SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Baptist men's track and field team earned 28 top-five finishes in their 2023 outdoor debut over the weekend at the OBU Invitational.
Eight Bison took home top honors in their respective events and recorded two NCAA Division II Provisional marks.
Among those to meet the NCAA standard was Isaiah Willis, who won the long jump with a leap of 7.43m (24-4.5). It is the fourth-best mark in Division II and nearly broke the all-time OBU outdoor record of 7.44m (24-4.9), set by Doug Butler in 1991. Furthermore, it crushed the 12-year Eddie Hurt Jr. track facility record of 7.31m (23-11.7), held by Myron Roundtree of Wayland Baptist (2011).
Freshman Jonathan Elix's 2.13m (6-11.75) mark in the high jump earned first-place honors and is the third-highest clearance in the country. Elix was close to snapping the OBU high jump outdoor record of 2.15m, set by Mark Elliston in 1984. Additionally, Trey Bartholomew placed fourth in the event with a jump of 2.00m (6-6.75)
Elix added a fourth-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 12.89m (42-3.5).
Anthony Phillips won the outdoor pole vault for third time in his career after clearing 4.67m (15-3.75).
In the discus throw, Alexander Schovanec notched one of his two top-five finishes on Saturday with a 48.15m (158-0) heave that placed first overall. His other was a 14.67m (48-1.75) mark that placed third in the shot put.
Matthew Higdon won the hammer throw with a 56.55m (185-6) mark, ahead of Doron Williams' 43.86m (143-11) hurl that placed second. Rounding out the top five in the event was Schovanec and Elijah Wood, who took the four (42.59m, 139-9) and five (41.96m, 137-8) slots.
Junior Jonathan Jones won the Javelin throw in his Bison debut with a mark of 50.73m (166-5), while Caden Martin placed second in the Decathlon with a PR of 5,771 points.
Martin's run featured first-place finishes in the Javelin (50.59m, 166-0), 400m (53.58), shot put (10.44m, 34-4), and long jump (6.07m, 19-11). Sloan Lewis placed second in the multi with a career-best of 5,033 points, highlighted by a 4:45.81 first-place finish in the 1500m.
In the track events, Maurice McMullen earned his first career win in the 110 hurdles, crossing in 14.70. Michael Ward (2nd, 14.71), Arryn Anderson (4th, 14.81), and Jentezen Smith (5th, 14.84) also finished in the top five.
Jentezen Smith placed sixth in the 400m hurdles (54.92), ahead of Trevor Evans and Slater Ward, who finished eighth (57.22) and 10th (57.42).
Marcus Petersen and Jared Cheatwood placed second (48.72) and third (49.50) in the 400m, while Isaiah Willis claimed third (21.52) in the 200m.
Blake Cope ran a 10:04.19 in the 3000m steeplechase, good for third place, while Samuel Fantoni clocked a 4:04.99 for fourth in the 1500m.
Wrapping up the notables for Oklahoma Baptist was the quartet of Marcus Petersen, Cheatwood, Smith, and Willis that won the inaugural Ford Mastin 4x400 relay with a time of 3:17.42.
The Bison will return to action this week at Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.
