Gill Clears NCAA Bar, No. 3 OU Mark

Feb. 21, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- For Oklahoma high jumper Paul Gill, the 2009 indoor track and field season had been a disappointment due to an early-season foot injury. That changed Saturday at OU's final home indoor meet of the season, the Sooner Open II. Held inside the Mosier Indoor Facility, the meet saw Gill leap an NCAA provisional qualifying height of 7-1.75 (2.18) to win the event in his first action of the season in the event.

Gill was one of five OU athletes to record NCAA qualifying marks Saturday as Amy Backel (shot put), Ti'Anca Mock (triple jump), Mookie Salaam (60-meter dash) and K.P. Singh (weight throw) joined the jumper in securing marks needed to be considered for an at-large spot in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Saturday's meet marked the final weekend of action before the Big 12 Championships.

Gill, who earned All-Big 12 honors in the event in 2008, jumped to No. 3 on the OU all-time performance list with his personal-best effort Saturday and moves to No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference. Gill was the only competitor remaining to attempt the winning height and needed just two attempts to clear the bar before attempting to break the Oklahoma program record of 7-2.75 (2.20) set by Greg Seay in 1982. Gill's teammate, freshman Alex Madkins, finished third in the event with a height of 6-6.75 (2.00).

Mookie Salaam reeled off his second NCAA provisional qualifying time of the season one week after doing so in the 200-meter dash. The freshman from Edmond, Okla., finished first in the 60-meter dash with a personal-best time of 6.73. The time allowed Salaam to move up a spot on the OU performance list as the fourth-fastest 60 in program history and ranks fifth in the Big 12.

Ti'Anca Mock improved her provisional qualifying personal best in the triple jump with a top distance of 42-7.00 (12.98). Mock sits No. 2 on the OU performance list for the event and moves up to No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference with Saturday's performance. Mock finished second in the event behind OU alum and program record holder Toni Smith, who is preparing for the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, with a jump of 44-6.00 (13.56).

Mock also finished second in the women's 60-meter dash with a personal-best time of 7.48.

The throws ring produced two provisional qualifying marks as Backel and Singh each accomplished the feat. Neither thrower improved on their season bests, however, as Backel took second with a throw of 50-4.75 (15.36) in the women's shot put and Singh took third with a distance of 64-0.25 (19.51) in the men's weight throw. OU freshman Karen Shump, competing unattached, took first in the women's shot put with a toss of 55-1.50 (16.80) as she prepares for the USA Indoor Championships.

Oklahoma freshman Colin Quirke, also competing unattached as he redshirts the 2009 indoor season, extended his own Irish junior national record in the shot put with a toss of 61-6.25 (18.75). Quirke, who has dual Irish-American citizenship, broke the record on Feb. 7 at the Sooner Open I with a toss of 60-7.75 (18.48). Quirke already held the Irish junior record in the outdoor shot put, breaking his father Paul's mark in the 2007 Ireland Youth Championships and extending it at the 2007 World Youth Championships.

The Oklahoma record holder in the women's weight throw, Mikaela Johansson extended her own program record in the event for the fifth straight week en route to winning the event with a top toss of 61-5.00 (18.72).

Leslie Cole placed her name in the Oklahoma record books with a meet record time of 1:20.01 in the 600-yard run. With the performance, the senior holds on to her No. 1 ranking in the Big 12 Conference. Amanda Mayfield finished third with a time of 1:23.90.

Madkins third-place finish in the high jump was not the freshman's only top-three finish as the Midwest City, Okla., native won the men's long jump with a season-best 23-7.25 (7.19). OU's Adrian Wiltshire finished second with a top jump of 23-6.25 (7.17).

OU recorded a sweep in the high jump as senior Katherine Johnson finished first in the women's division by tying a season best with a height of 5-7.25 (1.71).

Two freshman finished one-two in the women's 400 meter dash as Tiara Sims (56.52) and Andra Harris (56.95) finished in the top spots.

Lindsay Pierson won the women's 1,000-meter run with a time of 3:03.80.

OU's next action comes next weekend at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in College Station, Texas.