Brooks Makes 11th Appearance on Bowerman Watch List

April 11, 2013

NORMAN, Okla. – University of Oklahoma redshirt senior Tia Brooks is one of three mainstays on the April edition of the Bowerman Women's Watch List, released Thursday by the Bowerman Watch List Committee. It is her 11^th inclusion on the list, as she joins LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan who has been named to the watch list 17 times and Arizona's Brigetta Barrett who appears on the list for the 15^th time of her career.

In her first outdoor competition of the season, Brooks made her debut in thrilling fashion breaking her own school record and throwing a career-best 61-5.50 (18.73m). With the throw, she remains undefeated on the year in the event.

Her mark leads all NCAA shot putters and is the first to surpass the 60-foot barrier on the outdoor track and field season, leading the second-best performance in the country by nearly four full feet. Additionally, her performance marked the sixth-best throw in outdoor collegiate history. Brooks also recorded the No. 8 (61-2/18.64m) and No. 9 (61-0/18.59) outdoor mark in collegiate history at the Sun Angel Classic.

At the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship, Brooks shattered the collegiate shot put record with a mark of 63-0.75 en route to win her second consecutive NCAA indoor shot put title, and third-straight NCAA championship after claiming the crown in the outdoor shot put in 2012. Additionally, her throw marked the first time in collegiate history that a woman has surpassed the 63-foot barrier, which ranks fourth all-time among American women and currently sits fifth in the world for 2013.

Her performance in Fayetteville for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships bested North Carolina's Laura Gerraughty's record of 62-10.00 (19.15m) set in 2004. Brooks also added another mark of 62-2½ (18.96m) at the NCAA meet, to own three of the five best throws in collegiate history and has posted the top 16 collegiate throws of 2013. Currently she leads the nation by more than three feet in the event.

To date, she has won 12 of 13 shot put events dating back to the 2012 indoor season, including 11 consecutive victories. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native claimed the 2013 Big 12 title in the shot put with a winning mark of 60-9¼ (18.52m), but each of her four legal throws would have won the event.

Brooks' kick started the 2013 indoor season with the first collegiate throw farther than 60 feet, and remains the only collegiate woman to surpass the mark to date. The distance was both a J.D. Martin Invitational and Mosier track record.