Sooners Impress In College Station

Saturday, February 6

College Station, TX

University of Oklahoma

Charlie Thomas Invitational

February 06, 2021 | Track and Field

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — The University of Oklahoma men's and women's track and field teams returned to the track at the Charlie Thomas Invitational in College Station, Texas, on Saturday.

The Sooners notched six victories on the day, four coming on the track and two from the field events.

Senior Essence Thomas started the day strong, securing the first win of the meet in the women's long jump. Thomas leaped 20-3 (6.17m) to win the title. Junior Madison Langley-Walker and senior Helena McLeod finished fourth and fifth, respectively, both jumping personal bests. Langley-Walker recorded a leap of 19-2 (5.84m) and McLeod a mark of 18-11.25 (5.77m)

The Sooners' second win came from sophomore Payden Montana in the women's shot put. Montana, the lone Sooner to compete in the event, threw for 53-8.5 (16.37m).

Senior Rayvon Allen earned his second long jump victory of the season, claiming OU's third win of the day, jumping 25-2 (7.67m).

The fourth win came from senior Demarius Smith in the men's 200-meter dash. Smith ran a personal-record 20.83 in the event, shortening the gap between his record and the school record (20.39). Sophomore Alajuwan Robinson joined Smith in the race, running a personal-best 21.4. Robinson's time earned him seventh.

Redshirt junior Vernon Turner earned the Sooners fifth win of the meet in the men's high jump. Turner cleared 7-0.5 (2.15m) to claim his second HJ victory of the season.

OU men's 4x400-meter relay squad made up of Smith, redshirt junior Isaiah Levingston, freshman Salim Epps and Allen earned the team a hard-fought sixth win with an impressive 3:07.86 victory that came down to a split-second finish over Texas. The time is a season best for the four-man relay and is just outside the Oklahoma indoor top-10 performance list.

The second OU 4x400 team consisting of freshman Fernando Morales, senior Derek King, redshirt junior Johnelle Joe and redshirt sophomore Graham Santilli completed their race in 3:23.59.

The men's and women's triple jump squads showed an impressive performance on the day. On the women's side, Thomas jumped a 42-4.75 (12.92m), taking second in the event. Sophomore Mikeisha Welcome finished one-spot behind Thomas, leaping 41-11.25 (12.78m). Juniors Symone Washington and Allanah Lee finished in fourth and fifth, respectively. Both recorded personal bests, with Washington leaping 41-9.75 (12.74m) and Lee 41-5 (12.62m). Washington now holds the six spot on OU's all-time top-10 list, while Lee improved her mark from eighth to a tie in the No. 7 spot. Junior Nicole Ezeoke took seventh with a 39-10.75 (12.16m). On the men's side, senior Garry Williams finished in second with a leap of 49-4.5 (15.05m) and freshman Kunle Akinlosotu in fourth with a 47-7.25 (14.51m) mark.

In the women's high jump, senior Falyn Reaugh tied for third, clearing 5-8.75 (1.75m) in the event.

Senior Abby Bilsbury took third in the women's pole vault, clearing a mark of 12-0.75 (3.86m).

Levingston took fourth in the 60-meter hurdles' finals with a personal-best 7.80. Levingston was joined by seniors Williams and Jasher Foster in the prelims. In the prelims, Levingston ran a 7.82, which was a personal best at the time.

In the men's 60-meter dash, Robinson ran a 6.83 in the event finals, taking fifth. He finished sixth in the prelims.

Sophomores Bryant Parlin and Diego Trevino represented the Sooners in the men's shot put, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Parlin threw a personal-best 55-6.5 (16.93m), while Trevino recorded a mark of 53-2.25 (16.21m). In the men's weight throw, senior Edward Jeans threw a personal-record 60-0.25 (18.29m), placing him fourth on OU's all-time top-10 list. Trevino threw 50-0.5 (15.25m), taking ninth.

In the women's weight throw, senior Lauren Jones threw a personal-record 68-8.5 (20.94m), taking second in the event. Sophomore Geraldine Udo notched a sixth-place finish with a personal-record 55-9.75 (17.01m). Freshman Bailey Tilley finished one-spot behind Udo, throwing 45-0.25 (13.72m).

On the track, redshirt sophomore Jordan Gledhill ran a personal-record 8:37.08 in the 3,000 meters, finishing in third. Gledhill was joined by freshmen Branch Cox and Luke Schwartz in the event. The freshmen finished in fifth (8:38.63) and 10^th(8:53.47), respectively, in their event debut. On the women's side of the event, sophomore Madeline Medina ran a 11:04.54.

Epps ran a personal-best 47.05 in the men's 400 meters, taking third place.

In the women's 800-meter run, sophomore Jordyn Kaplan clocked in at a personal-record 2:17.22, finishing in sixth place. On the men's side of the event, all four Sooners finished in the top-10. Redshirt sophomore led the way with a fourth-place finish and 1:52.66 time. King ran a personal-record 1:54.26, taking fifth. Morales clocked in at 1:56.17 in seventh. One-spot behind Morales, Santili notched a personal-record 1:56.32.

In the preliminary round of the 60-meter hurdles, senior Camri Austin finished in 8.63, while Langley-Walker finished in 8.68. Junior Deborah Giffard and freshman Lilan Henderson competed in the prelims of the 60-meter dash, clocking in at 7.68 and 7.83, respectively.

In the women's 200-meter dash, senior Ja'Leesa Giles clocked in at 24.63 with a ninth-place finish.

Sophomore Carson Hockersmith ran a 17:56.20 in her 5,000-meter run debut, taking fourth. Senior Ryan Teuscher took fifth with a 15:11.14 on the men's side of the race.

UP NEXT

The Sooners head back to Lubbock, Texas, for the Texas Tech Shootout Feb. 12-13.

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.