2016 Track and Field: Horizontal Jumps Preview

December 30, 2015 | Track and Field

By: Akilah Laster

The Sooners plan to kick up a lot of sand this track and field season, not from the beach but from the horizontal jumps landing pits.

After adding eight competitors to the horizontal jumps group during the offseason, those Sooner sand pits have seen more action compared to a season ago. Throughout fall training, the group worked on mechanics, but they also focused on upcoming competition.

"Our season expectations started with daily ones in the fall," said head coach Jim VanHootegem. "We asked everybody to compete every day in practice. While we're physically preparing for the season and technically preparing for the season, we're also working on how we compete. We really like the mix in the group and we've had a good fall."

With the majority of the newcomers being first-year collegians, the Sooners returned experienced jumpers and added transfers with experience to help lead the group.

Hayden McClain was the Sooners' high-point scorer at the Big 12 Indoor Championships during the 2015 season.

Returnee and junior captain Hayden McClain brings the most experience for the men. McClain led the Sooners in total points scored during the Big 12 indoor a season ago. He was the conference runner-up in the triple jump and finished fourth in the long jump as a sophomore. Consistent during the outdoor conference meet as well, he scored in both events to contribute to the team total. McClain also qualified for the NCAA regionals during the outdoor season in the triple jump. Now in his third season, the team will look for him to expand his role on and off of the track.

"I think the team has always respected his ability to perform at a high level," VanHootegem said. "The team knows Hayden and believe he's a reliable person at the conference meet. He's not a person who is limited to his event group.

"While we want to have a lot of pride in our event areas, we are one team," he continued. "I think Hayden is a person who really transcends his event area. It was probably an easy pick for the team to vote him captain."

Fellow captains Makayla Stephens and Baileh Simms also bring unique experience and leadership to the group. Stephens, the youngest of the 10 team captains, participates in the pentathlon and heptathlon. She saw significant improvement and success throughout her freshman campaign as an indoor conference scorer in the pentathlon and the Big 12 runner-up in the heptathlon during the outdoor season.

Stephens competed in the open long jump and high jump throughout the 2015 season in addition to combined event competition. She qualified the NCAA regional in the high jump.

 Sophomore Makayla Stephens is the youngest captain on the track and field team.

However, the most unexpected leadership has come from Simms, a Portland State University transfer who has two years of eligibility remaining. Although Simms has only been with the team since August, she has made a significant impact on the program.

"Probably the biggest surprise was Baileh Simms in that she was able to make such an impact in such a short time," said VanHootegem. "[Being voted as captain] was largely driven by the athletes in her event group, the ones who see her every day.

"She is as solid as a person could be in terms of her 'multidimensionalness' as a student-athlete," he added. "She is a very serious student and also comes to practice and does the physical work day after day. She brings a lot mentally even as far as rehearsing the technical aspects in between her jumps. She brings a lot of positive energy."

Simms has the most experience at the national level in the horizontal jumps as well. She finished 15th to earn second team All-America honors a season ago.

Freshman Marcus Mitchell won the standing long and triple jumps in the 2015 intrasquad pentathlon.

"Baileh's our top person returning nationally," VanHootegem said. "She's a transfer, but she is the person with the best performance as far as nationals go. I think she's hungry to move into more elite company."

The remaining horizontal jumpers for the women include Nay Strickland, Hailey Patterson, both freshmen, and Brianna Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a transfer from Pima Community College, is a two-time NJCAA All-American in the long jump.

"We have a lot of leadership in our group when you add in Brianna Rodriguez," the head coach said. "Brianna is someone who has raised the bar with her work ethic combined with her raw athleticism. She may be someone that surprises us as well."

The men added experience with the arrival of junior college transfer Charles Greaves. Greaves, a Bridgetown, Barbados, native, is a five-time NJCAA All-America selection, earning honors in the outdoor triple jump, long jump and 400-meter relay and in the indoor long and triple jumps. He will join the Sooners in January.

Freshmen Greg Vann, Marcus Mitchell and Joshua Foster also provide depth to these event areas. While the trio continues to prepare for collegiate-level competition, they have shown signs of growth throughout the fall. Mitchell led the men jumpers to a team victory in the intrasquad pentathlon in November after winning the standing triple and long jump events. Foster, a Houston native, has also been impressive.

"Josh Foster will bring good depth at the triple jump and he can definitely be a conference level scorer," VanHootegem said.

There will be a lot of time to dust off and brush up between the beginning of the season on Jan. 16 and the Big 12 Indoor Championship, slated for Feb. 26-27. In the meantime, the horizontal jumps group fine tune with anticipation for competition and success this season.

"I think it's the year for Hayden," VanHootegem said. "It's time for Hayden to step onto the national scene. Overall, we're looking for growth from everyone. They need to understand their adjustments and those sorts of things. Mainly, we have to stay very performance driven and let the results come from that."