Sooners Qualify Four to NCAA Indoors

NORMAN— The University of Oklahoma men's and women's track and field teams qualified four Sooners to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., March 13-14.

Freshmen Mikeisha Welcome and Lavinja Jurgens will join sophomore Kristo Simulask and junior Essence Thomas in the two-day meet. The four squad members were ranked among the top 16 nationally in their respective events.

Simulask will make his second appearance in the championships, competing in the men's heptathlon. Last year, the sophomore finished NCAA Indoors with second-team honors. The Haapsalu, Estonia, native downed the men's heptathlon school record last weekend with 5,691 points, claiming second place at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Ames, Iowa. His mark is good for 11^th best in the nation on the season.

Thomas will compete in both the long jump and triple jump after capping the indoor regular season with two Big 12 Athlete of the Week accolades, seven individual titles and a school record. Four of the junior's individual titles came in long jump, while the remaining three came in triple jump. The Texas native broke the school record in the triple jump at the Tyson Invitational, leaping 43-10.5 (13.37m). Her triple jump mark is good for 11^th best nationally, while she holds the 14^th spot in the long jump rankings.

Welcome is set to compete in the women's triple jump. The freshman recorded her personal-best 43-9.75 (13.35m) mark at the Sooners first indoor meet of the season, breaking the then-school record. The Toronto, Canada, native holds the No. 2 spot on OU's all-time performance list, and No. 12 spot in the national rankings.

Freshman Jurgens posted her qualifying mark at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. The freshman cleared 5-11.5 (1.82m) in the event, claiming the Big 12 title. Jurgens' qualifying mark puts her in a tie for sixth nationally heading into NCAA Indoors.

The meet wraps up indoor season for the OU men's and women's teams. The squads will transition to outdoor season, beginning March 20-21, at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

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