Tia Brooks hadn’t always planned on throwing shot put in college.

In fact, if the Grand Rapids, Mich., native had her druthers back in high school, she’d still be running sprints.

Before coming to OU, Brooks ran the 100-meter dash, the 4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays at East Kentwood High School, as well as reluctantly throwing shot.

“I didn’t want to be a thrower,” Brooks said. “It wasn’t on my list of things to do.”

Since arriving on campus, she has embraced throwing shot and become a marquee name as one of the premiere throwers in the nation.

In 2010 — her freshman year at OU — she was an All-Big 12 selection during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, as well as an Indoor All-American.

Last year, she proved to be immune to the sophomore slump, following her stellar freshman season with back-to-back All-Big 12 and All-American selections, a Big 12 Indoor Championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships — something that is sure to be bulletin board material for Brooks this season.

“To me [second place] is the worst place, but [NCAA champion Julie Labonte] was just the better competitor on the day,” Brooks said. “Everyone strives to have an NCAA title, so I’m hoping to get a couple before I leave here.”

At the J.D. Martin Invitational, Brooks raised the bar once more with an NCAA season’s-best throw of 18.49 meters. The throw is the 13th-best in NCAA history, and Brooks was named the Big 12 Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career as a result.

“It feels good,” Brooks said. “Out of all the track and field athletes [in the Big 12], to be named the best woman of the week is an honor. It’s a good feeling.”

In addition to setting an OU school record, the throw qualified Brooks for the NCAA Indoor Championships and met the Olympic “A” standard, which automatically qualifies her for the Olympic Trials in June.

“I mean, of course everyone wants to go to the Olympics, but I’m just trying to take everything one day at a time and gear up for the Big 12 Indoor [Championships],” Brooks said. “But of course, I want to take my ability to the next level. I just want to be the best I can be.”

Although many members of the team have the advantage of attending school in their home state, Brooks doesn’t have the luxury of competing in her own backyard.

Hailing from Michigan, Brooks has been affected by the culture shock of traveling nearly 1,000 miles across the country to go to school, but she says the experience has been positive.

“I’d always heard about ‘southern hospitality,’ but just coming here and feeling all the love from everybody — it’s definitely different than Michigan,” Brooks said. “People here are so friendly and nice; they smile, and they wave, and they ask me if I play basketball or if I’m on a sports team. It’s the true meaning of ‘southern hospitality.’”

After such a successful start to the season, some athletes might find it difficult to stay motivated, but Brooks continues to press on, always looking to improve her game.

“The first thing I did after the meet was go home and review my film,” Brooks said. “There’s still a lot of technical stuff I need to work on. It’s an Olympic year, so everyone is ready for blood. That just keeps me motivated. I’m only as good as my last throw, and I strive to be the best that I can be — to get my technique right, to get stronger, faster — whatever it is.”

With the top throw in the country and an invite to the Olympic tryouts in the bag, Brooks appears to be at the top of her game. In her opinion, though, the junior still has a long way to climb.