Jackson Named Finalist for Elite AAI Award

JAckson's Career Awards and Honors
• 2016 and 2017 NCAA Team Champion
• Five-time NCAA First-Team All-American
• NCAA National Floor Exercise Third-Place Finisher (2016)
• Four-time NACGC/W All-American
• Has hit 138 of 142 (97 percent) career routines
• Owns 28 individual titles
• 2015 NCAA Third-Place Finisher Team Member
• 2015 and 2017 Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year
• Six-time All-Big 12 Selection
• Seven-time Big 12 Weekly Award Winner
• Four-time Big 12 Champion Team Member (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• Four-time Big 12 Individual Champion
• Three-time NCAA Regional Champion Team Member (2015, 2016, 2017)
• Two-time NCAA Regional Individual Champion
• Three-time NACGC/W Scholastic All-American
• Three-time Academic All-Big 12

NORMAN —Oklahoma's AJ Jackson has been named one of 10 finalists for the prestigious AAI Award, recognizing the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the country. The honor is voted on by NCAA women's gymnastics head coaches and sponsored by American Athletic, Inc. (AAI).

The AAI Award is considered one of the highest honors given in the sport of women's gymnastics. Jackson is Oklahoma's seventh consecutive finalist for the award, joining Megan Ferguson (2012), Brie Olson (2013), Taylor Spears (2014), Erica Brewer (2015), Haley Scaman (2016) and Chayse Capps (2017).

Jackson is joined by nine additional finalists including Kennedy Baker (Florida), Brianna Brown (Michigan), Dani Dessaints (Oregon State), Cami Drouin-Allaire (George Washington), Myia Hambrick (LSU), Alex McMurtry (Florida), Christine Peng-Peng Lee (UCLA), Elizabeth Price (Stanford), Kiana Winston (Alabama).

“AJ is a go-getter in every sense of the word,” head coach K.J. Kindler said. “In conditioning, she rules the roost. In practice she emits amazing confidence that raises her teammates to another level. In competition, she leads with energy, enthusiasm and pride for OU. Her disciplined nature and ability to have incredible tunnel vision on her goals have inspired our team. Her signature 'chalk blow' caught the attention of the country (and subsequently led to the 'outlawing of chalk' during floor performances). Her charisma is obvious and her soft heart unexpected. She will be greatly missed by the OU program.”

A member of OU's teams that claimed back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017, Jackson has been an integral part of OU's success. In 2016, she had the clinching performance on floor in the No. 5 spot to give OU its second national title. During her OU career, the Sooners have secured an NCAA top-three finish each year, earned three consecutive NCAA Regional titles and four straight Big 12 Conference Championships.

Jackson is 100% participation, having competed in every single meet during her career. She boasts a hit percentage of 97.2, nailing 138 of her 142 routines performed thus far. As a junior, she hit 100 percent of her routines. Though typically an event specialist, excelling on vault and floor, she competed bars at every meet in 2016 and in nine meets this season. Jackson has competed in the all-around when needed, posting a career high of 39.500 twice.

The list of Jackson's individual accolades is extensive. The 2015 and 2017 Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year, Jackson has snagged five NCAA All-America honors, and has an additional four NACGC/W awards. She finished on the podium in 2016, securing third place nationally on floor. She has finished in the top 10 nationally twice, adding a sixth-place finish on vault to her resume in 2015.

The Belton, Mo. ,native has 28 event titles to her name. In her career, she has earned seven Big 12 weekly awards, has been named All-Big 12 six times and owns four individual Big 12 titles. She has also claimed two first-place finishes at NCAA Regionals. As a junior, she received OU Gymnastics' “Most Consistent” honor after hitting 100 percent of all her routines that season.

Jackson is set to graduate from OU in May with a Bachelor of Science as an arts & sciences planned program major. She is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection.

The No. 1 overall seed Sooners will next compete at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional, where they will face No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Denver, Minnesota, Iowa State and Iowa on Saturday, April 7. The regional is set to begin at 4 p.m. CT inside Maturi Pavilion. Tickets are available for purchase online.