School Record, Top Finisher Highlight Split Week For UCO

Central Oklahoma Sends Out Two Squads For Track & Field And Has Success At Both Meets

Central Oklahoma's track & field team split up this week with five sprinters competing at the 97th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Friday in Austin, Texas and a dozen more competing at the OBU Invitational Saturday in Shawnee.

In Austin, four sophomores put together a record-setting performance racing against the best in the country.

Sai Brookins-Fleming, Kerrigan Huynh, Deriayah Lee, and Treasure Vallerie set a new school record in the 4x400-meter relay Friday in Austin. The group raced to a new record in 3:47.61 and finished 22nd in the field, seventh among non-Division I schools.

It's the fourth relay record to fall in the last two seasons and the second time the 4x400 record has been broken. Brookins-Fleming, Huynh, and Vallerie made up three quarters of the team that broke the record last year with a 3:47.93. The four members of the relay team also own the UCO Indoor record in the 4x400 (3:48.73), set earlier this year.

UCO also had a 4x100 relay team that finished third in a timed final of non-DI squads. Huynh, Vallerie, Brookins-Fleming and Genevieve Young made up UCO's team that finished in 47.35 seconds. East Texas A&M (45.38) and Midwestern State (47.22) were just in front of the Bronchos. Brookins-Fleming also competed herself in the 100-meters Friday at Texas. She crossed the finish line in 12.17 seconds for a 29th place position.

In Shawnee, veteran Talyn Been took highest honors in the pole vault. The junior from Dewar, Oklahoma cleared 3.10 meters. She attempted a personal best 3.25 meters but did not get it. Been cleared 3.10 for the sixth time in her career.

Junior Mattison Thetford also competed Saturday in Shawnee and finished third in the pole vault at 2.95 meters.

Most of Central's competitors Saturday in Shawnee were sprinters. Mikayla Stephenson finished 16th in the 100-meter dash in 12.86 seconds. Faith Millner (26.76) and Stephenson (26.83) finished 24th and 25th respectively in the 200-meters. And Millner (1:01.66) raced again in the 400m and finished 11th.

The Bronchos got a Top 10 finish, at 10th, in the 800m with freshman Maddie Gaxiola racing to a 2:31.73 finish. Four Bronchos ran in the 1,500m – Asia Williams (5:22.99), Katlin Foster (5:26.18), Ariane Williams (5:39.61), and Kylee Smith (5:50.69).

Up next for Central Oklahoma is a short trip to Norman for OU's annual John Jacobs Invitational. The event this year is Friday. UCO will also go to Wichita State's annual KT Woodman Classic and Arkansas' John McDonnell Invitational before the MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this May.

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Players Mentioned

Talyn Been: Pole Vault; Junior

Sai Brookins-Fleming: Sprints; Sophomore

Kerrigan Huynh: Sprints; Sophomore

Deriayah Lee: Hurdles; 5' 3"; Sophomore

Kylee Smith: Distance; Junior

Mikayla Stephenson: Sprints; 5' 5"; Sophomore

Mattison Thetford: Pole Vault; Junior

Treasure Vallerie: Sprints; Sophomore

Genevieve Young: Distance; 5' 3"; Senior

Katlin Foster: Distance; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Talyn Been
: Junior
: Pole Vault

Sai Brookins-Fleming
: Sophomore
: Sprints

Kerrigan Huynh
: Sophomore
: Sprints

Deriayah Lee
: 5' 3"; Sophomore
: Hurdles

Kylee Smith
: Junior
: Distance

Mikayla Stephenson
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: Sprints

Mattison Thetford
: Junior
: Pole Vault

Treasure Vallerie
: Sophomore
: Sprints

Genevieve Young
: 5' 3"; Senior
: Distance

Katlin Foster
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: Distance