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June 29, 2008

KINGSTON, Jamaica —  Oklahoma alum Michael Blackwood became the second former Sooner in two days to qualify for his third consecutive Olympic Games Sunday at the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association National Championships in Kingston. One day after fellow OU alum Danny McFarlane qualified in the 400-meter hurdles, Blackwood did so in the 400-meter dash.

Blackwood’s time of 45.21 bested the eight-man final and more importantly topped the Olympic Games automatic qualifying “A” standard of 45.55. 

Along with McFarlane, Blackwood will be appearing in his third straight Olympic Games running in the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games.  Blackwood finished eighth in the 400 in 2004 and captured a bronze medal in 2000 as a member of Jamaica’s 4x400-meter relay.

In other Oklahoma action Sunday in Jamaica, Latoya Greaves and Sheldon Leith both finished seventh in the 100- and 110-meter hurdles, respectively.  Greaves, the Big 12 champion in the 100-meter hurdles, recorded a time of 13.50 while Leith, running into a headwind, crossed the line in 14.08 seconds.

EUGENE, Ore. —  Oklahoma triple jumper Toni Smith ended her efforts Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a sixth-place finish in the women’s triple jump.  After recording the second-best jump of Friday’s prelims, Smith was unable to come up with the distance needed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

The Oklahoma program record holder in the event, Smith managed a top jump of 45 feet and 3.75 inches (13.81 meters) on her next to last jump to finish sixth on Sunday.  The recent OU graduate leapt a distance of 45-10.75 (13.99) in Friday’s prelims.

Shani Marks took first in the event with a jump of 47-2.25 (14.38), and along with Erica McLain will be the lone American representatives in the event in August.

Oklahoma senior-to-be Leslie Cole was also in action on Sunday, running in the prelims of the women’s 400-meter hurdles.  Cole was unable to put a together a quick enough performance to advance to the event’s semifinals with a time of 53.19.  The Idabel, Okla., native finished sixth in her heat and 18th overall.

Oklahoma’s lone competitor on Monday, Amy Backel, will attempt to become Oklahoma’s third track and field Olympian in the finals of the women’s javelin at 8:20 p.m. PST.