Senior Laverne Jones came into the Midwest Regional Championships as the top-ranked sprinter in the 100 and the 200. She finished the first day of the meet at Anderson Track and Field Complex as the new regional record holder in both events. She posted the fastest qualifying time in the 100 with an 11.25, breaking the meet record of 11.28 set by Baylor�s Lakadron Ivory in last year�s meet. Ivory had the second fastest qualifying time with an 11.26 and Marshevet Hooker of Texas had the third best time with an 11.28.
At the Big 12 Championships four weeks ago, Jones was second, Hooker third and Ivory fourth.The 11.25 Jones ran today is a career best for her and sets an OU school record in that event. She had the best all-time mark in the 100 with an 11.28 but it was not eligible for a record because of the wind reading.
In the 200 prelim today, Jones finished with the second fastest time but got the meet record because the wind reading was legal during her race. She finished with a 22.90 with a wind reading of 1.5.
Competitiors today battled swirling winds, temperatures in the mid 90s and humidity in the 70-80 percent mark.
Jones also ran the first leg of OU�s 400-meter relay which qualified for Saturday�s final. Jones, Ashley Freeman, Kelsey Strecker and Yolanda Goff combined for a 44.96 to finish third in their heat and seventh overall. The time is a season best and ranks as the eighth best time in school history.
(from onepaper.com/stcroixvi)
Laverne Jones
May 4, 2004 -- St. Croix's Laverne Jones ran the 200 meters in 22.81 seconds on Saturday at the Big 12 Track and Field Championships in Norman, Okla. The time meets the "A" Standard for qualifying for the Athens Olympics.
Jones, a senior at the University of Oklahoma, finished second in the 100-meter race with an 11.45. Her time in the 200 marks a career best and also breaks the school record she set earlier this season at 23.16 and broke Friday in the preliminaries with a 22.95. According to the International Association of Athletic Federations, her time in the 200 is the fifth-fastest in the world.
A press release from the V.I. Track and Field Federation stated: "To say the 200 was a fast race is an understatement, as the top four times in today�s race rank among the top 15 in the world."
Jones had an unprecedented Big 12 Conference Championship meet, finishing second in both the 100 meters and the 200 meters to the top-three listed U.S. sprinters including Sanya Richards.
In the 200-meter final, the release said, "Richards came off the curve a couple of meters behind LaVerne Jones. But Richards ran down Jones and nailed her at the finish line -- winning in 22.75 to Jones' 22.81, the fourth- and fifth-fastest times so far this year."
Jones is one of the most versatile sprinters in the world today, having very fast times in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter events, according to the V.I. Track and Field Federation.
April 29, 2004
Laverne Jones has been a key for the OU track and field team for four years. Come August, she will be a key for the Virgin Islands Olympic team. Jones will become the first female track and field athlete from OU to compete in the Olympic games when she participates in the games in Athens, Greece, this summer. �It is really overwhelming,� she said. �This was one of my goals, and now it is happening.�
Jones hails from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, where she started her track and field career her junior year of high school. Since then, she has been an All-American in indoor track twice in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. She was also an All-American in outdoor last season in the 100-meter dash. The senior sprinter is a captain of the team, and her newest accomplishment, a spot in the summer games, is not surprising to her coaches. �I think that Laverne has a really good chance to do well,� sprint coach Shanon Atkinson said. �She is mentally prepared, and she is working really hard.�
Atkinson recently found out that he will continue to coach Jones throughout the Olympics. �Basically, I am on contract with the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee to only coach Laverne,� Atkinson said. �She will have the national coach as well, but she will train with me.�
The venture to the Olympics is a first for Atkinson as well. �It�s exciting,� he said. �I really want to see her do well.� Before Jones can start thinking about Greece this summer, she has to focus on the Big 12 meet this weekend. After that meet, she still has regional and national NCAA competitions. �I feel confident going into the meet this weekend,� she said. �I am going to go out and give it my all. This is my senior year, and we are having the meet here on a brand-new track. I am really excited to compete.� Atkinson said he is confident in Jones as well. �I think she could go out and win it all,� he said. �This has been a good season for her. Everything has gone really well.�
While she continues to accomplish her goals, Jones said it is important to stay humble. �I just need to stay focused,� Jones said. �My mind has to be right through all of this.� Jones said that taking her coach to Greece with her is just to keep her feet on the ground. �[Atkinson] is the reason I am confident in myself,� she said. �He is the reason I made it this far. I�m excited that he will get to train me. He really knows what he is doing.�
16 September 1981
Age: 22 years
60 m
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2002 7.48i 3 Manhattan KS 23 Feb
2003 7.30i 4h2 NCAA Fayetteville AR 14 Mar
2004 7.24i NR 2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 28 Feb
100 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2001 11.77 2 Overland Park KS 28 Apr
2003 11.37 1.4 2h1 Big 12 Austin TX 18 May
2004 11.41 1.0 1h3 TexasR Austin TX 2 Apr
2004 11.28 3.8 1h5 Johnson Waco TX 17 Apr
200 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2002 24.30 -1.0 2 Jacobs Norman OK 13 Apr
2003 23.26 0.0 4 Big 12 Austin TX 19 May
2003 22.93 4.3 1h1 Midwest Lincoln NE 30 May
2004 22.81 NR 0.5 2 Big 12 Norman OK 1 May
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2003 23.16i NR 2h1 NCAA Fayetteville AR 14 Mar
2004 23.31i 1h2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 27 Feb
400 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2002 54.57 6 JUCO Odessa TX 18 May
2004 53.39A 2 Springtime El Paso TX 27 Mar
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CAC YL CAC AT
2004 55.09i 1 Martin Norman OK 31 Jan
In 2004:
60 m
7.35i 1h2 Classic Norman OK 17 Jan
7.31i 1 Classic Norman OK 17 Jan
7.32i 1h3 Razorback Fayetteville AR 13 Feb
7.34i 2 Razorback Fayetteville AR 13 Feb
7.29i 1h2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 27 Feb
7.27i 1s2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 27 Feb
7.24i NR PB 2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 28 Feb
7.24i NR 1h2 NCAA Fayetteville AR 12 Mar
7.29i 4 NCAA Fayetteville AR 13 Mar
100 m
11.41 SB 1.0 1h3 TexasR Austin TX 2 Apr
11.52 1.6 4r1 TexasR Austin TX 3 Apr
11.28 3.8 1h5 Johnson Waco TX 17 Apr
11.45 0.4 1h1 Big 12 Norman OK 30 Apr
11.45 0.7 2 Big 12 Norman OK 1 May
200 m
23.47i 2r1 Razorback Fayetteville AR 13 Feb
23.31i SB 1h2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 27 Feb
23.46i 2r2 Big 12 Lincoln NE 28 Feb
23.37i 2h3 NCAA Fayetteville AR 12 Mar
23.53i 4r1 NCAA Fayetteville AR 12 Mar
23.24 2.8 1h9 Johnson Waco TX 17 Apr
23.16 1.0 2 Johnson Waco TX 17 Apr
22.95 0.6 1h2 Big 12 Norman OK 30 Apr
22.81 NR PB 0.5 2 Big 12 Norman OK 1 May
400 m
55.09i PB 1 Martin Norman OK 31 Jan
53.39A PB 2 Springtime El Paso TX 27 Mar
In Major Championships:
100 m
2003 11.63 0.6 8 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
2003 11.67 0.6 2h2 CAC St. Georges 6 Jul
