Sooner Men Fourth After First Day at Big 12

Friday, February 27

Ames, Iowa

10:00 AM

University of Oklahoma

Big 12 Indoor Championships

Sooner Men Fourth After First Day at Big 12

February 27, 2015 | Track and Field

By: Athletics Communications

AMES, Iowa – In a day of prelims and finals, the University of Oklahoma track and field teams took full advantage of the opportunities, posting career bests, scoring points and advancing to finals during the Big 12 Indoor Championships first day. The Lied Center saw Sooner student-athletes climb the award podium as well advance to Saturday's finals.

A total of 28 career bests were posted during the day and night of the first day of the championships.

“Our goal was to have as many people step up and have good days as possible,” said Sooner head coach Jim VanHootegem. “Some people stepped up and had good days, some got 10th place and they didn't make the finals. Others stepped up and it put them in the finals or in the field events today, it put them in a scoring position. Either way, that adds to what we're trying to do as a team.”

Through six finals for the women, the Sooners are seventh with 15 points. The Sooner men are fourth with 24 points after five finals.

In final events on Friday, freshman Makayla Stephens finished seventh in the pentathlon as she and another freshman, Payton Stumbaugh, had nine career marks, including total points. Stumbaugh finished 10^th in her first conference meet. They both recorded career best marks in the final two events, the long jump and 800, of the five-event competition.

For the men, freshman Thomas Cheval recorded career-best marks on two of the four events Friday to lead the competition after one day. His first day score, 3,156, also was a career best. The heptathlon will conclude on Saturday with the 60-meter hurdles, the pole vault and the 1,000-meter run.

I'm very pleased with the overall effort of the team in terms of the composure, enthusiasm and the way they've supported each other.
Jim VanHootegem, head coach

In the weight throw, the women finished fifth through seventh, led by Sarah Tolson's throw of 60-10.50. Jess Woodard finished seventh with a PR of 56-7.50. Elena Arriaza finished third in the 5,000-meter run with a 16:25.39. A PR for her, it also ranks as the third best time in school history. Brittany Tretbar recorded a PR with a 16:34.72 and moved to fourth all-time in the 5,000. The women's distance medley relay gave OU its final points of the evening with an eighth-place finish. The quartet who ran the DMR included Belle Wallace, Payton Baker, Kelsey McKee and Marissa Codispodi.

The men got a pair of career-best throws as Charles Nguyen (60-4.50) and Austin Perry (56-10) finished fifth and eighth respectively. In another final on Friday, Hayden McClain, who competed in triple jump only as a freshman, finished fourth in the long jump with a career-best effort of 24-00.25. In the final event of the day, the Sooners' repeat titles in the distance medley relay came to an end as OU finished second to Oklahoma State. The Sooner quartet, Alex Deir, Trae Armstrong, Allen Eke and Brandon Doughty, recorded the eighth best time in school history but was edged out for the title by just over one second.

“First of all we had finals today, so we needed to get things done in those finals,” VanHootegem explained as he assessed the first day of action. “The only way, though, you run tomorrow in those events that have qualifying is by how you did today. Most of the events we got somebody through or multiple people through. That puts you in a scoring chance tomorrow -- you don't score if you don't make it through. I'm very pleased with the overall effort of the team in terms of the composure, enthusiasm and the way they've supported each other.”

In preliminary action that qualifies to Saturday's finals, the OU women advanced Hannah Cunlifee in the 60-meter dash; Daye Shon Roberson in the 400-meter dash; Daunicia Demerson in the 600-yard run; and Wallace in the 1,000-meter run. Five career bests were recorded in the preliminaries, including a double PR for Ama Pipi in the 200 and the 400.

For the men, Jacob Burcham advanced in the mile and 1,000-meter run with the fastest qualifying time in the 1,000, a 2:24.98. Other qualifiers included Dylan Blankenbaker and Deir, who will join Burcham in the mile; Mike Wells in the 60-meter dash; Eke in the 1,000; and Zac Randall in the 800. The OU men recorded eight career bests in preliminary action.

“The PRs, whether they came in prelims or finals, are very positive things. Bennie Wesley got a PR in the 60 and finished 10^th. He missed the finals by a couple hundredths of a second,” the Sooner head coach continued. “He may not score for us but his effort adds to what we are trying to do. Hayden gets a PR (24-00.25) in the sixth round of the long jump and moves from ninth to fourth. This is the first time he's entered the long jump. Whatever it is, that adds to the atmosphere of what we're trying to do.”

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. Finals in all the running events start at 1:30 p.m.

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.