OU Hosts John Jacobs Invitational

April 11, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma Track & Field Program hosts its first of the season's three home outdoor meets, the 2008 John Jacobs Invitational, this Saturday, April 12, at the John Jacobs Track & Field Complex.

Twelve schools will bring both their men's and women's teams to compete in the prestigious event, which is in its 39th running.

Oklahoma is coming off a weekend that saw the majority of the group compete at the Texas Relays while a small group of distance runners traveled to the Stanford Invitational.

Saturday's collegiate portion of the event is the second day of action at the Invitational as high school athletes compete throughout the day on Friday.

Saturday's action begins at 10 a.m. with the women's javelin and men's and women's "B" pole vault. Running events begin at 1 p.m. as the women's 4x100-meter relay takes to the track.

The hammer throw will take place at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Admission for the event is free.

Live Results | Schedule | Heat Sheets | Notes

RESULTS
Live results for the 2008 John Jacobs Invitational will be available at SoonerSports.com. A complete recap of Oklahoma action will be posted on SoonerSports.com shortly after the conclusion of action each day.

RANKED TEAMS
No. 15 Arkansas (W), No. 20 Nebraska (W), No. 18 Oklahoma (W), No. 20 Oklahoma (M), No. 24 TCU (M).

NCAA QUALIFIERS
Just three weeks into the 2008 outdoor season, Oklahoma athletes have posted 19 regional qualifying marks, 10 by the men's team and nine by the women's team.

Sprinter Marcus Pugh has recorded three qualifying times in the 100- and 200-meter dash and as a member of the men's 4x100-meter relay.

Senior horizontal jumper Toni Smith enters this weekend having already posted regional qualifying marks in both the triple jump and long jump in just her first action of the outdoor season in the events at the Texas Relays.

LAST WEEK (Texas Relays)
After somewhat disappointing ends to the 2008 indoor season, triple jumper Shardae Boutte and hurdler Latoya Greaves put to rest Saturday any doubts of a hangover from the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships with their performances at the 81st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Despite winning Big 12 Conference Championships in the their respective events, Greaves the 60-meter hurdles and Boutte the triple jump, both finished short of their expectations at the NCAA Championships. Greaves finished 10th in her event while Boutte finished seventh, despite entering the meet ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Greaves reeled off a time Saturday of 13.19 in the women's 100-meter hurdles en route to finishing second. The time not only marked an NCAA Regional qualifying time, but tops the previous Oklahoma record in the event of 13.27 set by Alesha Peel in 2001.

For Boutte, who has won the last two Big 12 titles in the triple jump (2007 Outdoor & 2008 Indoor), Saturday's action marked his first in the event this outdoor season. The trip was nothing short of impressive for the senior, posting a regional qualifying jump of 52 feet and 10.75 inches (16.12 meters) to claim the event's title.

One day after finishing third in the long jump with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark, senior Toni Smith took second in the A section of the women's triple jump, recording a legal wind-aided jump of 43-5.00 (13.23), a regional qualifying mark.

The women's 4x200-meter relay of Missy Barnes, Leslie Cole, Scottesha Miller and Jalesa Walker finished third with a time of 1:34.37, less than one second behind first-place Texas A&M's 1:33.46.

Miller also finished sixth in the women's 100-meter dash, but more importantly ran a regional qualifying time of 11.58, just off her personal best of 11.57.

Marcus Pugh ran a regional-qualifying time of 10.31 en route to finishing fifth in the men's invitational 100-meter dash. Oklahoma alum DaBryan Blanton finished fourth with a time of 10.29.

The women's 4x400-meter relay of Ti'Anca Mock, Jasmine Still, Latoya Greaves and Leslie Cole recorded a regional qualifying mark of 3:37.22 en route to finishing fifth in the event.

The men's 4x100-meter relay recorded a regional qualifying mark, 40.50, for the second straight day en route to a ninth-place finish in the event. Tydree Lewis, Marcus Pugh, Sheldon Leith and Jacobi Mitchell ran 40.44 on Friday.

LAST WEEK (Stanford Invite)
Jacob Boone, Jessica Eldridge, Catherine Odell and Rob Sorrell became Oklahoma's latest NCAA Regional qualifiers in action at Saturday's Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. Eldridge and Odell both recorded 1,500-meter times below the regional qualifying mark of 4:27.80 while Boone and Sorrell ran under 3:47.80 in the men's 1,500.

Eldridge, a three-time All-American, came in second in the event with a time of 4:19.06. The time marked the fastest for a collegiate athlete as Morgan Uceny of Reebok finished first overall with a time of 4:17.79. The meet marked the first for Eldridge in her final semester of competition after exhausting all of her indoor eligibility prior to 2008.

