OU Heads East for the Weekend

April 18, 2008

The Oklahoma Track & Field Program heads east for its first trip of the outdoor season to Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2008 John McDonnell Invitational, this Friday and Saturday, April 18-19, at John McDonnell Field.

The OU men enter the weekend ranked 22nd nationally and will face off against Big 12 foe and No. 13 Texas Tech. Men's teams from Missouri and Oklahoma State also highlight the men's field along with host Arkansas.

The OU women also face a ranked Texas Tech team as the Lady Raiders enter the meet ranked 15th nationally.

Oklahoma is coming off a home meet that saw its athletes post nine NCAA Regional qualifying marks. Latoya Greaves claimed the only individual event title in the women's 100-meter hurdles as OU recorded 12 top-three finishes at the John Jacobs Invitational.

Saturday's action begins at 9 a.m. with the hammer throw. Running events begin at 11:10 a.m. as the women's 100-meter hurdles takes to the track.

The men's decathlon begins at 12 p.m. on Friday.

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

RANKED TEAMS
No. 22 Oklahoma (M), No. 13 Texas Tech (M), No. 15 Texas Tech (W)

Full Notes (PDF) | Live Results

SOONER TO WATCH
If the first month of the 2008 outdoor slate is any indication, the odds are good that Zach Dawson will leave Fayetteville with another NCAA Regional qualifying mark. Dawson has two so far this season, both coming in events that the sophomore had no previous collegiate experience in; the 200-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles. This weekend Dawson is slated to run the 400-meter hurdles, an event he in which he is ranked seventh in the Big 12.

LAST WEEK (John Jacobs Invitational)
Competitors at the 39th annual John Jacobs Invitational combined for 50 NCAA Regional qualifying marks, including nine by Oklahoma athletes, three meet records and one top world mark.

Many qualifying marks were negated due to high wind readings throughout the day.

April Steiner, competing unattached, recorded the top pole vault mark in the world so far this year, clearing a height of 15 feet and 5.25 inches (4.63 meters).

Aside from Steiner's accomplishments, three other John Jacobs Invitational meet records fell Saturday. OU alum Danny McFarlane, competing unattached, recorded a meet record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.26 while Merritt Dietz of Oklahoma State set a meet record in the women's discus with a throw of 178-10 (54.52). Mike Robertson, competing unattached, set a meet record in the men's discus with a throw of 212-2 (64.66).

OU's Latoya Greaves claimed the women's 100-meter hurdles title, running what would have been a John Jacobs Invitational meet record had the wind cooperated with the Jamaican sophomore.

A wind reading of 4.3 meters-per-second negated the meet record and failed to let Greaves improve on her NCAA Regional qualifying time of 13.19 as only times with wind readings below 4.0 meters-per-second qualify.

Classmate Latoya Heath finished fifth recording an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 13.74 with a wind reading of 1.9 meters-per-second. It was one of two regional qualifying marks for Heath, who finished sixth in the women's long jump with a mark of 19-9.00 (6.02).

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Sheldon Leith posted a regional qualifying mark in his first action of the year in the event, running a time of 14.08 en route to a second-place finish.

Leslie Cole posted an NCAA Regional qualifying time in the 400-meter dash. The highest-finishing collegiate athlete, Cole took second behind Jessica Cousins, competing unattached, with a time of 54.26.

Chip Heuser also recorded a regional qualifying mark with a second-place finish in the pole vault. Heuser cleared a height of 16-6.75 (5.05).

Heuser was one of two OU men to record regional qualifying marks in field events as Paul Gill did so in the high jump (6-10.75/2.10) with a second-place finish in the event.

Marcus Pugh and Zach Dawson both posted regional qualifying marks in the men's 200-meter dash with times of 20.82 and 21.32, respectively, to finish second and seventh.

Tijahnni Newton recorded a regional mark of 23.90 with a fourth-place finish in the women's event.

Dawson also took second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.37. Lukas Hulett of Nebraska finished first with a time of 46.78.

Mitch Henry finished second in the men's javelin with a throw of 187-2 (57.04). Austin Braman of Nebraska took first with a toss of 206-1 (62.82).

Oklahoma's Amanda Mayfield, competing unattached, took first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:14.44.

Katherine Johnson recorded a jump of 5-7.00 (1.70) in the high jump en route to a third-place finish.

OU alum Michael Blackwood won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:50.11.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK
The Sooners will split as a portion of the squad heads to Des Moines, Iowa, site of the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, for the 2008 Drake Relays while the remainder of the team remains in Norman for the 2008 Sooner Invitational.

