Five Sooners Head to NCAA Indoors

NORMAN — Five Sooners are set to compete at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Ala., Friday and Saturday, March 11-12. The two-day championships will be held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

"This is where the rubber meets the road," said head coach Tim Langford. "The conference championship was a great success for us, we had plenty of champions and now we just take the five qualified athletes to the next level. This is the pinnacle of our sport, so this weekend is where we put it all on the line."

Freshman Olivia Lueking, juniors Payden Montana and Mikeisha Welcome, and redshirt seniors Rayvon Allen and Vernon Turner are slated to represent OU.

Allen will get things going for the Sooners in men's long jump at 4 p.m. CT on Friday. Lueking will join him for Friday action in women's pole vault at 6:45 p.m. CT. Turner will kick things off for OU on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in men's high jump. Following later in the evening, Welcome will compete in women's triple jump at 6:45 p.m., while Montana will close OU's time in Alabama in women's shot put at 7 p.m.

Live results can be found on Flash Results. Live stream of the championship meet can be found on ESPN3. Friday's coverage will begin at 10 a.m. CT, Saturday's at 10:30 a.m. CT.

Lueking is set to make her NCAA debut, competing in women's pole vault. The Texas native cleared a 14-6 (4.42m) at the Big 12 Indoor Championships to take the title, placing her tied for seventh in the NCAA. Lueking currently holds the school record in pole vault, a record she has continuously set numerous times this season. The freshman has competed in five meets her first indoor season, taking first each time and consistently holding the top spot in conference.

Montana will represent the Sooners in women's shot put, also making her debut at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She grabbed the title in the conference championships, marking a 56-8 (17.27m). The junior holds a personal best 57-5.75 (17.52m) in the event, making her first in the Big 12, fourth in on OU's all-time top-10 list and tied for ninth in the NCAA. Throughout the season, Montana notched five victories and two second-place finishes.

Welcome became a familiar name in women's triple jump at OU after qualifying for the 2021 NCAA Indoors and claiming seventh with a jump at 43-9.75 (13.35m). She shares the program record with former Sooner Essence Thomas, currently sits at fourth in the Big 12 and is tied for 10th in the nation. Welcome took silver in the Big 12 Indoor Championships, marking a 43-3 (13.18m).

Allen will also be making his NCAA debut in long jump after his personal best and first-place mark of 25-10 (7.87m) at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. He holds the top spot in the conference, shares the second-best jump in program history and is tied for ninth in the NCAA.

Turner isn't a stranger to the NCAA Indoor Championships, after taking fourth in both his 2018 and 2021 run. The redshirt junior holds a personal best 7-7.75 (2.33m) in the event, making him the school-record holder. Turner has collected two victories in the two meets he's competed in the event. He is ranked No. 5 on the NCAA qualifying list and holds the program record at OU.

A top-eight finish in the championships will earn the athletes first-team All-America honors, while ninth through 16^th place will collect them second-team All-America accolades.

NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION
Friday, March 11 – Saturday, March 12
Live Results: Flash Results
Live Stream: ESPN3
Venue: Birmingham CrossPlex, Birmingham, Ala.

UP NEXT
The Sooners will travel to Fort Worth, Texas for their outdoor-season opener at the TCU Invitational on March 18-19.

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NCAA Indoor Championships Schedule
Friday, March 11
4 p.m.	Men's Long Jump - Rayvon Allen
6:45 p.m.	Women's Pole Vault - Olivia Lueking
Saturday, March 12
12:30 p.m.	Men's High Jump - Vernon Turner
6:45 p.m.	Women's Triple Jump - Mikeisha Welcome
7 p.m.	Women's Shot Put - Payden Montana