Four Sooners Collect All-America Honors

NORMAN — Four University of Oklahoma track and field student-athletes were named 2020 USTFCCCA Indoor All-Americans, the association announced Tuesday.

Lavinja Jurgens (high jump), Kristo Simulask (heptathlon), Essence Thomas (long jump, triple jump) and Mikeisha Welcome (triple jump) collected All-America honors for their performances throughout the 2019-20 indoor track season.

"I'm excited to welcome our indoor national qualifiers now as All-Americans," said OU head coach Tim Langford. "After having the season cut short, this is a great designation to be conferred upon them.

"I'm proud of their efforts and eager to have more athletes in our program follow in their footsteps."

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, the NCAA Division I Track & Field Executive Committee recognized as All-Americans for the 2020 indoor track & field season: all student-athletes listed on the start list for individual events and the four student-athletes per anticipated relay who produced the performance that was declared and accepted into their event (alternates were not recognized). There will not be a distinction of "first-team", "second-team", or "honorable mention" to these recognitions.

The true freshman Jurgens was named Big 12 Women's Outstanding Freshman of the Year for her indoor campaign. The Rettenberg, Germany, native posted her nationals qualifying mark at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, clearing 5-11.5 (1.82m) in the event to claim the Big 12 title. Jurgens' qualifying mark put her in a tie for sixth nationally heading into NCAA Indoors. The All-America nod is the first of Jurgens' career.

Simulask collects his second indoor All-America honor as he was a second-team All-American a year ago in the same event, the heptathlon. The Haapsalu, Estonia, native downed the men's heptathlon school record at the Big 12 Indoor Championships with 5,691 points to claim second place. His mark stood as 11th best in the nation on the season.

Thomas, a 2020 NCAA indoor qualifier in both the long jump and triple jump, receives her second and third All-America distinctions of her career after being named a second-team outdoor All-American in the triple jump in 2019. Thomas capped the 2020 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 the long jump, while the remaining three came in the triple jump. The Galveston, Texas, product broke the school record in the triple jump at the Tyson Invitational, leaping 43-10.5 (13.37m). Her triple jump mark was good for 11th best nationally at season's end, while she held the No. 14 spot in the long jump rankings.

Another true freshman that shined on the big stage, Welcome was set to compete in the women's triple jump at NCAA Indoors and receives her first All-America nod in 2020. 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 native holds the No. 2 spot on OU's all-time performance list, and finished the season No. 12 in the national rankings.

2020 OKLAHOMA USTFCCCA INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS
Name	Event(s)	Year
Lavinja Jurgens	High Jump	Fr.
Kristo Simulask	Heptathlon	So.
Essence Thomas	Long Jump, Triple Jump	Jr.
Mikeisha Welcome	Triple Jump	Fr.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma Track & Field, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Track) and like Oklahoma Track & Field and Cross Country on Facebook.