Men's Track and Field in second after day one at Big 12 Indoor Championships
LINCOLN, Neb. -- University of Texas junior Marshevet Hooker claimed her consecutive conference crown in the long jump, and the Texas men's distance-medley relay team won its first league title to highlight day one for Texas at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Nebraska's Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Texas men sit in second after day one with 21 points, while the UT women hold the seventh spot with 15 points. However, each squad is in prime position to challenge for team conference titles Saturday, as the UT men and women have numerous qualifiers for tomorrow's event finals. Hooker became the first victorious Longhorn at the 2006 championships by registering a mark of 20-11.75 (6.39m) in the long jump to pick up her second straight league title. Hooker also clocked the top times in the preliminary rounds of the women's 60-meter and 200-meter events, putting herself in excellent position to collect many more points on day two. In the day's final event, the Longhorns quartet of senior Dylan Wykes (Kingston, Ontario), junior Alan Bean (Dalhart, Texas), senior Tomas Finol (Spring, Texas) and sophomore Leonel Manzano (Marble Falls, Texas) became the first UT men's distance-medley relay squad to win a Big 12 title, edging Oklahoma State to take the event in 9:49.59. Junior Matt Munoz (Kingwood, Texas) and senior Joe Thorne (Chamblee, Ga.) added to a solid day for the distance corps by placing fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 5000 meters. Manzano had a productive day individually, as well, taking first in his heat and second in the mile preliminary round. Manzano broke the conference record at the 2005 Big 12 Indoor Championships as a freshman. Senior Trey Hardee (Birmingham, Ala.) took fifth overall in the long jump with a distance of 24-4.25 (7.42m) to add 3.5 points to the Texas tally. The NCAA heptathlon record holder, Hardee is not participating in the event at the Big 12 meet. Remarkably, all four UT men entered in the 60-meter dash earned qualifying marks for Saturday's finals. Senior Quincy Boles (Harker Heights, Texas) led the Horns in 6.69 and was followed by senior Trey Griffin (Lockhart, Texas- 6.72), freshman Jamaal Charles (Port Arthur, Texas - 6.73) and senior Ronald Hill (Walnut, Calif. - 6.79). Three of the four - Boles, Charles and Griffin - also tallied qualifying marks in the 200 meters, each collecting personal-best times. Junior Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle, Idaho) - the Big 12 meet record holder in the heptathlon - leads the event heading into day two after tying for first in the 60 meters and the high jump. On the women's side, freshman Alexandria Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) improved upon her 60-meter time, clocking 7.30 for a NCAA provisional mark and second place in the preliminary round behind teammate Marshevet Hooker. Anderson completed a solid day with a second-place preliminary time of 23.59 in the 200 meters to advance to Saturday's final and collect another NCAA mark. The Texas women's distance-medley relay squad of freshman Katara Rosby (Baton Rouge, La.), senior Sheretta Jones (Houston, Texas) and freshmen Janine Davis (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Larkin Geyer (Austin, Texas) took seventh in 11:45.75, adding two points to the Texas tally. Senior Melaine Walker (Kingston, Jamaica) and freshman Kira Robinson (Denver, Colo.) advanced to Saturday's finals in the 60-meter hurdles by placing second and eighth, respectively. The final day of the Big 12 Indoor Championships begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. CST with the resumption of the men's heptathlon. Big 12 Championships - Lincoln, Neb. Distance Medley Relay Heptathlon (4 events completed) 60 Meters (Hept.) Long Jump (Hept.) Shot Put (Hept.) High Jump (Hept.) Long Jump - Finals 60 Meters - Prelims 60-Meter Hurdles - Prelims Mile - Prelims 600 Yard Run - Prelims 1000 Meters - Prelims 800 Meters - Prelims 200 Meters - Prelims 5000 Meters - Finals Men's Standings - Four Events Scored
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