Mock Leaps to School Record

Jan. 23, 2009

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Sophomore Ti'Anca Mock led the way Friday night at the Razorback Invitational, establishing an Oklahoma program record in the women's long jump en route to automatically qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. In all OU athletes accounted for three event wins, five top-three finishes, one NCAA automatic qualifying mark and two NCAA provisional qualifying marks Friday night inside the Randal Tyson Track Center, in the first of two days of action at the event. Along with Mock's win, high jumper Katherine Johnson and the women's distance medley relay each picked up wins.

Mock's jump of 20 feet and 11.75 inches (6.39 meters) on her sixth and final jump of the competition broke former Sooner Portia Nash's mark of 20-7.25 (6.28) set in 2007. Mock had three jumps in total that would have won the event finishing ahead of Arkansas' Peter Gaye-Beckford, 20-1.75 (6.14) by a full 10 inches. The distance also established the longest jump in the Big 12 Conference this season by more than a full foot.

"It felt great, everything came together tonight. I only practice long jump once a week, so Coach (Dana) Boone has had me working on my phases and getting them down," said Mock. "I've also been working with my hang leg and everything came together tonight. I have to give credit to Coach Boone. I really think this might just be a beginning. Deep down inside, I feel like I can jump further. I really wanted to reach the 6.40 mark."

Three OU women finished in the top 10 of the 200-meter dash, led by senior Leslie Cole who picked up OU's first NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the year with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Cole's personal-best time of 23.77 moved the Oklahoma native to No. 3 on the OU performance list for the event. Sophomore Scottesha Miller was just off her personal best, 24.17, with her fifth-place time of 24.21, while Jalesa Walker recorded an indoor personal best with a time of 24.44 to finish seventh.

Neelon Greenwood made his OU long jump debut after transferring from Sacramento City College and reeled off an NCAA provisonal qualifying mark in his first jump. The junior's distance of 24-7.25 (7.50) was good for fourth and was followed by two teammates as Adrian Wiltshire (24-6.25/7.47) and Will Claye (24-3.00/7.39) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

In her first action of the season in the event, Johnson finished first in the high jump at the Razorback Invitational with a height of 5-7.25 (1.71). The 2008 Big 12 runner up in the event, Johnson cleared the bar on each her first attempts on the first three heights before clearing the winning height on her third attempt, the only competitor to attempt at the height.

Jessica Engel led off the women's distance medley relay and took the lead in her third lap, giving the Sooners a lead they would not relinquish for the duration of the race as they crossed the finish line in a time of 11:50.20. Tiara Sims ran the 400-meter second leg while Amanda Mayfield, the Big 12 Conference's current top 800-meter runner, took the baton for the 800-meter third leg. Kelly Waters closed out the relay, running the 1,600-meter fourth leg.

Junior Kevin Snyder took second in the men's high jump, clearing a height of 6-8.75 (2.05). The Oklahoma native cleared his first attempt on 6-6.75 (2.00) before clearing his finishing height on the his second attempt.

The men's 200-meter dash may have taken awhile with 16 heats, but the OU men did not as a group of Oklahoma competitors recorded personal bests. Junior Zach Dawson led the way with a time of 21.97 while classmate Jarell Warren crossed the line in a time of 22.10. Freshman Evan Pierson also recorded a PR, 22.50.

Saturday action at the Razorback Invitational kicks off at 10 a.m. with the men's open 3,000-meter run. OU action begins at 11:15 a.m. as redshirt freshman Chelsea Jones competes in the women's mile.

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