The Wayland Baptist track and field team will be competing Saturday in the Sooner Athletic Championships hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University. The event is scheduled to start at noon.

According to WBU head coach Brian Whitlock, the host school is favored to win its 13th consecutive women's title, but it is a toss-up between his team and OBU for the men's championship.

The Pioneer men last won the conference championship in 2004, one year before Whitlock arrived on campus.  WBU associate head coach Rohan Thompson was a sophomore on that team and came away with the individual title in the 100-meters.  Wayland outscored Oklahoma Baptist by 41.5 points on that day at Hilliard Field.

"It's been six years since our men came away with a team championship, but I think this is our year.  We're missing some depth in a couple of events, and it won't be easy, but I think we have the talent to get the job done this year.  We're going for the win."

Myran Roundtree of Wayland should be among the busiest competitors of the day.  The freshman from Bonham, Texas, is the favorite in the 100-meters, the long jump and the triple jump, and will also be competing in the high jump and on the favored 4x100-meter relay team.

Joining Roundtree on the sprint relay will be sophomores Jerry-Lee Davis, Lee Prevost and junior Caleb McLean.  That foursome is currently seeded second in the NAIA.

Prevost will join Roundtree in the triple and long jumps and in both sprints.  Davis is expected to compete in the 200, the 400, and possibly the 100-meters. 

McLean is among the favorites in the 400-meters and will also run the 200, along with Andre Hamilton.  Those two, along with Davis and junior Mario Scott, make up the 4x400-meter relay team, which won the national championship during the indoor season.

Senior Kirby Dunn is ranked second in the NAIA in both the 800 and 1500-meter, but the only man seeded in front of him is Oklahoma Christian's Silas Kisorio.  Joining Dunn in the middle distance races will be sophomore Lucius Lopez and freshman Hildon Boen. 

Boen will also compete in the 5,000-meters, along with fellow freshmen Edward Taragon and Kennedy Kithuka.  Kithuka is the heavy favorite to win the event, but Boen and Taragon are also expected to place high.

Kithuka should rack up more points in both the 1,500 and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Junior thrower Brandon Mansfield, the defending SAC champion in the shot put, is the other Pioneer who could score major points in multiple events.

Rounding out the list of competitors on the men's team are senior Timmy McCune and sophomore Michael Saldivar in the 5K and the steeplechase; freshman Jarrod Morris in the 800-meters and 4x800-meter relay; junior Victor LeMay in either the 1,500 or the steeplechase;  junior John Keith in the 5K, sophomore Tito Benson in either the 400 or 800-meters, and in the long and triple jump; Scott in the high jump and the 400-meters; and pole vaulters Bradley Sell, a junior, and Aaron Ross, a freshman.

Whitlock thinks one key injury and a lack of numbers will prevent his women's team from having a shot at dethroning the Lady Bison, who won the NAIA Indoor Championship back in March.

"OBU just has too many bodies, and we're missing our leading point producer from the past two conference championships," explained Whitlock. 

That missing Pioneer is junior Latanya Nation, who was responsible for putting up 86 points at the last two SAC meets.  Nation is red-shirting the outdoor season after suffering a severe hamstring injury during the indoor championships. 

"Our women have some work to do to get ready for the national meet, and that's what we will be focusing on."

Part of that work is to get two-time national sprint champion Kimberly Smith qualified in the 200-meters.  Smith has the NAIA's top time in the 100-meters, but has yet to compete in the 200 this spring. 

Whitlock also hopes to improve the seedings for both the 4x4 and 4x8 relay teams.  "Our times right now in those two relays are not where I want them to be."

Smith is the favorite in the 100 and teammates Bianca Grant, Keliesha Ross and Leandria Lee should make it a Wayland sweep.  The 200-meters will be a battle between Smith and OBU's Marissa Moseley who currently owns the nation's second-best time in the event.  Grant, Ross and Lee should also get points in the race, and the four Pioneer sprinters are expected to take the top points in the 4x100 relay.  They are currently seeded second in the NAIA.

Senior Kydia Echols is hoping to improve her seeding in the 800-meters, and could possibly run the 400 as well.  Echols is also expected to run on both the longer relays.

Grant is the favorite in both the long jump and the triple jump.  The sophomore has the nation's best mark in the long jump and is fifith in the triple.

Other Wayland women competing in Shawnee on Saturday include senior Elva Pedroza and freshman Milca Villegas, both of whom are slated for the 800 and 1500-meters, and possibly the 4x800 relay; junior Demetrice Gilliam, who will run the 400-meters; freshman Jennifer Secrest will compete in the 800-meters and the 4x800; freshman Catherine Leubner and junior Diane Gutierrez are set for the 5,000-meters; freshman Brittnay Walton is another sprinter; sophomore Krystal Noggler is in the 400; and freshman Jessica Salazar will run in the hurdle events.