Sooners Strong on Day One at Vandy Invite

Photo by: Casey Gower

Sooners Strong on Day One at Vandy Invite

January 17, 2020 | Track and Field

NORMAN — Oklahoma's No. 22 men's and No. 27 women's track and field teams concluded day one of the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn., with four first-place finishes, the most of any program in competition Friday night. The invitational field consists of 17 men's and 18 women's programs, including five top-25 squads.

Redshirt sophomore Vernon Turner earned the Sooners' first win on the night in the men's high jump, clearing 7-1 (2.16m). It was Turner's first meet back with the Sooners, after the 2018 NCAA Indoor All-American sat out the 2019 season.

Oklahoma's second win of the night came courtesy Joseph Sheffield, who recorded a 21.26 in the 200-meter dash. Junior Demarius Smith came in third place, clocking in at 21.46. The Sooners had back-to-back finishes in the ninth and 10^th spots with Quoi Ellis and Xavier Brown, respectively. Ellis finished in 21.86, while Brown recorded a time of 21.95.

Junior Essence Thomas earned OU's third win of day one, recording a personal-best long jump of 20-9 (6.32m). The jump improved her place on OU's all-time top-10 list to No. 3, less than half-meter behind the second spot. Sophomore Symone Washington finished in third place, leaping 20-3 (6.17m). Washington's top-three finish was good enough to move her to sixth on OU's all-time performance list. Redshirt sophomore Nura Muhammad concluded the event with a 19-5.25 (5.92m) jump, good for a top-10 finish at eighth. Senior Amanda Van Buren leaped 19-2.50 (5.85m), while fellow sophomore Madison Langley-Walker jumped 17-8.25 (5.39m).

On the track, Tyler Phillips notched the Sooners' final victory on the night, finishing the 5,000-meter run in an indoor peronsal-best 14:49.78.

The women's 200-meter dash included two top-10 finishes from the Sooners' squad. Junior Dai'Lyn Merriweather led the team with a second-place finish, clocking in at 24.16 seconds. Junior Ja'Leesa Giles joined Merriweather in the top 10 with a 24.48, good for a seventh-place finish. Junior Jai'Lyn Merriweather came in at 25.24, with freshman Nia Sims finishing .51 seconds after, recording a 25.73. Sophomore Madison Langley-Walker clocked in at 25.96, and freshman Lavinja Jurgens finished in 26.93.

In the women's high jump, Jurgens cleared 5-8.75 (1.75m), good for a third-place finish in her collegiate debut. Junior Falyn Reaugh, a 2019 indoor second-team All-American, came in sixth, recording a jump of 5-5 (1.65m).

OU's Bayley Campbell and Edward Jeans finished the men's weight throw in back-to-back spots. Campbell threw a 58-0.25 (17.68m), good for ninth overall and sixth among collegiate competition. Jeans' 56-9.25 (17.30m) throw resulted in 10^th overall and seventh among collegiate competition. Junior Lauren Jones recorded a personal best 59-5.75 (18.13m) in the women's weight throw to take 11th.

On the men's side of the long jump, junior transfer Rayvon Allen led the Sooners with a 24-4.50 (7.43m) jump, good for a sixth-place finish. Sophomore Golden Eke recorded a mark of 23-8.75 (7.23m).

In men's pole vault, three Sooners finished in back-to-back-to-back spots. Kristo Simulask, Lucas Kelley and Eli Darrough each cleared a height of 15-9 (4.80m), good for sixth, seventh and eighth place.

Action continues at the Vanderbilt Invitational tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT with the women's 3,000 meters. The men's 4x400-meter relay will conclude the meet at 5:20 p.m. The Sooners are set to compete in 20 more events on the second day of competition.

Live results from the Vanderbilt Invite will be available through CFPI Timing.

VANDERBILT INVITATIONAL INFORMATION
Saturday, Jan. 18
Live Results: CFPI Timing
Start Lists: PDF
Venue: Vanderbilt Multipurpose Fieldhouse; Nashville, Tenn.

UP NEXT

The Sooners travel to Lincoln, Neb., to compete at the Mark Colligan Memorial on Jan. 25, 2020.

CONNECT WITH THE SOONERS

For updates and more information on Oklahoma track and field, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Track) and like Oklahoma Sooners Track & Field and Cross Country on Facebook.

Vanderbilt Invitational Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 18
Time (CT)	Event - Sooners
10 a.m.	Women's 3k (unseeded) - Elise Boisvert, Carson Hockersmith, Madeline Medina, Elise Welch
10:30 a.m.	Men's 3k (unseeded) - Jordan Gledhill
	Women's Pole Vault (unseeded)- Gabby Carson
11 a.m.	Women's Shot Put - Faith Ette, Meia Gordon, Lavinja Jurgens
11:05 a.m.	Men's Mile (unseeded) - Ackeen Colley, Tucker Desko, Justice Dick
11:20 a.m.	Women's 800 Meters (unseeded) - Levi Gladd
1 p.m.	Women's 60-Meter Hurdles - Camri Austin, Kennedy Blackmon, Ja'Leesa Giles, Amanda Van Buren
1:20 p.m.	Men's 60-Meter Hurdles (prelims) - Eli Darrough, Bryce Douglas, Isaiah Levingston, Kristo Simulask
1:35 p.m.	Women's 60 Meters (prelims) - Camri Austin, Kennedy Blackmon, Ja'Leesa Giles, Amanda Van Buren
1:50 p.m.	Men's 60 Meters (prelims) - Xavier Brown, Quoi Ellis, Joseph Sheffield, Demarius Smith
2 p.m.	Men's Shot Put - Cooper Campbell, Bradley Daboub, Bryant Parlin, Diego Trevino
	Women's Pole Vault - Abby Bilsbury, Elien Vekemans, Meagan Gray
	Women's Triple Jump - Nura Muhammad, Essence Thomas, Mikeisha Welcome, Allanah Lee
	Men's Triple Jump - Garry Williams
2:30 p.m.	Men's Mile (seeded) - Ackeen Colley, Tucker Desko, Justice Dick
2:55 p.m.	Women's 60-Meter Hurdles (final) - Camri Austin, Madison Langley-Walker, Mahendra McWhite
3:05 p.m.	Men's 60-Meter Hurdles (final) - Eli Darrough, Bryce Douglas, Isaiah Levingston, Kristo Simulask
3:10 p.m.	Women's 60 Meters (final) - Camri Austin, Kennedy Blackmon, Ja'Leesa Giles, Amanda Van Buren
3:15 p.m.	Men's 60 Meters (final) - Xavier Brown, Quoi Ellis, Joseph Sheffield, Demarius Smith
3:40 p.m.	Men's 400 Meters (seeded) - Caleb Johnson
3:55 p.m.	Women's 800 Meters (seeded) - Levi Gladd
4:25 p.m.	Women's 3k (seeded) - Elise Boisvert, Carson Hockersmith, Madeline Medina, Elise Welch
4:40 p.m.	Men's 3k (seeded) - Jordan Gledhill
4:55 p.m.	Women's 4x400 - Kennedy Blackmon, Levi Gladd, Dai'Lyn Merriweather, Jai'Lyn Merriweather, Nia Sims
5:20 p.m.	Men's 4x400 - Xavier Brown, Caleb Johnson, Isaiah Levingston, Joseph Sheffield, Demarius Smith Ackeen Colley, Eli Darrough, Tucker Desko, Justice Dick