Action at the 2008 Sooner Invitational begins Saturday at 10 a.m. with the women's javelin. Running events begin at 1 p.m. with the women's 4x100-meter relay.

LAST YEAR AT JOHN MCDONNELL
Good weather had the Sooners in good spirits as the OU men's and women's track and field teams trounced personal bests, school records and regional qualifying marks at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Invitational Saturday.

Kevin Bookout broke the OU school record in the men's shot put. The senior threw 64 feet, 2.50 inches (19.57 meters) on his third attempt to smash the former record held by Ed Wade at 63-8.25 (19.41) in 1988. Bookout defeated second place Corey Jones of Northwestern (La.) State by 9 feet, 8.5 inches.

Bookout also dominated the men's discus throw, winning with a best throw of 180 feet, 6 inches (55.02 meters) to defeat second-place Kirby Atkins of Arkansas-Little Rock by 11 feet, 5 inches.

Sunny skies and near-80 degree temperatures shined on John McDonnell Field as the Sooners competed in their first fair weather outdoor meet of the season.

All-Americans Chip Heuser and Scott Martin finished 1-2 in the men's pole vault to finish the day's action. Both clearED season bests, and Big 12 leading marks, of 17-6.75 (5.35).

Sheldon Leith and Dermillo Wise finished 1-2 in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Leith clocked a personal best 13.73 -- the third fastest time ever by a Sooner -- and Wise finished in 13.96 as both improved on regional qualifying marks set earlier in the day.

Wise was 30 minutes removed from finishing second in the men's long jump, where he was second overall with a personal best of 25 feet, 1.75 inches (7.66 meters). OU's Frankie Wright was sixth with a regional qualifying mark of 24-7.00 (7.49).

The Sooner women swept the long jump as Toni Smith, Portia Nash and Scottesha Miller. All three passed the regional qualifying mark as Smith won at 20-1.75 (6.14).

Smith, OU's record holder in the event, won the women's triple jump with a wind-aided jump of 43-10.00 (13.36).

All three OU entries in the women's 100-meter dash made it to the finals with Yolanda Goff placing second overall in 11.24. Larica Urbina was third at 11.46 and Leslie Cole was fourth at 11.50.

Goff's mark would have been a school record; however, the times did not count in the books as the wind was just over a legal mark at 4.2 meters per second.

Jacobi Mitchell won the men's 100-meter dash with a personal best run of 10.44 seconds. Ronnie Pines was second at 10.56.

Marcus Pugh was fourth behind Wallace Spearmon, J-Mee Samuels and OU alum Shomari Wilson in the men's 100 invitational. Spearmon clocked a world-leading time of 10.06 and Pugh ran a personal best 10.28.

Pugh and Mitchell took third and sixth, respectively, behind Spearmon and Samuels in the 200-meter dash invitational as both Sooners ran personal bests. Pugh clocked a 20.71 -- faster than any other Big 12 athlete had run entering the weekend -- and Mitchell ran 20.88.

In the women's 200 invitational Goff and Cole ran personal bests of 23.36 and 23.51, respectively. Goff's mark was the third best ever by a Sooner.

Frankie Wright won the men's 400-meter dash invitational section in a time of 47.04 in his season debut in the event.

Women's high jump winner Katherine Johnson was the lone competitor to clear 5-7.00 (1.70).

The OU's women's 4x100-meter relay of Cole, Goff, Miller and Urbina finished second to Arkansas as both teams ran season bests. The LadyBacks clocked 44.63 and the Sooners ran 44.70, fifth best on OU's all-time performance list.

Kevin Snyder ran away with the men's high jump title. He was the lone athlete to clear 6-11.75 (2.13). That mark was a personal best and his first regional qualifying mark of the season.

The men's 4x400-meter relay ran its first regional qualifying mark of the season, placing second to Iowa State (3:08.83) with a combined time of 3:09.78.

Shardae Boutte took second in the men's triple jump with a best of 53-8.00 (16.37). Frankie Green was fifth at 49-11.25 (15.22).

Cale Drumright was second in the men's javelin throw. Drumright threw for his first regional qualifying mark of the season with a 202-7 (61.76).

Jessica Eldridge took second in the women's 1,500-meter run invitational at 4:22.56.

Tijahnni Newton was sixth overall in the women's 200-meter dash, running a personal best of 24.10. Jhavonne Pope was eighth with a personal best 24.23.

Newton also scored a personal best in the 400 invitational section, finishing fourth at 54.46 -- a regional qualifying mark. Pope was sixth at 55.70.

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.

