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Track & Field Teams Turn In Best Finishes In Big 12 History
May 1, 2004
NORMAN, Okla. - Backed by three first-place finishes and 24 all-conference honors, the men's track team left the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla., with a second-place finish, the best in school history. The men's team scored 106.50 points of which the most crucial came in the last event of the day. The women's team also turned in their best finish in school history, fifth, with 61.50 points and 19 all-conference honors.
After leaping up to second-place after the 200m dash, the Tech men were one point ahead of Texas A&M and 4.50 points ahead of Texas. To secure a second-place finish, Tech had to finish ahead of the Aggies. Junior Chris Hickman led off for the team, his first time as lead leg before handing off to junior Matt Stewart. Freshman Bryan Scott ran the third leg before handing off to junior Jonathan Johnson. Johnson moved up on the lead pack and at the finish line would move ahead of Texas A&M's Bryan Kelley to seal the second-place finish, .11 seconds ahead of the Aggies
The women's 4x100 relay team turned in five points for the Red Raiders with a fourth-place finish in a time of 45.33. Freshman Ronita Johnson, junior Shereefa Lloyd, senior Rachelle Evans and sophomore JaToya Moore earned all-conference honors for their performance. Lloyd added two more all-conference honors with a fifth-place finish in the 100m in a time of 11.63 and a fourth-place finish in the 200m dash in a time of 23.10. Lloyd accounted for nine points for the team. Moore also finished eighth in the 100m in a time of 12.09. On the men's side, the 4x100 relay team of Hickman, junior Tyree Gailes, sophomore Orin Darrington and Stewart, finished sixth in a time of 41.39 for two points. The 4x100 crew would not stop there as three of four went on to score more points. Gailes was crowned runner up in both the 100m dash and the 200m dash with times of 10.65 and 20.92, respectively. Stewart finished fourth in both the 400m dash and the 200m dash with times of 47.00 and 21.36. Gailes contributed 16 individual points, the most of any Red Raider. Hickman finished fourth in the 400m hurdles in a time of 51.96. Scott scored 10 more points in his first appearance at the Conference championships as he was crowned Big 12 Champion in the 400m hurdles. Scott ran a time of 50.73, beating his previous personal best time by nearly two seconds. The women's team had two athletes turn in points in the 3000m steeplechase. Sophomore Katie Leonard finished in seventh with a time of 10:51.83 while school-record holder junior Stefanie Calhoun ran a time of 10:54.90 for eighth place. Freshman Kelley Schulz vaulted to a fifth-place finish in the pole vault. Schulz cleared 12'-9.50" to take home her first all-conference honor. Junior Geralda Dukuly turned in a seventh-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 41'-6.00" (12.65m). Dukuly's two point-mark ties her career best jump. After finishing 4:28.35 in the prelims, junior Brionne Yosten finished third in the finals with a time of 4:28.59. Yosten's finish was good for six points. Freshman Shawon Harris earned his first all-conference honor as he ran a time of 14.42 in the finals to finish in sixth-place. Harris added more points with a fifth-place finish in a time of 52.19 in the 400m hurdles. Senior Jason Young was crowned runner-up in the discus behind the 2004 National Champion Carl Myerscough of Nebraska. Young threw 198'-4" (60.45m) for a second-place finish and eight points. With the second-best time in school history, junior Licretia Sibley finished second in the 400m dash with a time of 52.75. Sophomore Ashley Stevens finished in fifth with a time of 54.66. The points scored on the 400m dash were enough to move the team from eighth to sixth. Junior Jonathan Johnson came to defend his title and left with his third Big 12 title in the 800m after running a time of 1:47.12. Johnson took over for first on the backstretch of the first lap and would fight off Nebraska's Dmitrijs Milkevics to take home the win. This is the first time in school history that an athlete has turned in three conference titles in one event. Junior Chad Pharis did not defend his title but did finish with all-conference honors in the high jump. Pharis cleared 6'-10.75" (2.10m) to take home sixth place. The women's team was in sixth place with 53.50 points before the running of the last event, the 4x400 relay. Tech finished second to No.3 Texas with a time of 3:35.80. The team of Evans, Lloyd, Stevens and Sibley made up the all-conference team and their points moved the team up to a fifth-place finish, the best in school history.
Texas won on the women's side with 151 points while the Nebraska men took home the crown with 172 points. Complete results can be found at www.soonersports.com.
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