The OU track and field team’s season is officially under way. The team returns with several contributors after an extremely successful season last year. With two meets under their belt, the team looks poised to continue that success.
Last season, the Sooners qualified 20 athletes for the NCAA championships. Of those 20 athletes, 11 are returning to the squad to compete this year.
Senior Eric Bailey returns as the team leader in the 400 hurdles. Sophomore Tia Brooks, junior Luke Bryant and senior K.P. Singh return to throw after NCAA appearances last year. Junior Brittany Borman will be looking to follow-up last year’s three-time athlete of the week performance. Sophomore Karen Shump also has high expectations after winning Big 12 freshman of the year for her performance in shot put.
OU also has a lot of talent returning to the running events. Junior Mookie Salaam returns this year after posting a career-best 10.21 in the 100 meters at last year’s NCAA championships. Salaam had the team’s top-three finishes in both the 100 and 200-meter dash last season. Sophomore Kevin Schwab is the team’s returning leader in the 10,000-meter run.
These are just a few of the returning athletes that helped lead the OU men to a sixth-place finish in last year’s program of the year race.
However, the men finished 27th in the NCAA championships. The women, on the other hand, recorded the highest finish in program history, ending in ninth place. The women recorded 26 points, which is the second-most in program history, thanks largely to Borman’s 16 individual points.
Scottesha Miller is returning to the women’s team for her senior season after recording top-three finishes in both the 100 and 200-meter dash last season, and junior Jessica Engel is back to anchor the distance runners in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs.
The No. 10 women opened the season Jan. 7 at the Arkansas Invitational. Despite just 15 athletes competing, the team recorded eight top-three finishes. The J.D. Martin Invitational, hosted by the Sooners, will be Saturday at the Everest Indoor Training Center.
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