Sooners Head to Bayou Country for Big Test

April 07, 2016 | Track and Field

By: Athletics Communications

NORMAN –To prove you are one of the best, you have to compete with the best and this weekend's Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, La., will be a test for the Sooner track and field team to show where they stand among them.

There will be no shortage of talent on display as this meet features some of the best teams in country including Alabama, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Purdue, the Big 12's Kansas State and host LSU. In the April 4 US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association polls (USTFCCCA), all of the schools are ranked in the top-50 for both men and women. Alabama is ranked 8^th for men, 27^th for women, Mississippi State 24 and 11, Ohio State 15 and 28, Kansas State 27 and 10, Purdue 37 and 34 and LSU 5 and 3, respectively. The Sooner women are ranked 14^th while the men are 41^st.

From head coach Jim VanHootegem's perspective, this meet will offer a great opportunity for his team. “I know Ohio State had a really good showing a couple of weeks ago at USC. LSU is a traditional power and it's on their home track. Purdue is a program very much like us in that they are getting a lot better, and whether it is Alabama or Mississippi State, the SEC is always strong. We know it's going to be really good competition this week.”

Allan Eke

Senior Allen Eke is scheduled to run the 800-meter run at 2:10 p.m. (CT) on Saturday in the Battle on the Bayou.

What makes this meet really unique is that Oklahoma will be competing with Kansas State to represent the Big 12 against the other conference pairings of Ohio State-Purdue (Big 10) and Alabama- Mississippi State-LSU (SEC). The meet will be scored by conference with two individuals per conference scoring in individual events and one relay per conference scoring in the relay events. For VanHootegem the difference in scoring will have little impact on how the Sooners approach this meet. “We're not organizing with Kansas State in any way. We're just entering the track meet and we'll see how the points play out."

The two-day meet opens on Friday 8 pm CT with the men's and women's 10,000-meter run. The women take the track first followed by the men. For the Sooners, competition won't begin until 9 am Saturday when Jenny Carmichael, Kate Foster and Jess Woodard compete in the discus. The running portion will begin with a pair of Sooners running the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time this year. Sarah Scott competes at noon on Saturday and Dylan Blankenbaker at 12:15. In total, Oklahoma has 50 student-athletes scheduled to compete in 33 of the 40 events.

Julia Reedy will be looking to continue her winning ways in the hammer throw, going for her third win in as many competitions. She will be joined by Ashley Bryant and Sarah Tolson in the event. Reedy won the hammer last week at the Texas Relays and the Baldy Castillo Invitational to open the season.

Woodard will be trying to improve on her personal best of 53-8.25 in the shot put, a mark she recorded at the Texas Relays as will Tanner Williams who cleared 17-1.00 in the pole vault at the Texas Relays.

One event to watch may be the 400-meter dash at 1:05 pm where Daye Shon Roberson will be making her season debut in the event, joining Daunicia Demerson and Payton Baker. Roberson enters as a 2015 NCAA first-team All-American in the event. Her career best is 51.37, a time she recorded in the NCAA West Region Pelims on May 23, 2015. That time ranks second on the all-time OU career list.

There will be many Sooners also making their first outdoor appearance in their event this weekend. Belle Wallace, Kelsey McKee, Allen Eke, Jacob Goldberg and Blake Yount are scheduled to run in the 800 meter. Jessica Martin and Zach Gentry will compete in the 1500 meter. Brianna Rodriguez is scheduled to run in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, while Baileh Simms is entered in the 200 and Hailey Patterson is set to compete in the 200 and the long jump.

The final event on the track will be the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay. Olivia Haggerty, Kelsey McKee, Makayla Stephens, Najuana Strickland and Wallace are possible for the women's race that is scheduled to start at 3:25 p.m. Allen Eke, Tyrone Glenn, Goldberg and Yount combine in the men's relay at 3:30 pm.

Liz Herrs

Liz Herrs is set to compete in the javelin along with teammate Avione Allgood on Saturday.

The final field events are the javelin in which Avione Allgood, Elizabeth Herrs, Steven Jazdyk, T.J. Noonan, Tyler Renton and Garrett Snow will compete at 3 p.m. After a couple of runner-up finishes in the javelin already this season, Renton is in great position to contend for a win. Those performances include a program-best 252-2.00 mark at the Baldy Castillo Invitational, a mark that ranks fourth nationally after the fourth week of the season.

This is a meet that will definitely be worth following and success here could set the table for the remainder of the season. As VanHootegem explains “We have a weekend off next weekend, so we're really going out and lining up the majority of our team for this meet. It should be pretty fun to see.”

Live results can be found on Delta Timing with a full recap at the conclusion of the meet on SoonerSports.com.