Cole Breaks Record, Leads Big 12

April 11, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- OU's Leslie Cole eclipsed a 14-year old meet record in the 400-meter dash as Oklahoma athletes eclipsed the NCAA Regional qualifying mark 12 times Saturday in their first home outdoor meet of the season, the 40th John Jacobs Invitational. Besides the top marks on the collegiate level, four OU athletes, three of which were freshman, positioned themselves well for the 2009 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships as Cole (200- and 400-meter dash), Mookie Salaam (200-meter dash) and Karen Shump (shot put) each hit qualifying marks for the senior division as Katelyn Penner (javelin) did so on the junior level.

Cole jumped atop the Big 12 leaderboard in the 400-meter dash with her 52.28 first-place performance on Saturday, breaking Belinda Hope of Kansas State's previous meet record of 52.84 in 1995. Cole owns the second-fastest time in program history with a time of 51.94 in 2008.

Cole returned to the track later in the afternoon to pick up her second U.S. Championships `A' standard and her second title of the day with a win in the 200-meter dash. Cole's regional qualifying time of 22.99 was just off a PR, last year's 22.92, and also leads the Big 12. Cole's teammate, freshman Sherine Wells, finished third with a regional qualifying time of 23.65, equaling a personal best for the Canadian.

Just freshmen, Salaam and Shump each accomplished the U.S. Championships qualifying feat. Shump, competing unattached as she redshirts, did so in the shot put with a throw of 54-800 (16.66), winning the event by over seven feet, while Salaam opened his outdoor season with a time of 20.76 in the 200-meter dash to finish fifth overall and third among collegiate athletes. Like Cole, Salaam ranks first in the Big 12 Conference in the 200 with the performance.

In her first collegiate action, Penner impressed quickly with a win in the women's javelin, recording a regional qualifying mark of 144-4 (44.00) in the process. Penner's throw is the seventh best in Oklahoma program history.

One heat of the women's 100-meter dash saw two Sooners place their name on the regional qualifying list as Wells, for the second time of the meet, and Missy Barnes each crossed the finish line faster than the 11.75 regional mark. Wells finished second overall with a PR of 11.65 while Barnes took third with a time of 11.74.

The program record holder in the hammer throw, Buck Sullivan finished second in the event with a regional qualifying throw of 188-1 (57.33). OU's K.P. Singh, competing unattached while redshirting, won the event with a toss of 200-5 (61.08).

Also a school record holder in the hammer throw, but on the women's side, Mikaeala Johansson threw a regional mark of 183-5 (55.92) to pick up a win in the event. Johansson's throw landed over 20 feet further than the second place competitor, Rachel Talbert's 162-1 (49.41).

Staying in the throws area, Luke Bryant recorded yet another regional qualifying mark in the men's discus. Bryant hurled the implement a distance of 175-10 (53.59) and was sandwiched in the standings by two current OU athletes competing unattached, Colin Quirke (178-0/54.25) and Singh (175-6/53.49).

For the second consecutive week, Paul Gill cleared a regional qualifying height in the men's high jump. The junior was over the bar at 6-10.75 (2.10) as the highest collegiate finisher and the second overall finisher in the event.

Hurdler D'Andre Fisher earned his first regional qualifying mark of the season in the 110-hurdles with a time of 14.24. Fisher finished fifth overall in the event.

The women's 3,000-meter run was all OU, both past and present, in the top three spots. Sooner alum Jessica Eldridge took first in the event with a time of 9:54.58 followed by current Oklahoma athlete Kelly Waters, competing unattached, with a time of 9:56.64. Sophomore Jessica Engel rounded out the top three with a time of 10:14.91.

Freshman Demeeka Jones finished third in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.87. The wind-aided time is the sixth fastest in the Big 12 Conference.

High jumper Katherine Johnson took first in the event, clearing a height of 5-7.00 (1.70), the only athlete in the event to do so.

In the men's long jump, Neelon Greenwood finished second in his first competition of the year in the event with a jump of 23-9.50 (7.25) against a slight wind. Freshman Alex Madkins took fourth with a jump of 23-8.75 (7.23).

The 4x400-meter relay ended the day as the women's 4x400 of Amanda Mayfield, Andra Harris, Barnes and Jalesa Walker finished second with a time of 3:47.62. The men's relay of Matthew Smith, Eric Bailey, Salaam and Zach Dawson finished second in their division with a time of 3:11.15.

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