University of Oklahoma Athletics

Dropped Baton Eliminates U.S. Relay And Sooner Sprinter :: Hicks turns her attention to 200-meter event.

Dropped Baton Eliminates U.S. Relay And Sooner Sprinter :: Hicks turns her attention to 200-meter event. Dropped Baton Eliminates U.S. Relay And Sooner Sprinter

Hicks turns her attention to 200-meter event.




Senior Jimyria Hicks will turn her attention to the 200 at the World University Games after U.S. relay was eliminated.

Aug. 29, 2001

BEIJING, China - University of Oklahoma track and field senior Jimyria Hicks took the United States' 400-meter relay into the lead in the preliminary round of the World University Games today, then had to watch as the final handoff wasn't completed successfully. The team failed to finish the preliminary round race because of the dropped baton.

Hicks took the baton from Teeneshia Jones of Mississippi and took the U.S. into the lead in the race. The handoff between Hicks and Tania Woods of San Francisco was successful before the handoff from Woods and Tonya Carter, who competes for Florida State, was dropped.

Hicks will turn her attention to the 200-meter dash which begins Thursday with preliminary and quarterfinal rounds. The semifinals and final in the 200 will be run on Friday. Hicks will be joined in the 200-meter events by Myra Jaune Combs, who competes for Louisiana State.

All track and field action is taking place at the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing. The Games opened on August 22 and will conclude on Sept. 1.

Hicks, a native of Arlington, Texas, earned her spot on the American team after finishing fifth in the 2001 U.S. Senior Nationals in the 200-meter dash in June. She also had a strong finish in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash. Hicks, who finished second in the Big 12 in the 200 last May with a 23.13, ran a 23.35 at the U.S. Senior Nationals, the best finish for a collegian in that event. Both times rank on the current U.S. list.

A multi-talented sprinter, Hicks came into her own this past spring. She finished fourth in the 100 at the Big 12 meet, ran the second leg of OU's fourth-place 400-meter relay, then ran the third leg of OU's 1600-meter relay that finished fifth.

"We knew going in that the handoffs were critical, just like they are on any relay," said Shanon Atkinson, OU's sprint coach. "It is especially difficult when you have so little time to train together.

"I talked with Jimyria today and she was happy with how she ran, that she got the U.S. into the lead. She's ready to move on to the 200s and do the best she can in that event. It will be a challenge with four races in two days but she's up to the challenge. I told her to turn her disappointment in the relay into a motivating factor for the 200. She's ready to run and has as good an opportunity to medal in the 200 as she had in the relay before today's dropped baton."