Sooners Impress at Arkansas Invite

Saturday, January 16

Fayetteville, AR

University of Oklahoma

Arkansas Invitational

January 16, 2021 | Track and Field

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Oklahoma men's and women's track and field teams made their 2021 debut at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday.

The Sooners collected a combined eight victories on the day with three on the track and five in the field events.

Senior Essence Thomas claimed the Sooners' first victory of the 2021 campaign, leaping 20-2.5 (6.16m) in the women's long jump. Thomas was joined by three teammates in the top ten. Junior Symone Washington finished three spots behind Thomas, recording a mark of 19-3.25 (5.87m). Sophomore Mikeisha Welcome jumped 18-1.5 (5.52m), earning sixth place and senior-transfer Helena McLeod claimed ninth with a 17-9 (5.41m) mark.

The second victory of the day came from sophomore Payden Montana in the women's shot put. Montana threw for a personal-record 53-2.75 (16.22m), putting her eighth on OU's all-time top-10 list. Junior Faith Ette finished the event one spot behind Montana in second, notching a mark of 50-4 (15.34m).

Sophomore Levi Gladd secured the Sooners' third victory of the day. Gladd competed in the women's 600 meters, crossing the line at 1:37.76. Sophomore Hannah Turner took fifth with a time of 1:43.41 and sophomore Kamryn McCall finished in 1:41.47 for seventh place.

The Sooners' fourth victory came from senior Demarius Smith in the men's 60-meter dash. Smith crossed the line at 6.72. He was joined by four teammates in the event. Junior Quoi Ellis finished three spots behind Smith, clocking in at 6.85. Sophomore Alajuwan Robinson and redshirt junior Isaiah Levingston finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Robinson clocked in at 6.92, while Levingston finished in 6.93. Senior Joseph Sheffield finished one spot behind Levingston, crossing the line at 6.94.

Welcome earned the Sooners' fifth victory of the meet in the women's triple jump. Welcome leaped a distance of 41-3.25 (12.58m). All four Sooners competing in the event finished in the top-four. Thomas finished one spot behind Welcome, recording a mark of 41-3.25 (12.58m). Washington and junior Allanah Lee finished third and fourth, respectively. Washington leaped for 40-11.75 (12.49m), while Lee recorded a distance of 40-3.5 (12.28m).

Redshirt junior Vernon Turner earned first place and the Sooners' sixth victory in the men's high jump. Turner cleared 7-4.25 (2.24m). Sophomore transfer Keith Drapeau finished two spots behind Turner, recording a mark of 6-8.75 (2.05m). Junior Chris Banks finished in fourth with his mark of 6-8.75 (2.05m).

Smith recorded another victory on the day, this time in the men's 200-meter dash. Smith's time of 20.87 was good for a new personal best and improved his standing on OU's all-time top-10 list from eighth to second. Freshman Salim Epps finished the event in 21.49, earning third place. Robinson recorded a personal-best 21.72, earning sixth.

Senior Lauren Jones notched the Sooners' eighth win on the day in the women's weight throw competition. Jones threw for 65-2.75 (19.88m). Sophomore Geraldine Udo threw a personal-record 54-5.25 (16.59m), finishing in third.

In the women's high jump, junior Madison Langley-Walker claimed second with a mark of 5-7 (1.70m).

Junior Bayley Campbell threw 62-6.75 (19.07m) in the men's weight throw, earning himself a second-place finish.

Seniors Colleen Clancy and Abby Bilsbury competed for the Sooners in the women's pole vault. The two seniors earned fourth and ninth place, respectively. Clancy cleared a mark of 13-1.5 (4.00m), while Bilsbury cleared 11-11.75 (3.65m). On the men's side of the competition, juniors Kristo Simulask and Tate McDonald, finished ninth and 10^th, respectively. Simulask cleared 15-7 (4.75m), while McDonald cleared 15-1 (4.60m).

In the men's long jump, senior Rayvon Allen leaped for 24-5.75 (7.46m), finishing in second. Williams finished two spots behind Allen, recording a distance of 23-1.75 (7.05m).

In the men's triple jump, the Sooners went two-three-four in the event. Allen led pack with a jump of 50-2 (15.29m) to claim second place. Freshman Kunle Akinlosotu finished in third with a mark of 49-4.5 (15.05m). Redshirt junior Jelaani Davis lept 49-4.25 (15.04m), finishing in fourth.

On the track, sophomore Carson Hockersmith earned a personal-best time of 10:13.25 in the women's 3,000-meter run, notching fifth place. On the men's side of the event, senior Ryan Teuscher crossed the line at 8:40.62, claiming seventh place.

Langley-Walker returned to action in the women's 60-meter hurdles, recording an 8.76 fifth-place finish. Junior Allanah Lee joined Langley-Walker on the track, crossing at 9.15. Lee's time was good for a nineth-place finish and updated personal record.

In the women's 60-meter dash, junior Kennedy Blackmon completed the race in 7.71, notching a third-place finish.

On the men's side of the event, Levingston notched a fourth-place finish with a time of 7.92. Williams crossed the line at 8.28, finishing in ninth.

Sophomore Nia Sims concluded the women's 400-meter dash with a personal-record 59.08. The time was good for a seventh-place finish in the contest. The Sooners competed two athletes in the men's 400-meter dash. Freshman Salim Epps timed in at 47.15, earning second place. Sophomore Zac Tucker joined Epps in the top-five, crossing the line at a personal-record 48.9.

In the women's 200-meter dash, Blackmon finished in 24.56, good for a sixth-place finish.

Lone Sooner Johnelle Joe completed the men's 1,000-meter run in 2:23.01, earning seventh place.

Junior Jordyn Kaplan was the only Sooner to compete in the women's mile. Kaplan crossed the line at 5:10.54, earning eighth place. Redshirt sophomore Graham Santilli and senior Derek King ran the event on the men's side. Santilli finished in sixth place with a time of 4:25.99, while King earned a 4:34.11 eighth-place finish.

The women's and men's 4x400-meter relay team finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively. The women clocked in at 3:57.74, while the men finished in 3:26.98.

The Sooners next head to conference territory in Lubbock, Texas, for the Red Raider Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 23.

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