Odell, an All-American in 2007, took 14th in the event, but more importantly posted a regional qualifying time of 4:26.87.

Sorrell finished 15th in the men's 1,500-meter run, but did so with a time of 3:47.34, just finishing below the NCAA Regional qualifying time of 3:47.80.

Boone crossed the line just behind Sorrell in 16th, but with a time of 3:47.43.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK
The Sooners make their first trip of the 2008 outdoor season to familiar Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2008 John McDonnell Invitational.

Named after the legendary University of Arkansas head coach, the meet will feature some of the nation's top teams competing on the track named after the event's namesake, John McDonnell Field.

Competition is slated to begin Friday at 12 p.m. with the second day of action kicking off at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

LAST YEAR AT JOHN JACOBS
The 2007 John Jacobs Invitational proved to be one of the best in the 38 years of the event as 35 regional qualifying marks were posted in men's results and 33 in women's.

Toni Smith made her outdoor debut as a Sooner in the women's triple jump, finishing second and trouncing a 17-year-old school record with her best of 43 feet, 1.75 inches (13.15 meters). Smith made four successful jumps all better than the former school record mark of 41-10.75 (12.77), by Jackie Smiley in 1990, before passing on her final attempt.

Crystal Manning of Kansas was the overall victor in the triple jump, posting a 43-7.25 (13.29) to set a Kansas school record.

Egor Aganofov of Kansas, the Big 12 weight throw champion during the 2007 indoor season, won the hammer throw and established meet and facility records with his best of 225-10 (68.83).

Four men's pole vaulters tied for top honors with OU's Chip Heuser earning the win by counting least number of attempts. Heuser jumped 17-0.75 (5.20) in his season debut to establish a regional qualifying mark.

Big 12 indoor champion Jordan Scott of Kansas was second, OU All-American Scott Martin was third and Northern Iowa's Jarno Kivioja was fourth.

The OU women took the short sprints as freshman Scottesha Miller (11.95) and Larica Urbina (12.06) finished 1-2 in the 100-meter dash and seniors Yolanda Goff (24.09) and Urbina (24.41) were 1-2 in the 200.

A fierce competition took place in the men's long jump as Nebraska's Arturs Abolins won with a jump of 24-10.00 (7.57) to win by one inch over Northern Iowa's Cody Eichmeier. Oklahoma's Frankie Wright (24-8.50 [7.53]) and Dermillo Wise (24-7.00 [7.49]) were third and fourth, respectively, as the top four finishers jumped better than the regional qualifying standard.

The OU women also swept the relays, taking the 4x100-meter relay in 45.25 over Arkansas (45.68) and the 4x400, in their initial run this season, with a regional qualifying run of 3:39.90.

OU's Portia Nash won the women's long jump with a season best leap of 19-2.00 (5.84). Nash took top honors by just one-half inch over Nebraska's Chantae McMillan.

Big 12 60-Meter Champion Marcus Pugh (10.63) won the men's 100-meter dash in a tight battle with teammate Jacobi Mitchell (10.67).

Oklahoma's (41.13) men also ran well in the 4x100-meter relay, winning by .01 seconds over the University of Nebraska (41.14).

The women's pole vault came down to a battle between two of the best in the Big 12 as Kate Sultanova of Kansas (13-1.50 [4.00]) defeated Nebraska's Brysun Stately (12-9.50 [3.90]).

Nebraska's Daniel Roper won the men's triple jump over OU's Tydree Lewis. Roper's 51-8.25 (15.75) just surpassed Lewis' 51-7.75 (15.74).

Former Big 12 champion turned professional star Sheldon Battle won the men's shot put with a best mark of 64-5.00 (19.63). OU's Kevin Bookout placed second, shot putting for the first time since injuring his hand during the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bookout's best of 59-9.75 surpassed the regional qualifying standard.

Battle also won the discus throw at 191-1 (58.25). Bookout was third at 177-0 (53.96).

Houston's Ebonie Floyd ran a regional qualifying mark of 53.69 to win the women's 400-meter dash. Sooners Tijhanni Newton (55.69), Leslie Cole (55.70) and Jasmine Still (55.72) were fourth through sixth, respectively. OU sophomore Jasmine Pope (56.22) was eighth.

RECORDS FALLING
After recording five new program records in the 2008 indoor season, University of Oklahoma have already rewritten the OU record books on three occasions this outdoor season.

Amy Backel kicked things off in the season-opening Tulsa Duels. In her first season as a full-time thrower, Backel claimed the event's javelin title with a throw of 155-4 (47.36) to best the previous school record of 154-8 (47.14) set by Katie Webster in 1998.

