OU Track: Oklahoma Dominates Day 2 of Big 12
By OU Media Relation
NORMAN – The Oklahoma men's and women's track and field teams closed out day two of the Big 12 Outdoor Championships with five titles, numerous personal records and multiple OU top-10 marks.
Going into the final day, the Sooners lead the team competition on both the men's (55 points) and women's side (75 points). For the men, OU has a three-point advantage over second-place Kansas (51), while the women are dominant with a 26-point lead over second-place Iowa State (49).
Due to the chance of inclement weather, running events and field events were moved up with a 2 p.m. CT start.
Vernon Turner made a statement with his fifth career Big 12 conference title in men's high jump and went back-to-back with conference titles for indoors and outdoors in a single season (2022, 2023). Turner has won three outdoor-conference titles (2018, 2022, 2023) and two indoor (2022, 2023). He cleared 7-6.50 (2.30m) to match the best-mark in program history, last set by Turner himself in 2022, and became the national leader.
Senior Payden Montana added another Big 12 title to her resume. Montana won her first outdoor conference title and second overall with the women's shot put title, marking a season-best at 17.65 meters. She joins Tia Brooks and Jessica Woodard as the only Sooners to win the event in outdoor competition. Paige Low also finished in the top 10 with a throw at 15.43 meters for ninth place.
Sophomore Nikaoli Williams became the first Sooner to win a Big 12 long jump title. He swept the conference titles for the event this season, also garnering the indoor conference title on Feb. 24. He won with a 7.80m mark at his second attempt.
The Sooners went 1-2 in women's pole vault with Olivia Lueking winning her third Big 12 title in the event (two outdoor and one indoor), followed by freshman Cassidy Bradshaw who earned a runner-up finish. Lueking cleared 13-11.25 (4.25m) to go back-to-back in Big 12 outdoor titles, while Bradshaw cleared 13-07.25 (4.15m). Freshman Tessani Foster cleared 12-09.50 (3.90m) for a personal-best record and ninth-place finish.
In women's long jump, Pippi Lotta Enok broke a 12-year-old program record with a mark at 6.65 meters for a runner-up finish and sophomore Jasmine Atkins entered the record books with the ninth-best record in program history (6.30m) for a fifth-place finish.
In men's shot put, freshman Tucker Smith finished as runner-up with a personal-best mark at 18.91 meters and senior Diego Trevino placed fourth with 18.85m. Junior Bryant Parlin also earned a season-best 16.82 meters for ninth.
Senior Kristo Simulask grabbed his third consecutive Big 12 Multis title with 7,769 points in the men's decathlon. Simulask finished third in the discus throw with a personal-best record of 42.31m, fourth in the javelin throw (51.61m), and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.86) and 1500-meter (4:39.67).
Sophomore Nikolaj Gronbech also placed eighth with 7,167 points for seventh-best in program history. He won the javelin throw with 62m and placed sixth in the discus throw with a personal-best record of 38.86m. Both Simulask and Gronbech tied for fourth in the pole vault, each clearing 15-03.50 (4.66m).
In the women's heptathlon, sophomore Ariel Pedigo placed fifth with 5,437 points. She finished second in the javelin throw with 40.20m on her first attempt and capped off the 800-meter with a personal-best record of 2:21.26 for a sixth-place finish.
Freshman Ally Stephenson also finished 14th with 4,779 points. She placed fourth in the long jump with 5.77m on her last attempt.
Kicking off preliminaries for the running events, senior Yazmine Wright breezed through the women's 1500-meter (4:17.41) to book an automatic spot in Sunday's final. A pair of juniors also booked a pair of personal-best records in the event - Sierra Williams (4:25.72; 14th) and Danielle Rinn (4:27.70, 17th).
Sooner trio Richard Johnson, Zarik Brown and Muzuri Mattar advanced to Sunday's final in the men's 400-meter dash. Johnson won the last heat with a season-best 45.67 to automatically qualify. Brown ran the third-fastest time overall and his heat to put him sixth in qualifying. Mattar finished ninth (45.96) for a spot in Sunday's final, while sophomore Salim Epps also ran with a personal-best record of 46.51.
For the women's 400-meter hurdles, a trio of Sooners advanced to Sunday's final, seniors Ashonti Warner (56.73) and Daneesha Davidson (57.68) and sophomore Jenna James (56.31). Warner remains second in program history and joined Davidson as automatic qualifiers for Sunday.
Freshman David Warmington earned an automatic spot into the men's 110-meter hurdles final with a 13.81.
In windy conditions, senior Kennedy Blackmon and sophomore Mikayla Hayes placed fifth (10.94) and sixth (11.21), respectively, in the women's 100-meter dash to advance to Sunday's final. For the men's 100-meter dash, sophomore Josh Bour earned a lane in the finals with a 10.31. Junior Alajuwan Robinson also earned a personal-best record of 10.41 in the event.
After the weather delay, Blackmon continued the momentum in the women's 200-meter dash, winning her heat and automatically qualifying into fourth for Sunday's final with a time of 22.52. The mark breaks a seven-year program record and is also a personal best for Blackmon.
For the men's 200-meter dash, Bour advanced to Sunday's final with a 20.63. Robinson also earned a season-best 20.93 in the event.
In the men's 1500-meter, junior Fernando Morales earned a personal-best record of 3:50.18 for 17th place. For the women's 400-meter, freshman Alyia Green ran a personal-best at 55.73. Before the weather delay, sophomore Isaac Barrera ran a personal best 1:50.18 in the men's 800-meter.
The Big 12 Outdoor Championships conclude Sunday with the field events and finals for the running events beginning at 12 p.m. CT. A team champion will be crowned following the meet.
