Clemson’s Gisele Oliviera Claims NCAA Crown In The Triple Jump

March 12, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Clemson women’s track and field standout Gisele Oliveira claimed her first national crown, winning the NCAA indoor triple jump competition on Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Complex. The senior from Porto Alegre, Brazil, captured the national championship with a career-best mark of 45’1.75″. Oliveira is the first Lady Tiger to win a NCAA title in an indoor field event, and only the third Lady Tiger to win any indoor National Championship. Her winning mark set the Clemson record and the Brazilian indoor national record, and she became only the third women’s student-athlete from the ACC to win an indoor triple jump NCAA Championship.

Oliveira said, “I am so excited. I am thankful to Coach Marcia for all the hard work and coaching she has given me. This is what we have worked for.”

“It paid off to stick to our plan to only train in the triple jump indoor this year,” said Clemson head coach Marcia Noad. “After four years of battling injury indoor, all I can say is patience is a virtue. I would not trade this moment for anything.”

Oliveira claimed the fourth national championship for the Lady Tigers under Noad, who is in her fifth year at Clemson. Cydonie Mothersill won the 200m indoor and was part of the Lady Tigers’ NCAA Championship 4x400m relay team outdoor in 2001. Jamine Moton won the 2002 NCAA Championship in the hammer throw in 2002.

Also in action on Saturday, the Lady Tigers’ 4x400m relay team of Silja Ulfarsdottir, Jessica Cousins, Randi Hinton placed ninth with a time of 3:36.14.