Sunny Day for Sooners; 10 Titles

April 19, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Weather conditions at the John McDonnell Invitational, sunny with a slight breeze from time-to-time, were perfect as Oklahoma athletes recorded what could go down as their most successful meet of the season, if not one of the best regular-season meets in recent history. Twenty-four NCAA Regional qualifying marks and 21 top-three finishes including 10 event titles highlighted OU action Saturday on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Scottesha Miller led the way, sweeping top honors in both the 100- and 200-meter dash along with running the anchor leg on the first-place 4x100-meter relay and finishing second in the long jump, recording NCAA Regional qualifying marks in all four events.

"I felt today's performance was our best overall as a team this season. Based on our performance today, this team appears to be coming around at the right time," said Head Coach Martin Smith. "I was especially pleased with the total number of regional qualifiers we had today. It was very important that we got a lot done today as we are running out of weekends to record qualifying marks. This weekend serves as a nice catalyst as we move into the final phase of the season, we can keep building off this performance and catch momentum heading into the Big 12 Championships."

Miller opened with a regional qualifying time of 11.64 in the 100-meter dash prelims before later taking the event's title with a time of 11.52. The sophomore's regional qualifying time of 23.61 in the 200 led all competitors, including teammate Tijahnni Newton who was second with a time of 24.04. Newton also took second in the collegiate division of the women's 400-meter dash with a season-best time of 54.74, just off the event's NCAA Regional qualifying time of 54.61.

Miller also leapt a season-best 19 feet and 11.50 inches (6.08 meters) to record the highest finish of collegiate competitors and second overall. Toni Smith finished fifth in the event with a regional-qualifying mark of 19-9.00 (6.02) and also topped the regional mark in the triple jump, finishing second with a distance of 40-9.50 (12.43).

Miller closed out her day of running events by closing out the 4x100-meter relay as the anchor leg. Miller teamed with Leslie Cole, Jalesa Walker and Missy Barnes to record a season-best time, 45.38, in the event for OU. The time, an NCAA Regional qualifying time, is the fourth fastest in the Big 12 Conference this season.

Results

Cole ran personal bests in both the 200- and 400-meter dash to finish first and third, respectively, in each event's Invitational divison. Cole's 23.46 in the 200, her first action of the season in the event, moves the junior up a spot in Oklahoma's career performance list. Cole is now tied with Wendy Watson with the sixth-fastest time in program history. Cole's 400 time of 53.50 was the fastest among collegiate athletes behind two unattached competitors. It also marked the fifth-fastest time in Oklahoma program history.

Kristi Cook and Catherine Odell finished one-two in the women's Invitational 800-meter run as both ran career-best races. Cook's time of 2:07.17 ranks sixth all-time in OU program history while Odell's time of 2:07.70 ranks eighth all-time. Both times were below the NCAA Regional qualifying standard of 2:09.90 and rank third and fourth, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference.

Latoya Greaves and Latoya Heath both recorded NCAA Regional qualifying marks en route to first and fourth-place finishes in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Greaves, the OU program record holder in the event, reeled off a time of 13.30 in the finals. Heath's time of 13.70 in the finals marked a personal best and the sixth-fastest in Oklahoma history. Greaves holds the Big 12 Conference top-ranking the event while Heath's time Saturday marked the seventh-fastest time in the conference this season.

In his first-ever season to compete in the 400-meter hurdles, Zach Dawson continues to impress in the event. The sophomore reeled off a regional-qualifying time of 51.12 and jumped to No. 3 in the Big 12 rankings for the event. The time also marked the eighth-fastest time in Oklahoma program history and is just off the U.S. Olympic Trials "B" standard of 51.00.

Shardae Boutte and Tydree Lewis got back to their old ways in the triple jump by finishing 1-2 in the event as both recorded regional qualifying marks in the event. Boutte's jump of 52-10.00 (16.10) topped all competitors with Lewis close behind at 51-6.50 (15.71).

Mitch Henry posted a provisonal qualifying score of 7,059 points to claim the event title in the men's decathlon. Henry posted season-best marks in nine of the 10 events to take the win in his first decathlon action of the season. Jamie Alexander finished third with 5,964 points despite recording no height in the pole vault. Alexander did, however, record season bests in eight of the 10 events.

Katherine Johnson cleared a season-high height and equaled the regional qualifying standard with a first-place finish in the high jump. Johnson's height of 5-8.75 (1.75) gave the junior her first event title of the outdoor season.

In the men's Invitational 1,500-meter run, Jacob Boone finished fourth, but more importantly recorded a regional qualifying time of 3:43.96. The time marked a career best and is the second-fastest in Oklahoma program history, just behind the OU record of 3:42.76 set by Erin Rankin in 1981. Rob Sorrell also ran a regional qualifying time and the seventh-fastest time in Sooner history, 3:46.94, en route to finishing 14th. Boone's time ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference, Sorrell's eighth. OU junior Tony Clement, competing unattached, finished 12th with a time of 3:45.79.

Marcus Pugh equaled his season best in the 100-meter dash as the defending Big 12 champion finished second in Invitational 100 with a time of 10.31. Pugh's time is the second-fastest this season in the Big 12 behind Texas A&M's Gerald Phiri's 10.22. Pugh also second finished in the men's Invitational 200 with a time of 20.90, an NCAA Regional qualifying time.

Buck Sullivan finished second in the men's hammer throw with an NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 189-11 (57.90), the fourth time for the junior to take silver in the event on the season.

Amy Backel finished second in the women's javelin, her fifth time this season to record a top-three finish, with a throw of 158-7 (48.35).

Adrian Wiltshire competed in his first long jump competition on the Division I level and leapt a regional-qualifying mark of 24-3.50 (7.40).

Oklahoma's next action comes in Norman on Saturday with the 2008 Sooner Invitational.