Borman Claims Big 12 Discus Title

May 15, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Brittany Borman picked up Oklahoma's second Big 12 title in as many days Saturday at the Big 12 Championships as the sophomore won the women's discus by over eight feet in rainy and colder than usual conditions. Borman's win comes one day after K.P. Singh won the men's hammer throw as the Oklahoma men sit in third with 30 points while the women are sixth with 13.50 points. The OU men advanced six to the finals for running events on Sunday while the women sent five entries on.

Borman's winning throw of 173-9 (52.97) came on her fifth attempt although she never trailed in the event after opening with a throw of 173-4 (52.83). Borman easily won the event as she finished over eight feet ahead of the second place finisher, Baylor's Skylar White, who finished at 168-5 (51.33).

“It was a really good day and I am very happy. My best is 186-0 so I was a little off that mark. It just has been a really good experience to win this because there are so many good throwers in the conference,” said Borman. “I though that the weather played a role because it was a little wet. It started to dry up which made things a little better for us towards the end of the competition. But the wind still saw pretty strong.”

With the win, Borman becomes Oklahoma's third conference champion in the discus, following in Bambi Carson's footsteps after Carson won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001. Saturday's win was Borman's sixth discus title of the season and the eighth overall title for the Oklahoma program record holder in the discus.

Alex Madkins gave the Oklahoma men five team points as he reeled off a season best attempt in the long jump, 24-10.50 (7.58), to finish fourth overall. Madkins top jump came on his second attempt as he was able to hold off several others including last year's NCAA Midwest Regional long jump champion, Texas A&M's Julian Reid, who finished sixth.

Jacob Boone and Eric Harasyn each qualified for the finals of the men's 1,500-meter run taking different routes to do so. Boone automatically qualified as one of the top two finishers in the third heat with a time of 3:48.64 while Harasyn advanced as one of the top two fastest times besides the automatic qualifiers with a time of 3:45.14.

The women's 100-meter hurdles saw OU's 2008 Big 12 champion in the event, Latoya Greaves, move on as she won the event's second heat with a time of 13.66. The time was the third fastest among the field while Demeeka Jones finished 14th overall in 14.22.

The defending NCAA champion in the 110-meter hurdles, Ronnie Ash continued his undefeated season in the event as he clocked a season-best time of 13.47 in the opening heat, breaking a three-year old Audrey J. Walton Track and Field Stadium record in the process, despite running in a lane that was covered in water the majority of the race. Ash will be joined in the finals of the event by teammate Malcolm Anderson who was second in the third heat at 13.86.

The prelims of the women's 100-meter dash saw two Sooners advance as both Scottesha Miller and Sherine Wells moved on. Miller did so by automatically, finishing second in the second heat with a time of 11.50. While Wells did not automatically qualify, the sophomore did so as the fastest non-automatic qualifier, clocking a time of 11.60.

Both returned to the track two hours later for the 200-meter dash where both excelled by automatically qualifying for Sunday's finals as they each finished second in their respective heats. Miller was up first in the first heat where she clocked a time of 23.55 followed by Wells in the second heat who claimed a personal best of 23.58, the 11th-best time in program history.

The men's 100-meter dash gave Mookie Salaam his first opportunity to qualify for a Sunday final and the sophomore did so by winning the third and final heat with a time of 10.34. Salaam will enter the finals as the second seed as the Edmond, Okla., native was just one tenth off the prelims leader, Kansas State's Martynas Jurgilas. Salaam's teammate, Evan Pierson, was 13th overall at 10.64.

Eric Bailey qualified for the finals of the 400-meter hurdles for the second consecutive year as he had the fourth fastest time in prelims, 51.84. The time was the best in the event's third heat for Bailey, who finished sixth in 2009 with a time of 52.77.

Jasmine Simmons claimed two team points for the Oklahoma women's program as she recorded a season-best distance of 19-4.75 (5.91) in the long jump. Simmons was one of two Sooners in the event as Kristen Carson finished 10th with a top jump of 18-9.75 (5.73).

Staying in the field area, Charlotte Abrahamsen picked up a point and a half for OU with a tie for seventh in the high jump. Abrahamsen cleared the opening bar of 5-5.00 (1.65) on her first attempt before failing to clear 5-7.00 (1.70) to finish in a tie with Texas Tech's Kelsey Lloyd.

Colin Quirke picked up a team point for the Oklahoma men in the shot put as he finished eighth overall in the event with a throw of 54-9.50 (16.70). The performance is Quirke's second outdoor All-Big 12 honor after accomplishing the task in the discus in 2009. Conrad Aaron finished 10th overall with a throw of 52-11.50 (16.70).

Sunday action at the event picks up at 2 p.m. with Kevin Snyder in the men's high jump. Running events on the track begins at 3 p.m.

Oklahoma Final Results:
Women's Heptathlon: 12. Claire McConnell 4,399 points
Men's Shot Put: 8. Colin Quirke 54-9.50 (16.70); 10. Conrad Aaron 52-11.50 (16.14)
Women's Long Jump: 7. Jasmine Simmons 19-4.75 (5.91); 9. Kristen Carson 18-9.75 (5.73)
Women's Discus: 1. Brittany Borman 173-9 (52.97); 12. Karen Shump 152-0 (46.35); 16. Amy Backel 143-11 (43.88)
Women's High Jump: 7. Charlotte Abrahamsen 5-5.00 (1.65); 9. Kristen Rice 5-5.00 (1.65); 11. Chelsea Goodman 5-5.00 (1.65); 11. Chenale Smith 5-5.00 (1.65)
Men's Long Jump: 4. Alex Madkins 24-10.50 (7.58); 12. Neelon Greenwood 23-4.00 (7.11)
Women's 1,500-Meter Run: 17. Molly Ferguson 4:36.49; 20. Lauren Watson 4:39.23
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles: 14. Demeeka Jones 14.22
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles: 16. D'Andre Fisher 14.57
Women's 400-Meter Dash: 9. Marlena Wesh 54.84; 14. Jalesa Walker 56.77
Men's 400-Meter Dash: 12. Daniel Nix 47.54; 14. Remuro Henry 47.80; 24. Jarell Warren 48.76
Men's 100-Meter Dash: 13. Evan Pierson 10.64
Women's 800-Meter Run: 25. Natalie Crain 2:16.05
Men's 800-Meter Run: 12. Chris Sweeney 1:52.07
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles: 15. Trayvion Jones 53.80
Men's 200-Meter Dash: 9. Mookie Salaam 21.15

Oklahoma Final Qualifiers:
Men's 1,500-Meter Run: Jacob Boone 3:48.64; Eric Harasyn 3:45.14
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles: Latoya Greaves 13.66
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles: Ronnie Ash 13.47; Malcolm Anderson 13.86
Women's 100-Meter Dash: Scottesha Miller 11.50; Sherine Wells 11.60
Men's 100-Meter Dash: Mookie Salaam 10.34
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles: Eric Bailey 51.84
Women's 200-Meter Dash: Scottesha Miller 23.55; Sherine Wells 23.58

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