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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Four Sooners in NCAA Top 16 Prior to Big 12s
February 15, 2017 | Track and Field
NORMAN - With just the Big 12 Conference Indoor Championship remaining until the Feb. 26 NCAA qualification deadline for the indoor championship, the Oklahoma track and field teams currently have four student-athletes with marks that would be eligible. To be eligible the result must fall within the top 16 nationally.
Holding those coveted spots for the Sooners are Hayden McClain, Ama Pipi, Baileh Simms and Jess Woodard.
McClain's latest performance in the triple jump at the Tyson Invitational improved his mark to 54-4 and created more separation for him at the third spot in the event nationally. McClain would be making his second straight appearance at nationals as he qualified for the championship last year. If his standing holds, the senior would have improved 12 spots from last year to this year as he qualified 15th last year with a mark of 52-8.75.
The Tyson Invitational was a significant meet for Pipi as well with her time of 23.26 in the 200-meter dash currently puts her in a tie for 15th. This would be the junior's first appearance at NCAA Indoor overall.
Sitting in the fifth spot nationally in the shot put is junior Woodard. Her 57-4.25 distance was recorded at the J.D. Martin Invitational, held on Jan. 28. This would also be Woodard's second appearance at indoors after earning first-team All-America honors last year with her eighth-place finish.
Rounding out the OU delegation would be Simms in the long jump. The senior's 20-10 at the Armory Track Invitational on Feb. 3 currently places her tied for 10th in the nation. After finishing the indoor portion last year with the 26th best mark, this would be the first time that Simms has qualified for the indoor championship.
To be eligible for the championship, marks must be recorded in approved competitions scheduled from December 1 through the second Sunday prior to the national championships. All results for conference championships concluding on the second Monday prior to the national championship must be posted to TFRRS by the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline.
A final descending-order list and declarations open on Tuesday, Feb. 28. After all the steps are complete, the final list of meet participants shall be available via the NCAA's website, Division I Championships, Winter Sports, Indoor Track & Field (M/W), by 10 p.m. Eastern. The final championship start lists will be posted at the same site on Wednesday, March 8.
Several Sooners are just outside the cutoff point and will look to improve their results and their standings in Ames at next Big 12 Championship.
Among those sitting just outside the top 16 but within the top 25 are Meagan Gray, Kenzie Shell, Everette Favor and Leya Buchanan. Gray and Shell are tied for 20th in the pole vault with a height of 13-7.25. Although entirely dependent on the results from the other conference meets, they would need just two inches on their marks to move up to a tie for 15th. Also vying for a spot in the pole vault is Favor on the men's side. He is currently ranked 23rd with a 17-6.50. He would need an improvement of almost three inches (17-9.25) to move into 16th- place and the last spot. Buchanan's 7.32 in the 60-meter dash ranks 25th in the nation, and is .03 seconds away from creating a four-way tie at the 14th spot.
The Sooners of 2017 have shown the ability to perform well as the big meets and the Big 12 Indoor meets that description. The opportunity is there and anyone could have a breakout performance and catapult into the top 16 with one quality run, throw, sprint, or jump at Big 12s, leaving the door open and providing a tremendous opportunity for OU student-athletes.
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