Sooners Open Big 12 Championships

NORMAN – In a season that seems like it just started, the University of Oklahoma track and field teams have traveled to Ames, Iowa, for the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships. In two weeks, the indoor season ends at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and Sooners are hoping the competition this weekend leads to more qualifiers for Fayetteville, Ark.

Action begins at 10 a.m. Friday with the first events of the women's pentathlon. The Sooners will have two entries in the pentathlon, both freshmen, then an hour later, the men's heptathlon starts and again OU will have two entries, both freshmen. In the men's event, Sooners Thomas Cheval (third) and Steven Jazdyk (seventh) are ranked in the top 10 while Makayla Stephens is ranked seventh in the pentathlon.

Most of our people have had a good meet this year. It comes down to most or all of our people having a good meet this weekend.
Jim VanHootegem, head coach

The youth in the multi events is carried on throughout both teams and that has been something that has helped the Sooners throughout the season and could, according to head coach Jim VanHootegem, be a factor again this weeked.

“The team talked about our performance expectations. You certainly want to have those people who have been here before to step up and lead the team,” VanHootegem said. “At the same time, we made the point that they don't handicap for freshmen or sophomores. Our young people – they're athletes- and they need to be ready to step up. We're looking for everybody to come ready to step up.”

The rest of the schedule for Friday includes preliminaries and finals in 27 events. Field events will start at 3 p.m. and will feature the finals for men's and women's weight throw, men's and women's pole vault and men's and women's long jump. Four Sooners are ranked in the weight throw. Julia Reedy (third), Sarah Tolson (fourth) and Jess Woodard (eighth) are ranked in the women's field and Charles Nguyen is fifth among the men's entries. Hayden McClain is ranked in the long jump.

Events on the track also begin at 3 p.m. at Lied Center with the 800-meter run, the final event in the women's pentathlon. Prelims and semifinals in eight events, a mixture of sprints and middle distance races, continue throughout the afternoon and evening. The first finals on the track, the men's and women's 5,000-meter run and the men's and women's distance medley relay, will wrap up the first day of competition. The Sooner men have won the last two DMRs and will be on the track at 9 p.m. looking for a third consecutive title.

The Sooners had a single day at the facility hosting the conference meet and it was an important day in VanHootegem's opinion.

“Just being at the facility, getting around the other teams and getting a feel for the environment is really important,” VanHootegem explained. “Emotionally, you can't have the track meet a day or two beforehand, but I do think there's a certain time period that you have to start getting into that mental state. It's good getting out here to see the facility and start to get into that kind of mode.”

The meet resumes at 11 a.m. Saturday with the final three events of the men's heptathlon. At noon Saturday, field event finals begin for men's and women's high jump, triple jump and shot put. Again, the Sooners have several entries who rank among the best in the league in the shot put. In the men's event, Chase Sammons is ranked third heading into the meet and Austin Perry is ranked fifth. For the women, Avione Allgood (fourth), Chamaya Turner (fifth) and Woodard (seventh) enter the competition with ranked efforts. McClain is ranked fourth in the triple jump after finishing as the runner-up as a freshman.

Finals in all the running events start at 1:30 p.m. and the Sooner coach is looking forward to strong efforts, part because of the kind of track the Sooners will be running on.

“There's really nothing unique about the facility for the field event competitors, but it is an oversized track and that can make a difference in certain running events,” the second-year Sooner head coach continued. “We've had a few distance runners run on oversized tracks this year. As a team, though, we haven't been on an oversized track, especially our middle distance runners and our long sprinters. They haven't been on this kind of track this season. You get a little bit more of an outdoor track feeling indoors here.”

While the men's DMR has won back-to-back titles, the Sooner women did not have a champion in 2014. It hasn't been that long, though, since OU crowned a women's champ as Tia Brooks won three consecutive shot put titles in 2011-2013 and Karen Shump won the 2010 shot put title.

“We have had a lot of good stuff happen this season,”VanHootegem praised. “If you looked at all of our individuals, somewhere along the way, most of our people have had a good meet this year. It comes down to most or all of our people having a good meet this weekend.”

This weekend marks the final opportunity to post NCAA-qualifying times or marks. The top 16 individuals and top 12 relays will advance to the NCAA to be held March 13-14. Heading into the Big 12 meet, Sooner freshman Hannah Cunliffe is the only student-athlete who ranks among the top 16. She enters the conference meet tied for 13^th in the 60-meter dash.

To follow the meet, go to Delta Timing.com and follow the action live via the Big 12 webcast at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field championship page. A complete OU recap will be available at the end of action each day on SoonerSports.com.

Players Mentioned

Avione Allgood

Thomas Cheval

Steven Jazdyk

Hayden McClain

Charles Nguyen

Austin Perry

Julia Reedy

Chase Sammons

Makayla Stephens

Sarah Tolson

Chamaya Turner

Jess Woodard

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