By T. Scott Boatright
Natural champions always want more.
University of Oklahoma jump specialist BJ Green is pleased after being named a second-team All-American following last weekend’s performance at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
But for Green, a true freshman at OU who won numerous state titles as a long jumper, triple jumper and relay team member at Ruston High School, he still wants more.
Green, who earned second-team All-American accolades in both the long jump and triple jump after last weekend’s NCAA Championships, said Wednesday that he’s only getting started.
His college bests as a freshman were a 23-0 mark in the long jump and a 52-8.25 in the triple jump.
“It was a fun year with a lot of ups and downs,” Green said. “There were a lot of ups and downs as the year went on, but I’m pretty happy with the way it all ended.
“But it was a different kind of year for me. This was the first year I actually went through fall training for track. So that took adjusting. And just getting used to the (track) surface took a lot of adjusting. It’s a different surface that at first took a lot of toll on my body and my mentality, so it took some time to get adjusted to.”
The level of competition also took some adjusting.
“At this level, everybody’s talented, everybody’s good, so it’s not just me at the top of the crop,” Green said. “I was going up regularly against some of the best in the world.
“Competitively, it challenged me every meet knowing I was going up against the best so I had to be at my best.”
That competition didn’t only come against other colleges and universities. Green also faced almost daily competition from three triple jumpers and five long jumpers on the OU Men’s Track and Field roster.
“Practice is always competitive, we’re always going at each other and pushing each other to get better,” Green said. “That was actually a positive – having training partners to help me get better as opposed to Ruston (High), where on the jump side it was just me.”
Green, who turned in first-place showings in the triple jump at the Island Relays in March and the Kansas Winter Invitational in December, said the culture shock after moving to Norman, Oklahoma, wasn’t as big as he expected, probably because he grew up in a college town here in Ruston.
“It was a lot the same – it’s a college town and everybody’s friendly and things like that,” Green said. “It’s a fun atmosphere to be in. I felt welcomed as soon as I got there, so there wasn’t much adjusting to get used to.”
Green, an electrical engineering major, said he feels good about the way he adjusted to classes on the college level.
“I finished the first year with As and Bs – with a 3.7 grade point average,” Green said.
Green said he’s going to rest for a bit before returning to Ruston in a couple of weeks.
“I’m going to be working this summer,” Green said. “I’m not sure just doing what yet, but I’m going to find something where I can pick up a little money.”
Green already feels good about heading into Year 2 as an OU track standout.
“That year of experience will most definitely help,” Green said. “I know how things go now and I think next season I’ll be able to get into a groove early on. I know how to navigate through the season now, where this past year I was kind of getting my feet wet learning the ends and outs of everything.
“I’m proud of the way this season went. But I have a lot more left in the tank. I know there’s a lot more left I can do. So I’m just going to keep on working to get better.”
