OU Closes Out Weekend in Nashville

Friday, January 17

Nashville, Tenn.

University of Oklahoma

Vanderbilt Invitational

Photo by: Casey Gower

January 18, 2020 | Track and Field

Day 2 Results (PDF)Day 1 Recap Results

NORMAN — Oklahoma's No. 22 men's and No. 27 women's track and field teams closed out action at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, adding another trio of victories to the four won by the squads on Friday.

Junior Essence Thomas was responsible for two of the Sooners' seven event victories at the meet. Thomas leaped 43-2.25 (13.16m) in the women's triple jump, earning the event crown and setting a personal record. The junior's jump was good enough to improve her spot on the OU all-time performance list from fifth to third. Thomas also took home the long jump title on Friday night, with a personal-best leap of 20-9 (6.32m).

Freshman and school-record holder Mikeisha Welcome jumped 42-7.50 (12.99m), notching second place. Sophomore Allanah Lee received fifth place following a 41-1.75 (12.54m) jump. Redshirt sophomore Nura Muhammad jumped 40-10.25 (12.45m), also earning a top-10 finish at the nine spot. In the men's triple jump, junior Garry Williams notched a third-place finish, leaping 50-4 (15.34m)

On the track, junior Camri Austin earned the top spot in the prelims of the women's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.41. In finals competition, the junior secured a win with a time of 8.32. Austin was joined by senior teammate Mahendra McWhite in the finals. McWhite recorded a preliminary time of 8.7, earning the final qualifying spot. The senior finished at seventh, coming in at 8.67. Sophomore Madison Langley-Walker joined the pair in the prelims, clocking in at 8.92

OU's final victory of the weekend came in the women's 4x400-meter relay. Sophomore Kennedy Blackmon and freshman Levi Gladd joined junior twins Dai'Lyn and Jai'Lyn Merriweather to secure a first-place time of 3:42.82. Oklahoma's A and B men's 4x400 teams came in fourth and 12th place, respectively. The A squad clocked in at 3:13.30, while the B team crossed the finish line in 3:21.75.

Oklahoma showed solid performances from a pair of Sooners in the women's shot put. Redshirt senior Meia Gordon threw it 54-3.75 (16.55m), resulting in a fourth-place overall finish and second place among collegiate competition. Sophomore Faith Ette's throw of 50-9.25 (15.47m) notched her a seventh-place finish, fifth among collegiate competition.

On the men's side of the shot put, Oklahoma junior Cooper Campbell earned a third-place finish after throwing 61-3.50 (18.68m). Campbell's throw was enough to set a personal best and improve his fourth-place mark on OU's all-time performance list. Senior Bradley Daboub finished three spots behind Campbell, throwing 57-1 (17.40m). Bryant Parlin made his Sooner debut, recording a 53-0 (16.15m) throw. Parlin's throw was good for a top-10 finish. Fellow freshman Diego Trevino threw it 52-4 (15.95m).

In the women's pole vault, sophomore Gabby Carson earned a personal best and second-place finish, clearing 12-7.50 (3.85m) in her section. Freshman Elien Vekemans made her Sooners' debut, clearing 12-11.50 (3.95m) in the invitational division. Vekemans' pole vault was good for a third-place finish. Junior Abby Bilsbury cleared 12-1.50 (3.70m), finishing in the top-10.

Back on the track, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Levingston notched the top spot in the prelims of the men's 60-meter hurdles, clocking in at 8.07. Levingston finished second in the finals, crossing the line at 8.01. Sophomore Kristo Simulask finished the prelims in 8.4, while freshman Eli Darrough completed the race in 8.71. Senior Bryce Douglas clocked in at 8.84.

In the women's 60-meter dash, the team advanced Blackmon and junior Ja'Leesa Giles to the finals. Both Sooners recorded prelim times of 7.64. In the finals, Blackmon earned fifth, crossing the line in 7.56. Giles crossed the line in 7.69, finishing eighth. Senior Amanda Van Buren notched a 7.7, good for a top-10 finish. Austin finished just .07 seconds behind Van Buren, giving her a time of 7.77.

In the 60-meter dash, Oklahoma juniors Demarius Smith and Joseph Sheffield joined the list of Sooners who qualified for finals in their events. Smith recorded a preliminary time of 6.8, while Sheffield clocked in at 6.81. In the finals, Smith secured a fourth-place finish, clocking in at 6.72. Sophomore Quoi Ellis came in at 6.93, while senior Xavier Brown added a 6.99 finish in the prelims.

In the men's mile, junior Ackeen Colley crossed the line at 4:13.25, while redshirt junior Tucker Desko clocked in at 4:14.84. Redshirt freshman Justice Dick ran a 4:18.31 in his Oklahoma track debut.

Sophomore Caleb Johnson and Gladd were the lone Sooners competing in their respective individual events. Johnson crossed the line in the men's 400-meter dash in 49.6, while Gladd clocked in at 2:23.21 in the women's 800-meter run. It was Gladd's first collegiate competition.

The Sooners sent four athletes to the track in the women's 3,000-meter run. Freshmen Carson Hockersmith, Madeline Medina and Elise Welch made their Oklahoma track debuts. Hockersmith clocked in at 10:19.85, Welch at 10:24.33 and Medina at 10:29.60. Sophomore Elise Boisvert crossed the line at 10:31.55.

Redshirt freshman Jordan Gledhill competed the men's 3,000-meter run in 8:50.05. It was also Gledhill's OU debut.

UP NEXT

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

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