Friday Provides Four All-Americans

June 12, 2009

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Oklahoma women's 4x100 relay added their names to the list of OU All-Americans by breaking their own program record while freshman Will Claye easily qualified for the finals of the triple jump and Leslie Cole advanced to the 400-meter dash finals Friday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships. While action was affected by severe thunderstorms for the second time in three days, the delays did little to deter OU athletes, especially the quartet of Sherine Wells, Scottesha Miller, Cole and Ti'Anca Mock who finished fourth overall by breaking their own program record by a full tenth of a second with a time of 43.58.

Running in the fastest NCAA final ever as the eventual winner, Texas A&M, ran the fastest time in collegiate history, 42.36, the Sooners improved a spot as they entered the meet ranked fifth nationally. The time came after the quartet broke the Oklahoma program record two weeks ago at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Norman with a time of 43.68.

The foursome now owns four of the six fastest times in program history as nine of the top-10 marks in program history have come in the last three years with Cole and Miller running a leg on each. The relay loses one member of the group as Cole is one of just five seniors of the 36 athletes in the relay final.

Neither Miller or Cole are done at the meet as they run in Saturday finals of the 200- and 400-meter dash, respectively. Cole returned to the track an hour after the 4x100 relay for the semifinals of the 400-meter dash and qualified for the finals of the event by winning her heat, the first of two, with a time of 52.19. The time was the third fastest in the semifinals behind Francena McCorory of Hampton's 51.74 and Jessica Beard of Texas A&M's 51.76.

Cole entered the meet ranked No. 2 in the nation and has been battling with Beard, ranked first nationally in the event, throughout the season including tight races at both the Big 12 Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regional. The two will have tough competition from McCorory who won the event's national title in the indoor season. Saturday's race will be the first in a while that Cole will be running fresh as opposed to coming off running a leg on the 4x100 relay.

“It feels great to go out as a senior with the school record (on the 4x100) and I wish the team the best in the future,” said Cole. “I'm going to be really fresh tomorrow and we're the first race on the track, so I am going to be really ready especially with nothing else to run tomorrow. Tonight I picked it up on the last curve, in the first half I wasn't really running my race. I went out a little too hard and it showed in my time.”

Cole ran the second-fastest time in program history, 51.53, at the Big 12 Championships when she lost the closest 400 in Big 12 history to Beard, losing by three-thousandths of a second.

Claye needed just one jump to advance to the 12-man final on Saturday with a jump of 53-8.50 (16.37), easily eclipsing the finals automatic qualifying standard of 53-5.75 (16.30). Claye will look to redeem himself after finishing second in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships as he jumps on Saturday, his 18th birthday.

“It felt good. I knew before I got out there that I wanted to get one jump and be done. As soon as I landed I knew it would be enough and I could rest,” said Claye. “Now I have to get some rest and get ready for tomorrow, that's when it really counts. Hopefully I'll be able to give myself a good birthday present.”

Claye entered the meet ranked first nationally with a top jump of 55-9.75 (17.01). Claye is a heavy favorite in the event with the second-best athlete in the nation, Texas A&M's Julian Reid, recording a top jump of 55-0.00 (16.76) at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Norman. Reid briefly took over the regional lead and John Jacobs Complex record from Claye with the jump before Claye reclaimed both along with a Midwest Regional meet record with a winning jump of 55-2.00 (16.81).

Mikaela Johansson closed out her Oklahoma career with a 12th-place finish in the women's hammer throw in a final that was affected by severe weather. Johansson fouled on her first two attempts before the severe weather swept in from the west forcing those in attendance to take shelter in the neighboring Bud Walton Arena. The Swedish native was able to get off a legal throw on her third attempt, but the throw of 179-8 (54.77) did not place the program record holder in the finals of the event.

Despite finishing 12th in the event, Johansson still exceeded expectations as she entered the meet ranked 17th nationally. Johansson ends her Oklahoma career as the program record holder in both the indoor weight throw and the hammer throw.

Oklahoma action at the event on Saturday begins at 12 p.m. with Claye competing in the finals of the triple jump. Cole will start the finals of the 400 shortly afterwards at 12:05 p.m. while Miller returns to the track for the finals of the 200 at 12:35 p.m.

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