First-Team All-American Highlights Day One

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – Two Sooners competed on the first day of the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. One brought home a third-place finish and the other set a program record to advance to tomorrow's final. Both will be first-team All-Americans at the conclusion of the weekend with ensured finishes in the top eight of their events.

Jess Woodard took third in the women's shot put final with her best throw measuring 57-0 (17.37 meters). This will be the OU senior's third consecutive season to claim indoor first-team All-America honors and her best finish in the event of her three appearances at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Oklahoma head coach Jim VanHootegem reflected on day one, “It was a great day, both Jess (Woodard) and Ama (Pipi) set the tone for what we talked about going into this weekend.”

“Jess did a good job of just creating. She wasn't having a great day but found a way and that's what the great ones do. She did what she had to do and found the right energy and it resulted in a third-place finish,” said VanHootegem.

Fellow senior Ama Pipi broke the OU program record for the women's indoor 400 meters with a time of 52.07 in the event's fourth and final heat of the evening. Pipi tops Leslie Cole's record of 52.33 seconds that has been the top mark in school history since 2009. The Sooners' senior will compete in the women's 400-meter final tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT.

VanHootegem added, “For Ama that was just fantastic. She's been to this meet a few times before and hasn't advanced to the final, but for her to keep chipping away and get into tomorrow's final is just a testament to how hard of a worker she is. I think she has a great chance tomorrow and I'm extremely proud of her.”

Four other OU entries will begin competition on day two of NCAA Indoors tomorrow afternoon. Freshman Vernon Turner will be the first to compete for the Sooners in the men's high jump scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Senior Ashley Bryant will participate in the women's weight throw at 4:30 p.m. In the men's triple jump at 5 p.m., freshman Papay Glaywulu will represent the Sooners. The final event of the weekend will feature the Sooners' women's relay team in the women's 4x400-meter relay slated for 6:55 p.m. Saturday evening.

Live results will be available through Flash Results. ESPN3 will be broadcasting the events Saturday, with coverage to start at 4 p.m. CT. At 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 11, ESPN2 will have a tape-delayed broadcast of the championships.

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