OU Hosts 47th John Jacobs Invite

April 21, 2016 | Track and Field

By: Athletics Communications

NORMAN - It will be an emotional weekend for many Sooners as the Oklahoma track and field teams return to action Friday and Saturday - this time in their own backyard.

The Sooners will take on 28 teams (14 men, 14 women) at the 47th John Jacobs Invitational, their lone home meet of the outdoor season. The competition begins with the women's hammer throw at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by the men's competition to end the first day of the collegiate events.

Action resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. (CDT) with the women's javelin, while running events are slated for a 12:15 p.m. start with the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The weekend will be a sentimental time for more than a dozen Sooners, who will be honored at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday. Those to be recognized include All-American and program-record holder Julia Reedy, who opens competition in the hammer throw on the day one, two-time All-American Brandon Doughty, who holds a program record in 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:38.35), and two-time Big 12 Indoor champion distance medley relay member Allen Eke.

Julia Reedy holds OU's program record in the hammer throw, 219-2.00.

Other seniors to be honored are men's javelin program-record holder Tyler Renton (252-2.00), the 2015 Big 12 men's javelin champion Garrett Snow, two-time women's javelin All-American Liz Herrs, OU women's weight throw record holder Sarah Tolson (63-9.50), All-American Chase Sammons, thrower Kate Foster, distance runners Will Hogston, Zac Randall and Dan Schubert, hurdler Geo Tamez and pole vaulters Rachel Bolton and Tanner Williams.

If history is any indicator of success, then the senior squad should fare well competitively as Reedy, Doughty and Herrs posted record-breaking marks a season ago at the meet. Reedy broke a then-school record with a 209-9.25 performance in 2015, but has since surpassed that mark. Doughty, made history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as he beat one of the oldest OU track and field school records, set in 1975, with a time of 8:50.96. Herrs also beat her own PR, set in 2014, and a facility record that existed for more than 25 years and a meet record that she already owned.

Senior Chase Sammons is ranked 24th in the discus and 40th in the shot put. He will compete in both on Saturday.

A combined 76 Sooners will compete throughout the two-day meet, with the majority of action taking place Saturday. OU expects to be solid across multiple events as the team boasts 25 entries with NCAA qualifying marks in 19 event heading into the event. The top 48 best marks nationally (top 24 relays) advance to the national meet.

"We are looking forward to hosting this meet and there are a number of events that I think fans will enjoy watching," head coach Jim VanHootegem said. "We are competing all of our returning women's All-Americans in their signature events. Daye Shon (Roberson) is entered in the 400, Julia (Reedy) in the hammer and Liz (Herrs) and Avione (Allgood) are in the javelin."

Throwing competitions will be stout as they feature more than a handful of Sooners with top-48 national marks. Avione Allgood ranks sixth nationally in the javelin with a 182-8.00, while Herrs' 174-0.00 ranks 10th. In the men's division, scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m., Renton and Snow (229-10.00) hold the fourth- and 25th-best marks nationally. The women's javelin will also feature Makayla Stephens, while T.J. Noonan and Steven Jazdyk will compete in the men's division.

"The men's javelin will be interesting to watch," VanHootegem added. "You have Tyler (Renton), one of the NCAA leaders, and Garrett (Snow), the defending Big 12 champion. In the long jump, we have freshman Greg (Vann), a bronze medalist in the Big 12 Indoor, and Baileh Simms, one of the Big 12 leaders."

Along with the second-ranked Reedy, Sarah Tolson (202-2.00), who ranks 16th in the NCAA, will compete in the hammer throw along with Ashley Bryant.

OU will have five entries in the discus and shot put. Sammons ranks 24th (186-10.00) and 40th (59-7.00), respectively, and will be the lone Sooner in the men's competitions for the two events. Jenny Carmichael, Jess Woodard, and Foster are entered in the women's discus where Woodard and Foster are tied at 42nd on the national list with season-best marks of 169-0.00. Woodard and Allgood are entered in the shot put at 3:30 p.m. Woodard ranks 24th in the shot put with a 53-8.25 mark.

The women's sprint corps holds national marks in three events, including the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

The running events also will generate interest as the women's 4x400-meter (3:32.95) and 4x100-meter (44.38) relays rank 16th and 20th, respectively. Bianca Brazil, Ama Pipi, Daye Shon Roberson and Leya Buchanan make up the 4x1 group, while the 4x4 includes Daunicia Demerson, Payton Baker, Pipi and Roberson.

Roberson will also run in the 400 meter with a 52.24, the 11th-ranked mark in the country. The 400 will also feature Baker, Demerson and Mia Mukes. Trae Armstrong will face some of the top JUCO sprinters in the men's 100.

While several of the distance runners hold top-48 positions nationally, most will race shorter distances than the event in which they have national marks. Dylan Blankenbaker, who is coming off a 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:00.76) meet title in Baton Rouge, La., and ranks 44th in the 5,000 meter (13:58.97), will run in the mile along with Eke, Randall and Zach Gentry.

"We have replaced the 1,500 with the mile as we try to see who can come close to the four-minute barrier. We have strong entries in this race with Dylan (Blankenbaker) and Allen (Eke)," VanHootegem explained. "In the women's mile, we have two in-state talents, Kelsey (McKee) and Belle (Wallace)."

Senior Dan Schubert is ranked 16th nationally in the 10K, but will race in the 3K on Saturday.

Schubert (29:06.90) ranks 16th in the 10,000 while Brittany Tretbar (34:24.21) and Elena Arriaza (34:25.15) rank 44th and 46th, respectively. They will all compete in their corresponding divisions of the 3,000-meter run. Eric Alldritt, Alonzo Chavez, Brendan Taylor, Hogston and Gentry will also race in the 3000 for the men, while the women's race will also feature Morgan Baulier, Sophia Fernald, Madison Heidenburg and Bryce Perry.

The Sooners will celebrate their younger supporters on Saturday as well with the Kids Half-Lapper scheduled for 3:20 p.m. directly following the Senior Recognition Ceremony. Participants are directed to check in at the marketing table prior to the senior honors.

The John Jacobs Invitational also includes a high school competition on Friday. The girls discus is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start. Running events begin at 10:30 a.m. with the girls' 4x100-meter relay.

Live results for both the high school and collegiate segments of the John Jacobs Invitational will be available at CFPI Timing.