DEBUT OF THE DECATHLETES
This weekend's meet in Fayetteville will mark the 2008 debut of OU multi-event athletes as decathletes Jamie Alexander, Zac Givens Mitch Henry and Matt O'Connor all compete beginning Friday afternoon.

Henry enters 2008 after finishing 10th in the event at the 2007 NCAA Championships. O'Connor claimed 10th at the 2007 Big 12 Championships. Friday's action will mark O'Connor's first as a 22-year old with the senior gaining another year on Thursday, April 17.

Henry finished sixth in the heptathlon at this year's Big 12 indoor championships, an event that Alexander finished 11th in.

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.

TRIPLE JUMPING TO THE TOP
For assistant coach Jeremy Fischer, a trio of triple jumpers is making his life a whole lot easier. Sooner men Shardae Boutte and Tydree Lewis along with Toni Smith on the women's side all rank in the top seven nationally in the event.

Boutte, the defending Big 12 outdoor champion and 2008 Big 12 indoor champion, enters this weekend ranked third both nationally and in the conference. Lewis, who finished second at the NCAA Championships in the event during the 2008 indoor season, is ranked fifth in the conference and sixth nationally. Both have recorded NCAA Regional qualifying marks.

On the women's side, Smith also owns a regional qualifying mark as the Big 12 Conference's top-ranked triple jumper. The school-record holder in the event, Smith's top jump this season of 43 feet and five inches (13.23 meters) ranks seventh nationally.

AWESOME DAWSON
For Zach Dawson, the 2008 outdoor track & field season has marked another step in the sophomore's progression to the top.

The Edmond, Okla., native has improved each season including two All-Big 12 honors in the 2008 indoor season after receiving one during the 2007 outdoor season.

If the first month of outdoor competition has been any indication, this season will be no different. In his first action of the outdoor season at the Bobby Lane Invitational, Dawson ran an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 52.19 in the 400-meter hurdles, his first-ever time to compete in the race.

The 400 hurdles was just the first regional qualifying mark for Dawson, who reeled off a time of 21.32 in his first race in the 200-meter dash at the John Jacobs Invitational. Dawson was less than two seconds away from recording two regional marks at the event with a time of 47.37 in the 400-meter dash, just below the regional qualifying mark of 47.37.

AMY'S AIMING HIGH
In her first season as a full-time thrower after spending a season-and-a-half as a multi-event athlete, Amy Backel has quickly made a name for herself in the Big 12 Conference and provides a much-needed threat for conference championship points in events that were not necessarily counted on in the past.

Backel broke the Oklahoma javelin record in the first outdoor event of the season, Tulsa Relays, before rewriting her own record a week later at the Bobby Lane Invitational. The mark is currently the No. 2 mark in the Big 12 and 11th nationally.

The sophomore has also posted a personal best in the shot put with a toss of 46 feet and 10.25 inches (14.28), good for 12th in the Big 12.

FORTY TOP-THREE MARKS
Through the first four weeks of the 2008 outdoor track & field season, 22 University of Oklahoma individual athletes and three relays have accounted for 40 top-three finishes including nine first-place finishes.

Amy Backel leads all Sooners with four top-three finishes, including two first-place finishes. Latoya Greaves is next with three top-three finishes, including two individual titles.

Leslie Cole Scottesha Miller and Toni Smith all have two top-three finishes on the women's side with Cole and Miller both claiming individual titles.

The women's 4x400-meter relay also has an individual titles on its early-season resume.

On the men's side, Marcus Pugh and Buck Sullivan lead the way with three 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.

LATOYA, LATOYA
Sophmores Latoya Heath and Latoya Greaves both arrived on the campus of the University of Oklahoma via the junior college route and both have excelled in their first season on the Divison I level.

Heath, from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Mo., and Greaves, from Oklahoma Baptist University, have both made their marks on the OU Track & Field Program, including the Sooner record books.

Greaves is currently the top-ranked 100-meter hurdler in the Big 12 Conference with a top time of 13.19 while Heath is eighth (13.74). Greaves' time also marks an Oklahoma school record for Big 12 Indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles.

Heath is also a force in the horizontal jumps as the ninth-ranked long jumper in the Big 12 and 15th in the triple jump. Heath's triple jump mark of 39 feet and 2.5 inches (11.95 meters) ranks seventh in the OU record books.

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.

SPRINTING UP THE RANKINGS
A quick look at the women's Big 12 performance list for sprints and its hard to miss the University of Oklahoma. Five Sooners appear in the top 25 of both the 100- and 400-meter dash, including three in the top 10, and four OU athletes in the top-25 of the 200-meter dash.

Tijahnni Newton leads the way with a top-10 ranking in both the 200 (No. 9) and 400 (No. 6).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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