and Frankie Wright (long jump) will represent the Sooners in individual events.

OU's 4x100-meter relay of Ronnie Pines, Pugh, Wright and Jacobi Mitchell and 4x400-meter relay of Zach Dawson, Smith, Mitchell and Wright also made the cut. The last time both men's relays made the trip was in 1997.

Martin, Henry, Leith, Lewis, Smith and the 4x400 earned at-large bids for their performances throughout the season.

Wright automatically qualified for the 400-meter dash with his fourth-place finish at the Midwest Regional, but will sit out the event in order to concentrate his efforts on the long jump and two relays.

Wise and Wright are the first Sooner men to represent OU in the long jump since Russell Adams earned All-America honors in 1988.

The women are led by All-Americans Toni Smith (triple jump) and Jessica Eldridge (1500-meter run), who are ranked fourth and seventh nationally in their respective events.

Eldridge will be appearing at her ninth NCAA National Championships. She has qualified for each cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field season in which she has competed.

Yolanda Goff and Larica Urbina will compete in the 100-meter dash.

Two OU women's relays also made the field for the first time since 200. The 4x100-meter relay is comprised of Leslie Cole, Goff, Scottesha Miller and Larcia Urbina and 4x400-meter relay includes Cole, Jhavonne Pope, Goff and Tijahnni Newton.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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