Doughty Wins Big 12 Title in the 3,000

Saturday, February 28

Ames, Iowa

11:00 AM

University of Oklahoma

Big 12 Indoor Championships

Doughty Wins Big 12 Title in the 3,000

February 28, 2015 | Track and Field

By: Athletics Communications

AMES, Iowa -- Brandon Doughty won the Big 12 title in the 3,000 as a senior after finishing as the runner-up a year ago and that performance was one of many highlights for the Sooner track and field teams on the second day of the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Sooners also posted several personal bests and added two potential NCAA qualifiers in Saturday's action.

“I'm extremely pleased,” head coach Jim VanHootegem said. “I've had a chance to be a part of championship teams in the past so I feel like I know what a championship performance is. We had a championship type of meet.

“That doesn't mean that we're pleased with our places. We want to improve our program, but we can't ask any more than what we did with our kids this weekend. It was a great thing.”

Many of the top performances today came from freshmen on the Sooner squad including Hannah Cunliffe. She ran a 7.28 in the 60-meter dash, a time that earned her second place in conference and a career best. She also unofficially ranks 10th in the nation.

“It was a good race,” Cunliffe said. “I got my altitude PR at sea level so that was good. I was winning the first 50 meters so it was kind of frustrating. I'm excited for nationals for sure.”

VanhHootegem was pleased with Cunliffe's performance and praised her for her composure as a freshman in such a big race.

“(Cunliffe) is very confident in her abilities,” VanHootegem said. “She stays composed in big races. She went to New Mexico, ran in a great final two weeks ago, and she knows where she's at. We hope she gets to run in two weeks in Fayetteville for the NCAA.”

Freshman Thomas Cheval also has a chance to compete at NCAA after a third-place finish in the heptathlon at conference. He is unofficially ranked 15th in the nation.

On the second day of competition, Cheval established bests in two heptathlon events, the pole vault (14-00.50) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.15), improving his best in pole vault by more than two feet. He also improved his two-day score with a 5,464. That total ranks as the second-best mark in school history as well.

“Everything came together in pole vault right after 12 feet,” Cheval said. “I think that was like a little obstacle in my way because whenever it came to 12 feet, just that height, I just freak out. I got it together and I ended up clearing 14 feet. I just came out here and did what I was supposed to do.”

“I'm extremely pleased. I've had a chance to be a part of championship teams in the past so I feel like I know what a championship performance is. We had a championship type of meet.
Jim VanHootegem, head coach

Other top competitors for the men's squad included sophomore Hayden McClain and freshman Mike Wells. Wells placed fifth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.77 while McClain finished second in the triple jump with an effort of 49-5.00.

McClain placed second in the triple jump as a freshman in both the 2014 indoor and outdoor Big 12 championships.

“I was real happy about it last year,” McClain said. “I wanted to be able to win this year, but it still feels good to be able to give the team eight more points and 13 overall.”

The Sooner men also saw three score points for the team in the mile: Jacob Burcham, who finished third (4:10.22), Alex Deir, who was sixth (4:13.17) and Dylan Blankenbaker, seventh (4:14.44). Burcham also placed fourth in the 1,000-meter run (2:27.84).

Efforts in the shot put produced significant points for both squads. Redshirt freshman Jess Woodard (51-4.50) placed third followed by Avione Allgood (50-10.75) in fourth and Chamaya Turner (50-6.25) was fifth. Chase Sammons finished second with a throw of 62-4.50 for the OU men and Austin Perry placed sixth with a 57-1.50.

“It feels great,” Woodard said. “I definitely did better than I expected to [even though] it was not as far as I wanted to throw. I'm definitely blessed to be here.”

Combined, the shot put efforts produced 26 points toward the Sooners' total.

Later in the day, the women's 4x400 squad finished fourth with a 3:38.50, a time that ranks fourth on the OU all-time list. Ama Pipi, Daye Shon Roberson, Daunicia Demerson and Mia Mukes combined for the effort.

Other PRs set on the second day of Big 12 action included Roberson in the 400-meter (53.40); Demerson in the 600-yard (1:23.06); Belle Wallace in the 1,000-meter (2:50.09); Bryce Perry (9:49.45) and Marissa Codispodi (9:53.80) in the 3,000-meter; Liam Meirow in the men's 3,000 (8:39.09) and Steven Jazdyk in the 60-meter hurdles (8.37) and the pole vault (15-4.25) of the heptathlon.

The Sooner men finished fourth with 89 points and the women finished seventh with 52 points, nearly double the point total of a year ago.

OU will learn next week if invitations to Fayetteville for NCAA Indoor are forthcoming for Cunliffe and Cheval. The top 16 in each individual event qualify for the national meet. The rest of the team will transition to the outdoor season with the season opener scheduled March 20-21 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.