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Tierra Signs with Texas A&M University
 Saturday, November 11, 2017 
Nearing the final year of a near-historic track career at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, Tierra Robinson-Jones (Ile Omode class of 2014), a 400 meter specialist, signed a full track scholarship with Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
The Oakland native has been running track since she was just 7 years old, running with Jamal Cook's C.A. Track Club, and then joining her coach at Bishop O'Dowd, where she became the school's most accomplished long sprinter. She broke her own school record while competing for O'Dowd at the CIF State Track and Field Championship in June, 2017 while earning a silver medal, as well as helping her 4x400 meter relay team to the state championship.
Tierra is the, "greatest female athlete", Coach Cooks has worked with in his career, and her successes validates his statement. While still only a junior, she finished the 2017 season with the 13th fastest time in the nation, and is the second fastest long sprinter in California. She is the #3 highest ranked student-athlete among the 2017-18 recruiting class among 400 meter runners.
Her accomplishments did not go unnoticed and at the conclusion of the track season she had no shortage of suitors, including track heavyweights, Arkansas, Purdue, Oklahoma, and Oregon. However, after receiving visits at her home, and taking several official campus visits she was immediately attracted to the University of Texas A&M, although it wasn't an easy decision.
Tierra strongly considered the University of Arkansas, and after a home visit by the coach she knew it was going to be "a tough decision". She also had an exciting time during her trip to Purdue University, whose coach is good friends with Coach Cooks - they were classmates at Berkeley and coached together briefly. But her visit to Texas A&M quickly sealed the deal for her.
She quickly identified with Texas A&M's program and coach. Texas A&M's coach, Vince Anderson, is considered to be one of the top sprint coaches in the country, and under his leadership the track program has won 4 of the past 9 NCAA championships.
Cooks believes the school's focus, "on strong academics, and an expansive alumni network", will serve Tierra well. The O'Dowd senior plans to major in business, and felt very positive about the college's Mays Business School, which is one of the top ranked business programs in the nation.
Tierra has received tremendous support from her parents, Frank and Karla, and Tierra is their second child to receive a full track scholarship. Their oldest child, Kris, competes in the hurdles for Sacramento State. Since she wanted to remain in California there was less travel required to visit schools. However, Tierra's list was broader, and this necessitated, "a lot more traveling from state to state", according to Karla.
The family spent a weekend in College Station, and Fayetteville, Arkansas (University of Arkansas), and Tierra visited West Lafayette, Indiana (University of Purdue). But ultimately, the family felt at home with Texas A&M; they enjoyed the team's family friendly attitude, and the school's resources. For Karla, Texas A&M's strength included, "the student study center geared for student athletes, one on one tutoring for all subjects, [and] the nutrition center also geared for all student athletes".
Karla also felt at ease at College Station, as it's geared to support the city's large student population, and Tierra is ready "to go and move into my apartment already". She says she, "feels anxious to move on and experience college track", but she does have some unfinished business.
She is now set on focusing on her senior year, and making a run for the top spot on the podium at next year's state championship, as well as breaking the school record for a 4th consecutive year. Her coach is hoping for his team to take a shot at the team title, and Tierra is probably the only person on the team who wants is more than him.
Congratulations to Texas A&M's news signee.
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