Sooners Victorious at Red Raider Invitational

Saturday, January 23

Lubbock, TX

University of Oklahoma

Red Raider Invitational

Sooners Victorious at Red Raider Invitational

January 23, 2021 | Track and Field

LUBBOCK, Texas — The University of Oklahoma men's and women's track and field teams returned to action at the Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday.

The squads walked away with 10 wins on the day, three coming from field events and seven from running events.

Senior Lauren Jones got the Sooners started strong with their first win of the meet. Jones claimed the women's weight throw title for the second week in a row, recording a mark of 65-9.5 (20.05m). Sophomore Geraldine Udo joined Jones in the event, throwing a personal-best 54-10.25 (16.72m). Udo's throw earned her sixth place.

OU's second win came in the women's pole vault from senior Colleen Clancy. Clancy recorded a personal-best mark of 13-7.75 (4.16m), placing her fifth on OU's all-time top-10 list. Fellow senior Abby Bilsbury cleared 12-8 (3.86m), claiming a fourth-place finish. Junior Gabby Carson notched a mark of 12-2 (3.71m) and seventh-place finish.

Sophomore Carson Hockersmith grabbed the Sooners' third victory of the meet in the women's mile. Hockersmith ran a personal-best 5:01.70. On the men's side of the event, redshirt sophomore Jordan Gledhill ran away with OU's fourth victory and a personal-best time. Gledhill crossed the finish line at 4:21.45.

The Sooners' fifth victory came from redshirt junior Isaiah Levingston in the men's 60-meter hurdles. Levingston recorded a personal-best 7.86 to secure the win. Senior Jasher Foster made his Sooner debut with a second-place finish and time of 8.06. During the prelims, Levingston notched first with a time of 7.99, while Foster finished in 8.21 and sixth-place finish.

Senior Demarius Smith claimed his team's sixth meet victory. Smith's win came in the men's 60-meter dash after recording a personal-best 6.67. The senior's time improved his spot from seventh to sixth on OU's all-time top-10 list. Junior Quoi Ellis finished in 6.80, earning fifth place. Sophomore Alajuwan Robinson took seventh with a time of 6.89. In the prelims, Smith ran a 6.76, earning him third place. Ellis finished in 6.80 and fifth, while Robinson crossed the line at 6.88, taking eighth.

OU's seventh win on the day came from junior Kennedy Blackmon in the women's 400-meter dash. Blackmon crossed the line at 55.38 to secure the victory. Sophomore Nia Sims joined Blackmon in the event, recording a personal-best 58.99 and ninth-place finish.

Freshman Fernando Morales claimed the Sooners' eighth win of the meet. Morales' victory came in the men's 1,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 5:01.70.

Senior Rayvon Allen secured the Sooners' ninth win on the day. Allen took home the victory in the men's long jump, leaping 24-5.5 (7.45m). Senior Garry Williams recorded a mark of 23-1.25 (7.04m), finishing in seventh.

The Sooners' men's 4x400 squad earned the teams last win of the day. The team composed of Smith, Levingston, freshman Salim Epps and Allen completed the race in 3:09.32.

In the women's triple jump, junior Nicole Ezeoke leaped for a personal-best 41-4 (12.52m), earning her fourth place. Fellow junior Allanah Lee finished two spots behind Ezeoke, jumping 40-11 (12.47m). On the men's side of the event, senior Garry Williams earned second with a leap of 49-10 (15.19m). Freshman Kunle Akinlosotu jumped 46-1.25 (14.05m), finishing in seventh place.

In the women's long jump, senior Essence Thomas leaped 20-5 (6.22m), good for a second-place finish. Junior Symone Washington finished two spots behind Thomas, jumping 19-11.75 (6.09m). Sophomore Mikeisha Welcome jumped 19-0.75 (5.81m), earning seventh place.

OU notched four top-five finishes between the men's and women's high jump. On the men's side, redshirt junior Vernon Turner cleared 7-1.75 (2.18m), claiming second place. Junior Chris Banks finished two spots behind Turner, recording a mark of 6-8.75 (2.05m). On the women's side, senior Falyn Reaugh took third with her mark of 5-8 (1.73m). Langley-Walker cleared 5-6 (1.68m), earning fifth place.

In the men's pole vault, junior Tate McDonald recorded a personal-best 15-9 (4.80m), securing fifth place.

On the track, senior Ja'Leesa Giles advanced to the finals of the women's 60-meter dash with a qualifying time of 7.74. In the finals of the event, Giles finished in 7.78, taking seventh place. Freshman Lilan Henderson joined Giles in the preliminary round, finishing in 7.74 and ninth place.

The Sooners advanced both athletes to the women's 60-meter hurdles finals. Junior Madison Langley-Walker snatched a personal-best 8.55 and second-place finish. Senior Camri Austin finished in 8.79, earning fifth. In the prelims, Langley-Walker took second with a time of 8.59, while Austin finished in fourth with a time of 8.69.

On the track, junior Jordyn Kaplan recorded a personal-best 2:56.95 in the women's 1,000-meter run, earning the third-place finish.

In the men's weight throw, junior Bayley Campbell threw for a mark of 60-7.75 (18.48m), claiming fifth place. In men's shot put, sophomore Diego Trevino threw 50-10.25 (15.50m), finishing in fourth place.

In the women's shot put, sophomore Payden Montana finished in second place with an impressive 54-2.5 (16.52m) throw. Montana's personal-best throw advanced her from eighth to second on OU's all-time top-10 list. Jones' personal-best 51-9.75m throw earned her third place in the event. Junior Faith Ette finished in fifth with a mark of 49-0.75 (14.95m).

Blackmon returned to action in the women's 200-meter dash, crossing the line at 24.61. Blackmon's time was good for a fourth-place finish. On the men's side of the race, sophomore Alajuwan Robinson recorded a personal-best 21.45, securing third place. Ellis earned seventh place with a time of 21.58.

Sophomore Levi Gladd completed the women's 600 yards in 1:30.78, notching a fifth-place finish. On the men's side, redshirt sophomore Johnelle Joe took fifth with a time of 1:11.88.

In the men's 400-meter dash, Epps took fourth after crossing the line at 47.95, while sophomore Zac Tucker finished in 49.37, earning ninth.

UP NEXT
The Sooners head back to Lubbock for the second consecutive week for the Texas Tech Invite and Multis competition Jan. 29-30.

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