Salaam All-American, breaks OU School Record in 200-Meter Dash
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mookie Salaam earned All-America honors Friday as three Oklahoma Track and Field athletes advanced to individual event finals in the first of two days at the 2010 Indoor Track and Field Championships. Both Salaam and Scottesha Miller broke OU records in the 200-meter dash while Miller also qualified for the Saturday finals of the 60-meter dash, joining Ronnie Ash (60-meter hurdles) and Eric Harasyn (mile) in advancing in their respective events. Ash also joined the two in breaking program records as he broke his own record in the 60-meter hurdles in front of 3,233 fans inside the Randal Tyson Track Complex.
In the fastest men’s 200-meter dash in the world this year, Salaam broke his own school record with a time of 20.79 as he finished seventh. Salaam’s finish gave the sophomore from Edmond, Okla., his first career All-America honor just two weeks after breaking a 12-year old school record at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 20.80. Texas A&M’s Curtis Mitchell won the event with a world-leading time of 20.38.
Salaam qualified for the finals as the eighth seed with a time of 20.97. Salaam’s honor is OU’s fifth All-American in the indoor 200-meter dash and its first since Shomari Wilson accomplished the feat in 1999.
After breaking a seven-year old record in the prelims of the 200-meter dash, Miller was disqualified in the finals of the event for taking steps out of her assigned lane. Despite the DQ, Miller still qualified for the finals of the 60-meter dash while running the third-fastest time in the 200’s prelims. Miller’s time of 23.14 snapped Laverne Jones’ hold of the program record, a time of 23.16 set in 2003. After Friday night’s performance, Miller now holds five OU indoor and outdoor records.
In a very close race, Miller won the opening heat of the 60-meter dash with a PR of 7.26 to automatically qualify for the Saturday finals in the event. Miller’s time is the second fastest in Oklahoma history and just behind the school record of 7.24 set by Laverne Jones in 2004. For Miller, Friday’s result marked the sixth meet in a row that the Daytona Beach, Fla., native has eclipsed the 7.37 PR she entered the 2010 season with. Miller’s time was the third fastest in the prelims behind UTEP’s Blessing Okagbare (7.24) and Texas A&M’s Gabby Mayo (7.25).
Ash will take the top seed into Saturday’s 60-meter hurdles finals as he broke his own OU record with the prelims’ fastest time, 7.55. Ash easily won the second heat of the event as he blazed down the 60-meter track leading from the blocks to the finish line and lowering his collegiate-leading time in the process. Ash’s time also ranks third this year among American athletes, both collegiate and professional, and seventh in the world.
For Malcolm Anderson, who entered the meet ranked 10th nationally in the 60-meter hurdles, Friday night was an agonizing one. Anderson looked to be in contention over the last set of hurdles before taking an awkward step and suffering a left leg injury before falling across the finish line in 18th with a time of 8.05.
Harasyn opened the night by advancing to Saturday’s finals in the men’s mile, finishing sixth in the first heat, the faster of the two heats, of the event. Harasyn’s time of 4:03.46 was less than a second off the prelims leader, New Mexico’s Lee Emanuel’s time of 4:02.95.
Jacob Boone, a 2009 All-American in the mile, finished 13th in the event with a time of 4:05.82 after leading the opening heat for the first three laps.
In the women’s 60-meter hurdles, Oklahoma’s Latoya Greaves finished 16th with a time of 8.32. With the indoor season over, Greaves will now return to the outdoor track where she won the 2008 Big 12 title in the 100-meter hurdles before redshirting in 2009.
The second day of action at the event kicks off Saturday at 11 a.m. with the conclusion of the men’s heptathlon. Oklahoma action begins at 2 p.m. as K.P. Singh competes in the men’s weight throw.
Oklahoma Finals Qualifiers
Women’s 60-meter dash: Scottesha Miller 7.26
Men’s Mile: Eric Harasyn 4:03.46
Men’s 60-meter hurdles: Ronnie Ash 7.55
Oklahoma Final Results
Men’s 200-Meter Dash: 7. Mookie Salaam 20.79
Men’s Mile: 13. Jacob Boone 4:05.82
Women’s 60-meter hurdles: 16. Latoya Greaves 8.23
Men’s 60-meter hurdles: 18. Malcolm Anderson 8.05
Women’s 200-Meter Dash: Scottesha Miller DQ Rule 5.5.2b
Updated 03-13-2010
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