OU Claims Three Titles in First Day of Big 12s

May 13, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. — Competing at home, Oklahoma athletes claimed three Big 12 titles Friday at the Big 12 Championships in Norman. Two conference crowns came in the throws field as Brittany Borman won the women's javelin while K.P. Singh claimed the hammer throw title before Jessica Engel closed out the night with a win in the women's 10,000-meter run.

The three accounted for 10 team points for their respective sides as the OU men were in first with 29 team points after the first of three days while the women were fourth with 20 points as Borman and Engel were the only female Sooners in finals action, both claiming titles. OU athletes also rewrote the record books as Kevin Schwab broke the 10,000-meter record as he finished second in the event.

Throwing in less than desirable weather conditions in the meet's first event, Borman led wire-to-wire finishing with a top throw of 163-8 (49.90). The winning throw came on her third attempt for the junior who opened with a throw of 160-6 (48.92).

Borman keeps the Big 12 javelin title in Norman after OU's Amy Backel won the event in 2010. With the back-to-back wins, Oklahoma becomes the first ever Big 12 program to win back-to-back javelin titles using two different athletes. The win by Borman is Oklahoma's fourth conference javelin title in program history.

Singh closed out his two-year Big 12 career by defending his 2010 title in the hammer throw with a winning throw of 211-6 (64.46). With the win, Singh becomes just the third athlete in OU history to win back-to-back titles in the event. Like Borman, the win was never in question for Singh, who entered the meet leading the Big 12 by 18 feet. The senior from Clovis, Calif., led the event from his very first attempt with his winning mark coming on his fourth throw as he defeated the field by more than 14 feet. Singh's throw is his third longest of the season as he entered with a season best of 218-10 (66.70).

The last event of the night saw Engel clock the second-fastest 10K in Big 12 Championship history as she ran away from the field with a time of 33:42.11 in her first ever 10,000-meter run. The time is the third-fastest time in Oklahoma history as the junior topped the field by six seconds. Engel defeated six ranked opponents en route to the victory as she won OU's first ever Big 12 crown and fifth conference title in the event. Engel's time trails just the meet record of 33:28.68 set by Mary Davies of Oklahoma State in 2006 for the fastest time in Big 12 Championship history.

Running in the next-to-last event on the track, Schwab used the fastest 10,000-meter run in Big 12 history to break a year-old record in the event as he finished second with a time of 28:59.67. Five athletes in the field, three of the Oklahoma variety, all broke a six-year old Big 12 record in the event running under the previous record of 29:23.67.

Schwab was the first of the Sooners across the line after Colorado's Joe Bosshard's winning time of 28:52.85. George Alex finished Schwab across the line in third with a time of 29:09.40 while Bill Kogel came in fifth with a time of 29:22.09. Schwab and Kogel both eclipsed the OU program record of 29:18.64 set by teammate Jeremy Sudbury in 2010.

After one day and four events in the women's heptathlon, Oklahoma's Claire McConnell sits in fifth with a total of 3,140 points. McConnell opened the day with a PR of 14.53 in the 100-meter hurdles before continuing her PR streak with a clearance of 5-4.50 (1.64) in the high jump. McConnell then moved to the shot put ring and was just two-and-a-half inches off her PR with a throw of 34-5.00 (10.49). The sophomore returned to the track for the 200-meter dash and returned to her PR ways, clocking a time of 24.97 into a headwind.

Oklahoma Final Results
Men's 10,000-Meter Run: 2. Kevin Schwab 28:59.67; 3. George Alex 29:09.40; 5. Bill Kogel 29:22.09; 8. Kevin Williams 29:59.89
Men's Hammer Throw: 1. K.P. Singh 211-6 (64.46); 9. Holden Mitchell 182-3 (55.56)
Women's 10,000-Meter Run: 1. Jessica Engel 33:42.11
Women's Javelin: 1. Brittany Borman 163-8 (49.90)

Day 1 Hepthatlon Results: 5. Claire McConnell 3,140

100-Meter Hurdles: 14.53
High Jump: 5-4.50 (1.64)
Shot Put: 34-5.00 (10.49)
200-Meter Dash: 24.97