OU Closes Regular Season at Desert Heat Classic

Saturday, May 1

Tucson, AZ

University of Oklahoma

Desert Heat Classic

OU Closes Regular Season at Desert Heat Classic

May 01, 2021 | Track and Field

TUCSON, Ariz. — Oklahoma's men's and women's track and field teams closed out the 2021 outdoor regular season with nine wins at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday evening.

The first win of the meet was accredited to senior Essence Thomas in the women's long jump. Thomas jumped a personal best 21-6.25 (6.56m) to secure the win. Her mark places her second on OU's all-time top-10 list. She was joined by junior Symone Washington and senior Helena McLeod in the top 10. Washington jumped 19-8.75 (6.01m) to take sixth, while McLeod went a personal best 19-4.75 (5.91m) to take seventh.

Senior Abby Bilsbury recorded a personal-best performance to take first in the women's pole vault. Bislbury's height of 13-3.5 (4.05m) improved her spot on OU's all-time top-10 list from eighth to a tie for seventh.

The long jump was a sweep for the Sooners following senior Rayvon Allen's first-place finish on the men's side of the event. Allen jumped 25-7.25 (7.80m) to take first. Senior Garry Williams went third with a mark of 23-9.5 (7.25m).

OU's fourth win on the day came from senior Jai'Lyn Merriweather in the women's 400-meter dash. Merriweather recorded a time of 53.37 in the event.

In the women's 1,500 meters, junior Jordyn Kaplan ran a personal best 4:31.41 to secure the win.

Redshirt junior Isaiah Levingston tallied the squad's sixth win on the night, clocking a 49.42 in the men's 400-meter hurdles. Senior Jasher Foster ran a personal best 52.64 to finish fifth.

The Sooners' seventh victory came in the women's triple jump following an impressive performance from sophomore Mikeisha Welcome. Welcome jumped a personal best 45-0.25 (13.72m) to take first. Junior Allanah Lee and redshirt junior Nura Muhammad went back-to-back, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Lee jumped 41-9.25 (12.73m), while Muhammad recorded a personal-best jump of 40-9.75 (12.44m).

Senior Demarius Smith took first in the men's 200-meter dash, running a personal best 20.51. Smith was joined by senior Devaniel Dale in the race, with Dale running a 21.28 for eighth place.

The men's 4x400-meter relay squad closed out the night with the Sooners' ninth win. The team consisting of Salim Epps, Smith, Allen and Levingston ran a 3:05.49 to secure the victory.

Senior Lauren Jones finished second overall, but first among collegiate competition in the women's discus throw. Jones threw a personal best 181-6 (55.33m), improving her spot from sixth to fifth on OU's all-time top-10 list.

Jones went on to record her second personal best performance on the meet in the women's hammer throw. The senior threw a mark of 216-8 (66.06m) to finish in second place. Sophomore Geraldine Udo also recorded a personal record, throwing 174-7 (53.22m) to finish in ninth.

In the men's hammer throw, senior Edward Jeans and junior Bayley Campbell finished back-to-back, securing third and fourth place, respectively. Jeans threw a mark of 210-10 (64.26m), while Campbell recorded a distance of 210-6 (64.18m).

On the track, senior Camri Austin ran a 13.26 in the women's 100-meter hurdles to take second place in the race. On the men's side of the hurdles, Foster took fourth with a personal best 14.21, while junior Kristo Simulask took ninth with a personal record 15.07.

The women's 4x100-meter relay team consisting of Deborah Giffard, Austin, Ja'Leesa Giles and Kennedy Blackmon finished the race with a personal best 44.29, taking third.

Senior Johnelle Joe was the lone Sooner to compete in the 800-meter run. Joe clocked 1:54.25 to take seventh.

In the women's shot put, sophomore Payden Montana and junior Faith Ette went back-to-back, finishing in second and third, respectively. Montana threw 55-7.5 (16.95m), while Ette recorded a throw of 53-7 (16.33m). On the men's side of the event, senior Cooper Campbell threw 60-9.25 (18.52m) to finish in third. Redshirt senior Bradley Daboub took seventh with a mark of 56-10 (17.32m).

In the javelin throw, both Sooners recorded personal bests in the event. Sophomore Kayla Kurtz started it off on the women's side, throwing a personal record 150-4 (45.82m) in the event to take sixth. On the men's side, senior Josh Haus threw a personal best 220-0 (67.06m) for a second-place finish.

Blackmon clocked a personal record 23.18 in the women's 200-meter dash, finishing second in the race.

On the track, Epps and Dale represented OU in the men's 400-meter dash. Epps recorded a personal best 46.86, finishing in fourth. Dale ran a 47.23 to take sixth.

Junior Madison Langley-Walker and senior Falyn Reaugh competed in the women's high jump, both finishing in the top five. Langley-Walker cleared 5-8.75 (1.75m) to take fourth, while Reaugh recorded a height of 5-7 (1.70m) to tie for fifth place. On the men's side of the event, redshirt junior Vernon Turner cleared 7-1.75 (2.18m) to finish in second. Junior Chris Banks cleared a personal best height of 6-9.75 (2.08m) to take fourth, while sophomore Keith Drapeau finished fifth with a 6-6 (1.98m) height.

Langley-Walker shifted from a field event to a running event, competing in the women's 400-meter hurdles. The junior ran a personal best 58.31 to finish in third place. Senior Erin Huls clocked a personal best time of 59.99, taking fifth.

Austin returned to action, racing in the women's 100-meter dash. The senior ran a personal best 11.64 to finish in sixth place. She was joined by junior Deborah Giffard in the race. Giffard clocked an 11.96, finishing in the top 10. On the men's side of the race, Smith ran a 10.38 to take third. He was joined by junior Quoi Ellis in the top 10, with Ellis running a 10.55 for eighth place.

The men's triple jump was highlighted by three top-10 finishes. Williams took second, jumping 49-8.25 (15.14m), while freshman Kunle Akinlosotu jumped a personal best 47-7 (14.50m) to take fifth. Redshirt junior Jelaani Davis took seventh with a mark of 47-1 (14.35m).

Redshirt sophomore Jordan Gledhill competed in the men's 1,500 meters, recording a personal best 3:58.09 to take eighth.

In the men's pole vault, redshirt senior Lucas Kelley cleared a height of 15-5 (4.70m) to take fourth.

Sophomore Carson Hockersmith took sixth in the women's 5,000-meter run, crossing the finish line at 18:35.57.

The women's 4x400-meter relay team ran 3:45.00 to take third. The squad consisted of Jai'Lyn Merriweather, Blackmon, Giles and Dai'Lyn Merriweather.

UP NEXT
The Sooners will take a week off then begin postseason with the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Manhattan, Kan., May 14-16.

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