Track & Field 1/18/2024 6:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Ready For Rumble In The Jungle

Central Oklahoma Visits Pittsburg State For Friday Track Meet

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Central Oklahoma is back in action this weekend at Pittsburg State's Rumble in the Jungle, which begins Friday at 12:30 p.m. inside the Robert Plaster Center.

UCO is sending 17 student-athletes to compete in 27 different events. This is the first of two straight weekends at Pitt State for Central, which has competed at OU and Wichita State in its first two meets of the year.

The meet begins at 12:30 p.m., when Central Oklahoma will have its first two competitors going in the pole vault with Talyn Been and Mattison Thetford. Field events begin at 3:15 p.m. and UCO will have one sprinter, Deriayah Lee, up first in the 60-meter hurdles.

Thetford has finished first in two meets this season. She cleared 3.25 meters at OU and 3.47 meters at Friends University's First Chance Qualifier last weekend at Wichita State. Both marks were Indoor personal records for Thetford, a sophomore from Moore, Oklahoma.

Been finished second at OU behind Thetford with a height of 2.85 meters. She finished third last week with a height of 3.17 meters. The latter tied an Indoor personal record for the sophomore from Dewar, Oklahoma.

Dahsauni Lyday and Lauren Wilson will both compete in the weight throw at 2 p.m. Friday, when Kelsey Drapeau will also compete in the long jump.

Lyday is an All-MIAA thrower that has finished ninth and fifth in two meets this season. Her throws of 14.14 meters and 14.10 meters are her sixth- and seventh-best throws during her four-year Indoor career.

Wilson is just getting started in her career at Central. The freshman from Oklahoma City did not score in her debut at OU and finished 16th with a 10.47-meter hurl last weekend.

Drapeau, a junior transfer from Southwestern Christian, is just getting going in her career with the Bronchos. In two meets this season, Drapeau finished 12th at OU with a jump of 4.78 meters, and then first at Friends with a jump of 5.32 meters.

Lyday will be back for the shot put, scheduled for 5 p.m., along with freshman Abigail Kelly, from Edmond. Lyday has finished fifth and fourth in two meets this season in the shot, with distances of 13.21 meters and 12.69 meters. Kelly finished 12th at OU with a 10.40-meter toss, and 11th at Friends with a 10.14-meter throw.

Lee, a freshman from Muskogee, will start the tracksters off just after 3 p.m. with the 60-meter hurdles prelims. Lee ran 9.45 seconds at OU and finished seventh before running 9.13 seconds at Friends to earn a runner-up finish. She also ran a 9.36-second race in the prelims last weekend.

Central Oklahoma has a trio of 60-meter dashers competing on Friday. Sai Brookins-Fleming, Mikayla Stephenson, and Jakayla Swanson will all compete in the prelims at 3:35 p.m. All three are freshmen. Brookins-Fleming has not competed in the 60 yet this season. Stephenson finished 21st at OU with a time of 8.08 seconds. Swanson finished 11th at OU with a time of 7.77 seconds.

Swanson will return at 4:45 p.m. for her season debut in the 400 meters. She'll be joined there by Karly Clemons, Kerrigan Huynh, and Treasure Vallerie – another group of four freshmen.

Clemons finished 14th in the event at OU with a time of 1:07.69. Huynh finished fourth (1:00.79) and fifth at Friends (1:02.42). Vallerie is debuting with the Bronchos.

Genevieve Young is back this week in a new event. After winning the 800 meters last weekend, the junior from Cache and Cameron transfer will compete in the 600-yard race for the first time in her career.

Just after 6 p.m., the Central sprinters will return for the 200-meter race – and the Bronchos are putting seven up for the event. Brookins-Fleming, Clemons, Huynh, Lee, Stephenson, Swanson, and Vallerie will all compete in the event.

Brookins-Fleming has won the 200 at OU and Friends and with times of 25.77 seconds and 25.81 seconds, the freshman is looking to continue her successful start. Huynh has finished sixth and third with times of 26.73 and 26.80. Lee finished eighth (27.56) in her event debut last weekend. Stephenson finished 12th (27.17) and Swanson third (26.18) at OU. Vallerie again will make her collegiate debut.

Noel Buckhaults and Kylee Smith will make their long-awaited appearances at 6:45 p.m. Friday in the 3,000-meter race. Buckhaults finished 11th in the event at OU in December with a time of 12:39.03, and Smith finished third in the event last weekend at Friends with a time of 13:17.08.

UCO will also have two relay teams to wrap up the event. The 4x400 race is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

Central Oklahoma has five indoor meets on its 2023-24 schedule and Friday is the third of the season. UCO will return to southeast Kansas Jan. 27 for the Wendy's Pittsburg State Invitational and wrap up the regular season with the Ichabod Invitational at Washburn in Topeka, Kansas February 10. The 2024 MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled for Feb. 23-25 in Topeka.

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Players Mentioned

Talyn Been: Pole Vault; Sophomore

Noel Buckhaults: Distance; Senior

Dahsauni Lyday: Throws; 5' 4"; Senior

Kylee Smith: Distance; Sophomore

Mattison Thetford: Pole Vault; Sophomore

Sai Brookins-Fleming: Sprints; Freshman

Karly Clemons: Sprints; Freshman

Kelsey Drapeau: Jumps; Senior

Kerrigan Huynh: Sprints; Freshman

Abigail Kelly: Throws; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Talyn Been
: Sophomore
: Pole Vault

Noel Buckhaults
: Senior
: Distance

Dahsauni Lyday
: 5' 4"; Senior
: Throws

Kylee Smith
: Sophomore
: Distance

Mattison Thetford
: Sophomore
: Pole Vault

Sai Brookins-Fleming
: Freshman
: Sprints

Karly Clemons
: Freshman
: Sprints

Kelsey Drapeau
: Senior
: Jumps

Kerrigan Huynh
: Freshman
: Sprints

Abigail Kelly
: Freshman
: Throws