OU Adds Four Mid-Year Athletes

Jan. 14, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. — University of Oklahoma head track and field coach Martin Smith announced that four student-athletes and one volunteer assistant coach have joined the program over the winter break. The group that will begin competition this season consists of three men and one woman. Hurdler Eric Bailey, triple jumper Will Claye and distance runner Kels Moreland join the men's program while sprinter Sherine Wells has been added to the women's roster.

Bailey will reunite with OU assistant coach Wiley King as both enter their first years at Oklahoma after stints at Weber State University. Bailey, who will compete as a sophomore, has a personal best of 51.62 in the 400-meter hurdles and 48.53 in the 400-meter dash. Bailey captured the 2008 Big Sky 400-meter hurdles title as a freshman along with running a leg on Weber State's conference title winning 4x400-meter relay. The Portland, Ore., native finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles at last summer's U.S. Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 53.94 and holds the WSU freshman record in the event.

The nation's top high school triple jumper, Claye will skip his final semester of high school to enroll early at OU and compete in 2009. The Phoenix, Ariz., native posted the nation's best jump, 52-4.25, in 2008 high school triple jump action and is a two-time Arizona state champion in the event. Claye became the first ever Arizona high school athlete to triple jump over 50 feet and set Arizona state meet record in 2007. The dual threat jumper also has a personal best of 24-6.50 in the long jump. Claye was named to the 2008 USA Today All-USA Track & Field Team in both events.

Moreland will join OU's program after competing for a season at Minnesota State-Moorhead. The sophomore is a native of Lake Nebagamon, Wisc., where he was a three sport captain at Northwestern High School and finished fourth in the mile at the Wisconsin State Championship with a time of 4:21.06. The three-time Most Valuable Runner in cross-country also earned all-conference, all-region and all-section honors.

Traveling the furthest out of the group, Wells comes to Norman from Toronto, Ontario. Born in the country of Grenada, Wells moved to Canada at the age of 12 and is a two-time Ontario champion in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. Wells claimed the 2007 100-meter title with a personal-best time of 11.68 and has a personal best of 23.65 in the 200. Wells holds the OFSAA 200-meter dash record, 23.78, set in 2007 and ended 2008 ranked No. 7 in Canada in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.48.

Joining the OU coaching staff in 2009 as a volunteer assistant coach for the men's distance program is Dane Moreland. Moreland competed collegiately at Minnesota State-Moorhead where he graduated from in 2007 with a degree in exercise science. The Wisconsin native received his Masters in Education from West Virginia University while volunteering with the distance program at the school.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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