Big 12 Title, School Record Highlights Second Day

Big 12 Title, School Record Highlights Second Day

May 15, 2021 | Track and Field

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Oklahoma's men's and women's track and field teams capped an impressive day two of the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday.

The Sooners finished the day with a Big 12 champion, a broken school record, 11 podium finishes and seven athletes advancing to finals competitions on the track. After two days, the men's squad is in fourth with 54 points, while the women have 37 points for fifth.

Tomorrow's action will begin at 11 a.m. CT with the women's triple jump. Live results can be found via PrimeTime Timing.

Redshirt senior Sydney King claimed the championship title in the women's pole vault, clearing a personal best 13-11.25 (4.25m). The last time a Sooner won the women's pole vault title at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships was in 2001. Additionally, King is just the second Sooner to win the outdoor event title. King was joined by seniors Abby Bilsbury and Colleen Clancy in the event, with both clearing 12-9.5 (3.90m).

OU's 33-year-old school record in the men's long jump was downed, following senior Rayvon Allen's impressive performance. Allen broke the record on his sixth jump, recording a distance of 26-10.5 (8.19m). He finished second overall and earned the No. 8 spot in the world. Senior Garry Williams jumped 23-4.75 (7.13m) in the event.

The day began with another impressive showing from the women's throws team. All three Sooners that competed in the women's shot put placed in the top eight, scoring for OU. Sophomore Payden Montana led the way with a personal-best throw of 57-4.25 (17.48m) to earn silver in the event. Senior Lauren Jones and junior Faith Ette went back-to-back, taking sixth and seventh, respectively. Jones threw a personal best 54-2 (16.51m), while Ette threw 53-11 (16.43m). Montana improved from fourth to third on OU's all-time top-10 list, while Jones made her debut on the shot put list at the No. 8 spot.

After two days, the men's decathlon came to end with junior Kristo Simulask taking silver with a personal record 7,391 points. Junior Will Kubicek finished with 6,287 points, a personal best. Simulask set a personal record in pole vault, clearing 15-5.5 (4.71m), and javelin throw, throwing 150-5 (45.86m). He held the No. 2 spot the duration of today's competition and improved his spot from sixth to fourth on OU's all-time top-10 list. Kubicek recorded four personal records on the last five events. He began the day clocking a PR 15.65 in the 110-meter hurdles then cleared a new height of 13-1.75 (4.01m) in pole vault. Kubicek closed out the last two events with PRs, throwing 152-4 (46.43m) in the javelin throw and clocked 5:03.96 in the 1,500-meter run.

The men's high jump highlighted top-three finishes from two Sooners. Redshirt junior Vernon Turner finished as the runner up, clearing a season best 7-4.5 (2.25m). In his outdoor championships debut, sophomore Keith Drapeau finished in a tie for third place, clearing a personal best 6-11 (2.11m). Junior Chris Banks cleared 6-9 (2.06m).

Senior Essence Thomas jumped 20-6.5 (6.26m) in the women's long jump to finish in the top eight. Fellow senior Symone Washington leaped 19-11.75 (6.09m).

The throws squad podiumed two more student-athletes in the men's shot put. Senior Cooper Campbell took bronze with a throw of 59-1.25 (18.01m). Redshirt senior Bradley Daboub threw 57-5.75 (17.52m) to finish in sixth.

On the track, seven Sooners earned qualifying times for day three's finals competitions.

Seniors Camri Austin and Jasher Foster will represent OU in their respective hurdles' competitions. Austin clocked a 13.30 in the 100-meter hurdles prelims, while Foster ran a personal best 14.09 in the 110-meter hurdles.

OU will have three athletes competing in the 100-meter dash finals, one on the women's side and two on the men's side. Junior Kennedy Blackmon ran a personal best 11.37 en route to final competition. On the men's side, senior Demarius Smith clocked a personal best 10.26 to earn his spot in tomorrow's race. Smith will be joined by redshirt senior Jackson Webb, who ran a time of 10.26. Smith's time improves him to No. 4 on OU's all-time top-10 list.

Blackmon and Smith went on to qualify for the 200-meter dash. Blackmon ran a personal best 23.17, while Smith matched his personal record of 20.51.

In the 400-meter hurdles, redshirt junior Isaiah Levingston and junior Madison-Langley Walker earned qualifying spots in their respective finals. Levingston clocked a 50.66 in the men's side, while Langley-Walker ran a 58.59 in the women's side.

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BIG 12 OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION
Friday-Sunday, May 14-16
Live Results: PrimeTime Timing
Live Stream: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Venue: R.V. Christian Track Complex; Manhattan, Kan.
Field: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Big 12 Outdoor Championships Schedule
Sunday, May 16
Time (CT)	Event - Sooners
Sunday, May 16
11 a.m.	Women's Triple Jump - Allanah Lee, Nura Muhammad, Essence Thomas, Symone Washington, Mikeisha Welcome
	Women's High Jump - Madison Langley-Walker, Falyn Reaugh
	Women's Discus Throw - Faith Ette, Lauren Jones, Payden Montana
	Women's 4x100-Meter Relay - Camri Austin, Kennedy Blackmon, Deborah Giffard, Ja'Leesa Giles, Nura Muhammad
11:10 p.m.	Men's 4x100-Meter Relay - Quoi Ellis, Joseph Sheffield, Demarius Smith, Jackson Webb
11:20 p.m.	Women's 1,500-Meter Run (Final) - Jordyn Kaplan
11:45 p.m.	Women's 100-Meter Hurdles (Final) - Camri Austin
11:55 p.m.	Men's 110-Meter Hurdles (Final) - Jasher Foster
12 p.m.	Men's Pole Vault - Lucas Kelley
12:25 p.m.	Women's 100-Meter Dash (Final) - Kennedy Blackmon
12:35 p.m.	Men's 100-Meter Dash (Final) - Demarius Smith, Jackson Webb
1:10 p.m.	Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (Final) - Madison Langley-Walker
1:20 p.m.	Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (Final) - Isaiah Levingston
1:30 p.m.	Women's 200-Meter Dash (Final) - Kennedy Blackmon
	Men's Discus Throw - Bradley Daboub, Diego Trevino
	Men's Triple Jump - Kunle Akinlosotu, Rayvon Allen, Jelaani Davis, Garry Williams
1:40 p.m.	Men's 200-Meter Dash (Final) - Demarius Smith
1:50 p.m.	Women's 5,000-Meter Run - Carson Hockersmith
2:35 p.m.	Women's 4x400-Meter Relay - Kennedy Blackmon, Ja'Leesa Giles, Jai'Lyn Merriweather, Nia Sims
2:45 p.m.	Men's 4x400-Meter Relay - Rayvon Allen, Salim Epps, Isaiah Levingston, Demarius Smith