OU Track: Oklahoma Delivers Memorable Finish at Big 12 Championships
By OU Media Relations
LUBBOCK, TX – Oklahoma had a memorable day two at the 2023 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship on Saturday, with a record scoring performance, a school record and three conference champions.
"Today closed out a great weekend for our program," said head coach Tim Langford. "To amass the most points ever by an OU women's team shows the collective effort and culture we are creating here. We had several ups and downs throughout the meet, but our teams left their best on the track."
The Sooners finished day two with three conference champions, a new school record, broken meet and facility records, and several career-best performances.
The OU women's squad placed third with 99.5 points, the highest points total for the women's team in school history. The men's team finished in sixth place with 75 points.
Kristo Simulask won the men's heptathlon title with a total of 5,939 points, which was aided by personal bests in three events. Simulask broke his own school record and set a new meet record for the Big 12 Championships.
Next, Brandon Green Jr. finished fourth in the men's triple jump after clearing a personal best 51-11.25 (15.83m). On the women's side, Jasmine Akins (12.96m) and Agur Dwol (12.94m) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Freshman David Warmington clocked a 7.92 in the men's 60-meter hurdles to take fifth place.
Kennedy Blackmon took home fourth in the women's 60-meter final with a time personal-best time of 7.22. Her performance is the second-fastest time in school history.
The women's shot-put group had all Sooners place in the top five. Payden Montana (16.74m) took second, Abby Moore (16.40m) claimed third, and Paige Low (15.76m) placed fifth.
Back on the track, Yazmine Wright collected a fifth-place finish in the women's mile after running 4:47.03.
Sophomore Jenna James crossed the finish line at 1:20.13 in the women's 600-yard run and took home fourth place. James now owns the second-fastest time in school history. On the men's side, Gage Hensey ran a 1:13.63 for seventh place.
The Sooners' success continued when Ashonti Warner claimed fourth place in the women's 400-meter dash with a time of 52.64. On the men's side of the 400-meter dash, Muzuri Mattar crossed the finish line at 46.23 for sixth place.
Next, Fernando Morales set a new school record in the men's 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:22.27.
Anass Mghair finished the men's 800-meter dash with a time of 1:49.60 for fourth place.
In the women's 200-meter, Kennedy Blackmon matched her personal best time of 23.24 for eighth place.
In the men's shot put, three Sooners finished on the podium with Diego Trevino (19.18m), Tucker Smith (18.62), and Bryant Parlin finishing second, sixth, and eighth, respectively.
Yazmine Wright had her third podium finish in the women's 3,000-meter fun after clocking ter clocking a 9:33.77 for sixth place.
For the second year in a row, Vernon Turner won the men's high jump title after clearing 7-5.75 (2.28m).
The women's 4x400 relay ran a season-best time of 3:38.42 for fifth place.
"I'm thankful for everyone buying into our program vision; from the non-scorers to the numerous conference champions," said Langford. "I can't wait for the national championship."