It didn't take long for Backel to rewrite her own record as one week later at the Bobby Lane Invitational the sophomore finished first by topping her own school record with a throw of 166-8 (50.80).

Austin, Texas was the site of the next record-breaking performance by Oklahoma athletes as Buck Sullivan and Latoya Greaves both placed their names above the historic performance lists in their respective divisions at the 81st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Sullivan started it off in the hammer throw with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 195-6 (59.60). The throw topped Nils Oliveto's previous program record of 192-2 (58.58).

Latoya Greaves continued her streak of impressive performances in her first season as a Sooner with a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.19. The time bested the previous Oklahoma program record of 13.27 set by Alesha Peel in 2001.

ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEIJING
Five University of Oklahoma Track & Field athletes have taken one step closer to competing in Beijing by eclipsing "B" qualifying standards for the 2008 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials.

The event, which will be held June 27 - July 6 in Eugene, Ore., has two sets of qualifying standards, an "A" standard and a "B" standard.

Athletes who attain the "A" standard will automatically be included in the event, provided they enter and declare. Athletes who attain the "B" standard will be included in the event only if additional competitors are needed to make the event competitive (i.e., not enough athletes have not attained the "A" standard).

Amy Backel (Javelin), Shardae Boutte (Triple Jump), Jessica Eldridge (1,500-meter run), Tydree Lewis (Triple Jump) and Toni Smith (Triple Jump) have all recorded "B" standard marks.

BOUTTE RANKED NO. 1
In what is a familiar sight from the indoor season, triple jumper Shardae Boutte is the nation's top-ranked athlete in the event.

Also a sight that is not unusual is fellow Sooner Tydree Lewis right behind Boutte in the national rankings at No. 3.

Boutte's jump of 52-10.75 (16.12) at last week's Texas Relays placed him atop the national leaderboard with Lewis' jump of 52-6.50 (16.01) just two spots behind. Texas A&M's Tyron Stewart is at No. 2 with a jump of 52-9.50 (16.09).

In all, Oklahoma athletes account for nine top-10 national rankings led by Boutte and Lewis.

Marcus Pugh and Chip Heuser round out the Oklahoma men in the top-10 of their respective events. Pugh comes in at No. 7 in the 100-meter dash while Heuser is No. 10 in the pole vault.

On the women's side Jessica Eldridge and Toni Smith are currently the highest-ranked Sooners at No. 4 in the 1,500-meter run and the triple jump, respectively.

The women's 4x400-meter relay is seventh nationally in the event with a time of 3:37.22.

Latoya Greaves (100-meter hurdles) and Amy Backel (javelin) are both ranked eighth nationally in their respective events.

TWENTY-EIGHT TOP-THREE MARKS
Through the first three weeks of the 2008 outdoor track & field season, 17 University of Oklahoma individual athletes and three relays have accounted for 28 top-three finishes including eight first-place finishes.

Amy Backel leads all Sooners with four top-three finishes, including two first-place finishes. Latoya Greaves, Scottesha Miller and Toni Smith all have two top-three finishes on the women's side with Greaves and Miller both claiming individual titles.

Leslie Cole and the women's 4x400-meter relay both have individual titles on their early-season resume.

On the men's side, Marcus Pugh and Buck Sullivan lead the way with two top-three finishes each. Pugh owns individual title to go along with a second-place finish.

Shardae Boutte lays claim to Oklahoma's only other men's event title of the year.

FAYETTEVILLE IS FAMILIAR
Travel 244 miles northeast of Norman and you'll find what is becoming a home-away-from-home for the Oklahoma Track & Field program.

Fayetteville, Ark., home of the University of Arkansas, is the site of Oklahoma's next outdoor meet, the 2008 John McDonnell Invitational, and is the site of two outdoor meets of the 2008 outdoor OU season, the Arkansas Twilight (5/2) being the other.

It was the 2008 indoor season though that Oklahoma athletes began to learn the ins-and-outs of Fayetteville, traveling to Northwest Arkansas on five different occassions for indoor meets, including the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.

The Randal Tyson Track Center was a friendly welcome to some OU athletes including triple jumpers Shardae Boutte and Tydree Lewis as both broke Oklahoma program records in the facility.

Boutte first broke the Oklahoma program record on Feb. 15 at the Tyson Invitational with a jump of 54-1.00 (16.48) to become the nation's top-ranked athlete in the event, a claim he would hold until the NCAA Championships.

It was at the NCAA Championships though that Lewis leapfrogged Boutte for the top spot in the OU record book. A jump of 54-2.50 (16.52) not only gave Lewis a second-place finish, but the Oklahoma program record.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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