OU Sprinting Towards Post Season

May 2, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- University of Oklahoma sprinters claimed four individual event titles while Scottesha Miller posted the top long jump this season in the Big 12 Conference at the Arkansas Twilight Friday night on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Miller's jump of 20 feet and 8.5 inches (6.31 meters) marks a season-best jump for the defending Big 12 outdoor long jump champion who has a personal best of 20-10.50 (6.36). Miller finished second behind Colorado State's Janay Deloach (20-10.00/6.35). Redshirt freshman Ti'Anca Mock made her collegiate debut in the event and impressed with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 20-1.00 (6.12) to finish third.

Miller's night of action was not limited to the long jump, however. The sophomore claimed her fifth individual title and ninth top-three finish of the season in the 100-meter dash with a regional qualifying time of 11.60. Miller took the 100 title in both outdoor competitions this season in Fayetteville after during so in the John McDonnell Invitational on April 19.

Miller's day of running began as the anchor leg of the women's 4x100-meter relay. The quartet of Leslie Cole, Jalesa Walker, Missy Barnes and Miller took the event's title with a time of 44.42, the third-fastest time in Oklahoma program history. The time is also the third-fastest in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation.

"It was a good day. The women had a good meet with a number of solid performances," said Associate Head Woman's Coach Dana Boone. "We'll continue to build on our performance with the Big 12 Championships right around the corner. We still have some things we are working on and hopefully we put it all together in time for the post season."

Latoya Greaves claimed Oklahoma's third women's individual title in the 100-meter hurdles. Greaves' regional qualifying time of 13.23 gave the sophomore her fifth individual title of the season. Classmate Latoya Heath finished fourth with a regional qualifying time of 13.63.

Marcus Pugh ran a regional qualifying time of 20.86 to take the title in the men's 200-meter dash. Pugh also took second in the 100-meter dash with a regional qualifying time of 10.43 and now has seven top-three finishes this season.

Tijahnni Newton, Walker, Greaves and Cole finished second in the women's 4x400-meter relay with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 3:37.24. Cole ran a regional qualifying time of 53.20 in the individual 400-meter dash to finish second.

Amy Backel took second in the javelin and picked up her seventh top-three finish of the season with a regional qualifying mark of 152-11 (46.62).

D'Andre Fisher picked up the title in the men's 110-meter hurdles, running a time of 14.49.

Zach Dawson finished second in the 400-meter hurdles with a regional qualifying time of 52.07.

Oklahoma athletes are still competing this weekend as triple jumpers Shardae Boutte, Tydree Lewis and Toni Smith compete in the Steve Scott Invitational Sunday in Irvine, Calif. Distance runners Kristi Cook, Jessica Eldridge and Catherine Odell will take to the track as well at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., on Sunday.

Regular-season action comes to a close next Saturday with the Sooner Twilight in Norman. The 2008 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held one week later, May 16-18, in Boulder, Colo.

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