Claye, Boone Latest All-Americans

March 14, 2009

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — After graduating high school early and enrolling at the University of Oklahoma in January, Will Claye was expected to replace Shardae Boutte as the face of the team's jumps program. Saturday afternoon at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Claye fulfilled those expectations. One day after finishing third in the long jump, Claye narrowly missed claiming the program's 31st national title with a second-place finish in the triple jump en route to shattering the program record in the event.

Competing on a bruised right heel, Claye vaulted himself to the top of the Oklahoma performance list in the event with a top jump of 55 feet and 1.50 inches (16.80 meters) on his sixth and final attempt. The freshman from Phoenix covered the personal best distance to the delight of 4,917 inside the Gilliam Indoor Stadium to put the promising youngster atop the leader board. The event ended in dramatic fashion as Florida's Christian Taylor reeled off the winning jump of 55-8.50 (16.98) right after Claye on the final attempt of the night.

Claye's top jump broke the previous program record of 54-2.50 (16.52) set by Tydree Lewis at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships. Lewis also finished second in the event with the jump. Claye first broke the record in the prelims of the event with a jump of 54-4.00 (16.56) on his third attempt, earning the No. 2 seed for the finals behind Taylor.

Men's All-Americans | Women's All-Americans

With Saturday's performance and Friday's third-place finish in the long jump, Claye becomes just the third athlete in the history of the Oklahoma men's program to earn two All-America honors in the same indoor meet and the first to accomplish the feat without competing on a relay. The 1999 indoor season saw Michael Blackwood and Moses Washington garner All-America honors in the 400 and 800, respectively, and as members of the 4x400-meter relay. Their efforts came two years after Roxbert Martin picked up two honors in the 400-meter dash and the 4x400-meter relay.

Claye was one of two Sooners to earn All-America honors Saturday as Jacob Boone finished 10th in the men's mile to help the program to a 16tht-place finish. The USTFCCCA awards All-America honors to the top-eight finishers in each event and extends further to displace non-U.S. citizens. The two gave Oklahoma 340 All-Americans in the history of program. OU closed the weekend with five All-Americans as Claye (long jump), Scottesha Miller (200-meter dash) and Ti'Anca Mock (long jump) earned the honors from the USTFCCCA Friday night.

The program record holder in the event, Boone became only the second athlete in program history to receive All-American honors in the men's mile and the first in the indoor event with a time of 4:03.43. Rick Carpenter earned All-America honors in the outdoor mile in both 1974 and 1975.

Boone was right with the pack for the first four laps of the eight lap race as the group held a slower pace for the first 800 meters. New Mexico's Lee Emmanuel became the first athlete to make a break from the group on the fifth lap as the pace picked up. It was on the seventh lap that Boone began to make his move to set up for the bell lap. On the final lap Boone continued to gain on several athletes by running the fourth-fastest final lap, 27.63, but was unable to pick up any placements, finishing in the 10th position.

In an attempt to earn his third career All-American honor in the triple jump, Boutte was unable to advance to the finals of the event with a top jump of 52-1.00 (15.87). Boutte hit his best jump on his first attempt before fouling on the second. Boutte was unable to improve on his third and final jump.

Competing in the high jump, Paul Gill finished 12th with a top height of 6-10.25 (2.09). It took Gill, who entered the meet ranked 13th nationally, all three jumps to clear the opening height. The junior was unable to clear the next height, 7-0.25 (2.14), as Scott Sellers of Kansas State won the event with clearing a height of 7-4.50 (2.25).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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