Sammons Leads Solid Day Two Performance

Saturday, January 31

Fayetteville, Ark.

12:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

Razorback Invitational

Sammons Leads Solid Day Two Performance

January 31, 2015 | Track and Field

By: Athletics Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chase Sammons added another title in the shot put as the University of Oklahoma career list had numerous changes after the two-day Razorback Invitational.

Sammons recorded a 62-11.5 in the shot put, nearly eight inches better than his previous best. He continued to move closer to the top spot, held by former Sooner national champion and coach Ed Wade, who posted his school record mark, 65-8.25, in 1987.

“It feels really good to be a Sooner and leave my name on the program,” Sammons said. “I know the school record is a pretty big throw and it's going to take a lot of work to get there. I'm taking it one day at a time. This is an awesome facility with its own throwing area. You can get out here on your own and really get at it.”

Sammons wasn't the only Sooner thrower who had a successful Saturday. Redshirt freshman Chamaya Turner finished second in the women's shot put with a 52-8, a mark that moved her up to seventh on the all-time OU career list.

“It's amazing,” Turner said about her effort. “The competition was good. I was really focused and just wanted to throw well. I feel like I'm helping out the team.”

Avione Allgood finished fifth in the shot with a 50-7.5 while Jess Woodard was seventh with a 49-8.25. Austin Perry was sixth with a 56-4.75.

In part because of the efforts of the throwers, the OU men finished fifth with 70 points and the women were ninth with 35 points.

“We had 15 performances that will either be first-time marks or will be improved marks on the OU top 10 of all time,” Sooner coach Jim VanHootegem praised. “That's a lot to change in one meet and to have that many people come away ranked in school history. It's a tremendous sign of how well we did at this meet and where we are as a program.”

These are the nation's best teams and we put ourselves in this environment.
Jim VanHootegem

Others who saw marks move them onto or up on the career list in Saturday's competition were Jacob Burcham in the mile run with a 4:02.45, eighth; Brandon Doughty in the 3000 with a 7:56.91 (sixth); Hayden McClain in the triple jump with a 50-6.75, improved his ninth-place mark; Thomas Cheval in the heptathlon with a 5,195 (third) and Steven Jazdyk in the hepathlon with a 4,881 (tied for seventh); Hannah Cunliffe in the 60-meter dash with a 7.37, sixth; Mia Mukes in the 400 with a 55.28, 10^th; Elena Arriaza improved her ranked time in the 3000 with a 9:39.04; and Brittany Tretbar in the 3000 with a 9:46.75, ninth.

On Friday, Carl Williams in the high jump; Payton Stumbaugh in the pentathlon 60 hurdles; McClain in the long jump; Erin Jones in the women's 200, and Makayla Stephens in the pentathlon posted marks ranked on the all-time top 10.

“I think our men's team scored pretty well. These are the nation's best teams and we put ourselves in this environment,” the second-year head coach continued. “The women competed well in a lot of ways. We still need more to compete and score a lot of points at this level.

“On the lower end, I was disappointed in some of our performances. They need to learn how to come to a meet like this, step up and perform or they need to go back in their training and train at a higher level,” VanHootegem continued. “For the most part, some leaders emerged on the team. I also see where there's a lack of leadership. I see some things we need to develop, still progress wise, we feel good.”

Other Sooners who scored points in competition today (finished in the top eight) included Cunliffe, sixth in the 60 in her collegiate debut; Daye Shon Roberson, eighth in the 400; the women's 4x400-meter relay (Ama Pipi, Mukes, Daunicia Demerson, Payton Baker), sixth; Mike Wells, fifth in the 60; Trae Armstrong, sixth in the 60; Burcham, second in the invitational mile; Alex Deir, seventh in the invitational mile; Doughty, fourth in the invitational 3,000; Simbassa, seventh in the invitational 3,000; the men's 4x400-meter relay (Scott Petersen, Jacob Goldberg, Liam Meirow, Malcolm Wankel), sixth; McClain, fourth in the triple jump; Charles Nguyen, eighth in the weight throw, and Cheval and Jazdyk, second and seventh in the heptathlon respectively.

After three consecutive weeks of competition, the Sooners will take a break next weekend. The following weekend, OU will send entries to three different meets across the country. That will leave one regular season meet before the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28 in Ames, Iowa.