Boutte, Greaves Claim Big 12 Titles

March 1, 2008

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Shardae Boutte and Latoya Greaves highlighted competition for the University of Oklahoma at the 2008 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships with individual titles as the Sooner men finished sixth and the women seventh. In all Oklahoma ended with 11 top-three finishes and 38 All-Big 12 performers at the Bob DeVaney Track Center.

Boutte, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the triple jump, posted his second NCAA automatic qualifying mark of the season with a top jump of 52 feet and 10 inches (16.10 meters). Teammate Tydree Lewis teamed with Boutte for the duo's third 1-2 finish of the season in the event. Lewis tied a personal best with a jump of 52-7.25 (16.03).

Greaves entered the meet ranked second in the Big 12 and 15th in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles with a previous best time of 8.27. The sophomore from Kingston, Jamaica claimed the event title with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 8.21.

"I had a good start out of the blocks and I concentrated on staying tight," said Greaves. "It feels good to win (in her first year on the Division I level). I don't like to lose. I've been losing all season, so to get a win in this meet feels very good. I'm hoping to get the school record next."

Alesha Peel holds the Oklahoma school record in the event with a time of 8.19, set in 2001.

RESULTS

Tony Clement took silver in the men's 1000-meter run with a time of 2:27.51 as two Sooners picked up top-five finishes in the event. Jacob Boone finished fifth with a time of 2:29.47.

Katherine Johnson posted a season-best mark of 5-8.00 (1.73) in the high jump en route to a second-place finish.

Leslie Cole took third in the women's 400-meter dash with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 53.48. It was the second straight day for Cole to post a provisional mark after running 53.53 in Friday's prelims. The time is the second fastest in school history, behind Wendy Watson's 53.42 run in 1990.

Senior Kristi Cook recorded a time of 2:12.23 to finish third in the women's 800-meter run while Brayon Brown (1:52.97) finished fifth in the men's 800.

Tijahnni Newton claimed third in the women's 600-yard run with a season-best time of 1:21.46. Amanda Mayfield took 6th with a time of 1:24.12.

Marcus Pugh, who entered the meet as the defending conference champion in the 60-meter dash, finished fourth in the event with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 6.73. Scottesha Miller also ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time, 7.44, finishing seventh in the women's 60-meter dash.

Pugh also took third in the 200-meter dash with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 21.15.

Mitch Henry and Jamie Alexander both set personal bests in the heptathlon. Henry's 5,438 points was good for sixth while Alexander finished 11th with 5,006 points. With his total, Henry recorded an NCAA provisional mark in the event for the second time this season.

Oklahoma's next action comes Friday in Fayetteville, Ark., with the NCAA Last Chance. The meet gives student-athletes one final chance to post NCAA automatic and provisional marks with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, March 14-15. OU has one automatic qualifier in Shardae Boutte (triple jump) and 14 provisional qualifiers.

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