Claye Nation's Top Triple Jumper

April 18, 2009

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With rain affecting competition throughout the day, Oklahoma Track and Field athletes still managed to grab 19 NCAA Regional qualifying marks Saturday at the John McDonnell Invitational. The adverse weather did clear enough in the evening for freshman Will Claye to reel off the nation's top performance in the triple jump. Claye was one of eight Sooners to capture an event title at the site of this year's NCAA Championships on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

An early enrollee in January, Claye continues to impress in what should be his senior of high school. After claiming indoor All-American honors in both the triple and long jump, Claye took over the national lead in the triple jump by close to a full foot Saturday with an outdoor personal best of 54-9.50 (16.70), the second best jump in school history behind Shardae Boutte's 55-0.00 (16.76) in 2008. Texas A&M's Julian Reid entered the weekend with nation's top mark of 53-11.75 (16.45) before Claye's performance in Fayetteville.

An athlete who had her hand in on two regional qualifying marks, Leslie Cole defended her 2008 title in the invitational 400-meter dash with a regional qualifying time of 52.36. The time is just off Cole's season-best time of 52.28, which ranks third in the nation.

While not her fastest time of the season, Cole ran a regional qualifying time in the of 23.30 in the collegiate division of the women's 200-meter dash to pick up her first title of the day. Cole is third nationally with the Big 12's best 200, 22.99, run at last week's John Jacobs Invitational in Norman. Cole's win Saturday marked the second year in a row of winning a 200-meter dash title at the John McDonnell Invitational after winning the event's invitational division in 2008.

Using a strong kick down the final 100 meters, Scott Cooper jumped to the top of the Big 12 Conference in the 800-meter dash with a personal best and winning time of 1:48.91. Cooper wasn't the only Sooner running a regional qualifying time in the event as Jacob Boone (1:50.06) and Tony Clement (1:50.27) each accomplished the feat with PRs to finish sixth and seventh, respectively. Rob Sorrell also recorded a PR in the event and was just off the regional qualifying cut off of 1:50.40 with a time of 1:50.96.

Redshirt freshman Luke Bryant continued his regional qualifying streak with a win in the men's discus, flinging the implement a distance of 179-2 (54.61). All five of Bryant's legal throws eclipsed the regional qualifying mark as he picked up his winning distance on his first throw of the competition. Making his official collegiate debut, Colin Quirke picked up a regional qualifying distance in the event en route to finishing fourth. Quirke, who had been redshirting and competing unattached, opened the event with his top throw of 174-5 (53.17). Quirke jumps up to No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference with the throw as Bryant leads the conference with a distance of 186-7 (56.87).

High jumper Paul Gill continued his recent streak of clearing the regional qualifying bar of 6-10.75 (2.10) with his win in the event Saturday. Gill cleared the height on his second attempt and was one of just two competitors still in the event at the height.

The men's 4x400 of Eric Bailey, Mookie Salaam, Zach Dawson and Jarell Warren squeezed out a second-place finish as Warren used a strong final 100 meters to narrowly edge the anchor leg from the University of Iowa and finish with a regional qualifying time of 3:08.61

Amanda Mayfield recorded a PR and improved her season-best time by 10 seconds in the 800-meter run en route to finishing third overall in the event with a time of 2:07.88. The time is ninth fastest in program history and is the second fastest in the Big 12 behind Saturday night's event winner, Missouri's Shannon Leinert, who finished in a time of 2:06.05.

Hurdler Latoya Heath finished fifth in the women's 100-meter hurdles, but more importantly did so with NCAA regional qualifying times in both the prelims and final of the event. Heath advanced to the final with the second-fastest time in the event's prelims, a regional qualifying 13.55, before running a time of 13.74 on a rain-slicked track in the finals later in the evening.

Heath was not limited to the hurdles, however, as the Jamaican also recorded a regional qualifying jump of 41-0.25 (12.50) in the triple jump to finish fourth. Finishing fifth and moving up to seventh all-time at OU was Dominique Jacobs with a top jump of 39-10.75 (12.16).

Like Heath in the women's hurdles, Fisher also advanced with a regional qualifying time in the men's prelims, crossing the line in a personal best 14.17. Despite running on a slower track due to day's rainy conditions, Fisher still managed to run a regional qualifying time in the event's finals, 14.21, to finish eighth overall.

The hurdles on a longer level saw Dawson take to the track for his first action this season in the 400-meter hurdles. While the defending champion in the event was unable to defend his 2008 title, Dawson still recorded a regional qualifying mark, completing the race in a time of 52.29 and finishing fifth overall.

The prelims of the 100-meter dash saw Salaam grab a regional qualifying time of 10.48 to move to No. 5 in the Big 12 Conference list as the freshman ran the seventh-fastest time.

Sherine Wells ran a regional qualifying mark in the 100-meter dash for the second consecutive week with a time of 11.68 in the prelims of the event. Wells, who finished fifth overall with a time of 11.76, ran a season-best 11.65 at last week's John Jacobs Invitational. Wells also accomplished the feat in the 200 when she returned later in the night and finished third in the invitational division of the event with a regional qualifying of 23.75. Wells crossed the line in a time of 23.65 last Saturday.

After a long delay due to the inclement weather, Scottesha Miller brought home the title in the women's long jump with a long jump of 19-8.00 (5.99) on her third attempt of the competition.

The women's 4x400-meter relay of Mayfield, Andra Harris, Demeeka Jones and Jalesa Walker picked up OU's sixth title of the day with a time of 3:48.92.

In her first action of the outdoor season, Kelly Waters just missed a regional qualifying mark as she finished second in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:28.51. Just off the regional mark of 4:27.80, Waters' time is the 10th fastest in program history.

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