OU Adds Five More Athletes to NCAA Championships
AUSTIN, Tex. — Five more Oklahoma athletes added their names to the travel party for the Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday to up the OU total to 10 after two days of action at the West Prelims. Along with the 10 advancing to Eugene, six OU athletes qualified for Saturday competition in their respective events as the Oklahoma program will have a total of 20 entries competing on the final day of action in Austin.
Brittany Borman was the first Sooner of the day to punch a ticket to the Championships as she finished fourth in the women’s discus with a throw of 171-10 (52.37) on her second attempt. Borman had already booked a flight to Eugene on Thursday with a fifth-place finish in the javelin and added a second event on Friday. For Borman, the meet will be the first of her career. Karen Shump, who had already qualified for the meet Thursday in the shot put, finished 16th in the discus with a throw of 159-8 (48.66).
Mookie Salaam was the first running athlete of the day to advance to the next round in Eugene as he finished third overall in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.28, just off his season best of 10.25 from this year’s Big 12 Championships. Salaam was second in the third heat of the event as the top three finishers in each heat plus the next best three times advanced. The event in Eugene will mark Salaam’s second straight qualification in the event.
An hour-and-half after claiming his spot in Eugene in the 100, Salaam returned to the track for the first rounds of the 200-meter dash where he advanced to the quarterfinals on Saturday by clocking a personal best 20.41, the second-fastest time in the round and the fourth fastest in Oklahoma history.
Scottesha Miller joined Salaam in the field of competitors for the 100-meter dash in Eugene as she advanced on the women’s side by finishing second in her heat with a time of 11.49, the seventh-fastest time of the round. Miller’s effort gave the senior her second consecutive berth in the s in the event after finishing 12th in 2009. Also competing in the 100, Sherine Wells finished 19th with a time of 11.82.
Just as they did in the 100, Miller and Wells advanced together to the quarter finals in the 200 as they each finished in the top three of their heats to automatically advance. Miller won the fifth of six heats with a time of 23.48 while Wells was third in the opening heat with a time of 23.91.
Competing against a field that had seven of the nation’s top 12 athletes in the 400-meter hurdles and running in the same heat as the two-time defending champion, Jeshua Anderson of Washington State, Eric Bailey was not phased as the junior from Portland will make a trip to his home state as he finished fifth overall in the event with a personal best of 50.17. The time is the fifth fastest in Oklahoma history.
The Big 12 champion in the weight throw, K.P. Singh will take the implement to Oregon as he finished seventh in event with a throw of 209-6 (63.87). The effort, Singh’s third best of the 2010 season, came on the junior’s fourth attempt.
Ronnie Ash remained undefeated on the season as he easily won the third heat of the men’s 110-meter hurdles to advance to the next round on Saturday. Ash’s run of 13.86 easily held off the 14.10 of Texas Tech’s Jansen Hyde despite Ash slowing after the final hurdle. Ash, the nation’s top seed entering the event, will be one of two Sooners competing Saturday in the event as Malcolm Anderson also advanced with a time of 14.12, finishing third in the first heat.
Latoya Greaves followed the lead of Ash in the women’s 100-meter hurdles as she controlled the event’s sixth heat from start-to-finish, winning in a time of 13.32 to advance to Saturday action.
Oklahoma action on Saturday begins at 12 p.m. with Luke Bryant and Colin Quirke competing in the men’s discus. Running events will begin at 6 p.m. with the men’s 4×100-meter relay.
Oklahoma Final Results:
Women’s Discus: 4. Brittany Borman 171-50 (52.37); 16. Karen Shump 159-8 (48.66)
Men’s Hammer Throw: 7. K.P. Singh 209-6 (63.87)
Men’s High Jump: 20. Kevin Snyder 6-9.00 (2.06)
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles: 34. D’Andre Fisher 14.58
Men’s 100-Meter Dash: 3. Mookie Salaam 10.28
Women’s 100-Meter Dash: 7. Scottesha Miller 11.49; 19. Sherine Wells 11.82
Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles: 5. Eric Bailey 50.17
Oklahoma Final Qualifiers:
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles: Ronnie Ash 13.86; Malcolm Anderson 14.12
Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles: Latoya Greaves 13.32
Men’s 200-Meter Dash: Mookie Salaam 20.41
Women’s 200-Meter Dash: Scottesha Miller 23.48; Sherine Wells 23.91
Updated 06-01-2010
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