Keturah Orji
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 5, 1996 Hoboken, New Jersey |
| Residence | Mount Olive Township, New Jersey |
| Education |
Mount Olive High School (2014) University of Georgia |
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Triple jump |
| College team | Georgia Bulldogs[1] |
Keturah Orji (born March 5, 1996) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the triple jump.[2] Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Orji grew up in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey and graduated from Mount Olive High School in 2014.[3]
Career
Keturah Orji triple jumped 14.71 m (48 ft 3 in) American record at Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's triple jump to place fourth.
Orji joined Team USA teammate Andrea Geubelle as the only two with 2016 Olympic Standard at 2016 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) and will represent 
United States at Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and in the fifth round the pair were joined by Christina Epps who jumped the 2016 Olympic Standard to form a trio for Rio.[4]
She represented her country at the 2016 World Indoor Championships finishing fourth. She set the American record at 14.53 m (47 ft 8 in) while winning the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Orji set the triple jump American Junior record at 14.15 m (46 ft 5 in) while winning the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the United States | |||||
| 2013 | World Youth Championships | Donetsk, Ukraine | 2nd | Long jump | 6.39 m (20 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| 3rd | Triple jump | 13.69 m (44 ft 10 3⁄4 in) | |||
| 2014 | World Junior Championships | Eugene, United States | 9th | Triple jump | 13.29 m (43 ft 7 in) |
| 2016 | World Indoor Championships | Portland, United States | 4th | Triple jump | 14.14 m (46 ft 4 1⁄2 in) |
| Summer Olympics | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 4th | Triple jump | 14.71 m (48 ft 3 in) | |
Personal bests
Outdoor
- Long jump – 6.63 m (21 ft 9 in) (+1.0 m/s, Athens, Georgia 2015)
- Triple jump – 14.71 m (48 ft 3 in) (+0.0 m/s, Rio de Janeiro 2016) American Record
Indoor
- Long jump – 6.51 m (21 ft 4 1⁄4 in) (Fayetteville, Arkansas 2016)
- Triple jump – 14.14 m (46 ft 4 1⁄2 in) (Portland, Oregon 2016)[5]
NCAA
Orji won fan vote for 2015-2016 Bowerman Award.[6] The Bowerman award is collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor.
Orji won 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships triple jump and placed 6th in long jump.
Orji has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year in 2015-2016.[7]
Orji was named the 2016 Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as the SEC Field Athlete of the Year.[8]
Orji won 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships triple jump setting an american junior record and placed 7th in long jump.
Prep
Orji is a 2014 gradate of Mount Olive High School (New Jersey) in Flanders.[9]
Orji had a high school personal best triple jump of 44 feet 11 inches[10][11]
Orji defended her New Jersey Meet of Champions Triple jump crown, set a New Jersey state record with a 42-6 1/2 and improved on the Morris County long jump record of 20-2 in 2013.[12]
Orji won the 2013-2014 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association girls track and field Gatorade Player of the Year awards.[13]
Orji credits doing gymnastics when she was young for part of her early success. In 2010, Orji was a level 8 gymnast at Giant Gymnastics, Inc. in Hackettstown, New Jersey.[14] At the 2010 New Jersey state championships, she performed the All-Around (Vault, Bars, Beam and Floor). Orji wanted to become an Olympic gymnast as a youth.[15]
References
- 1 2 College team bio
- ↑ Keturah Orji profile at IAAF
- ↑ Keturah Orji, United States Olympic Committee. Accessed August 9, 2016. "Birthplace: Hoboken, N.J.; Hometown: Mount Olive, N.J.; High School: Mount Olive High School (Mount Olive, N.J.) '14"
- ↑ "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field". usatf.org. July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "University of Georgia Bulldog Keturah Orji track and field results reporting profile". tfrrs.org. July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Lawson & Orji Win 2016 Fan Vote For The Bowerman Award". ustfccca.org. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "KETURAH ORJI NAMED NATIONAL WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR". bulldawgillustrated.com. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "wsbtv.com May 2016 coverage of spring sports in Georgia". wsbtv.com. May 16, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Mount Olive High graduate Keturah Orji smashes American Junior record in the triple jump with US #1 performance". highschoolsports.nj.com. January 24, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Mount Olive High graduate Keturah Orji results". athletic.net. June 24, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Mount Olive High graduate Keturah Orji Personal Records 55m (in) - 7.13 100m - 12.07 200m - 24.67 300m (in) - 41.50 Long Jump (in) - 21-4.25 Long Jump - 21-9 Triple Jump (in) - 46-4.75 Triple Jump - 44-11". nj.milesplit.com. June 24, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Keturah Orji of Mount Olive exceeded her own expectations". usatodayhss.com. June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ "New Jersey Girls Track & Field AOY: Keturah Orji Mount Olive (Flanders, N.J.) senior Keturah Orji was named the Gatorade New Jersey Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year". highschoolsports.nj.com. June 19, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ Keturah Orji, Giant Gymnastics, Inc, My Meet Scores. Accessed August 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Day 7 - The Cool Down - U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 2016 - Interview with Dan O brien and Paul Swangard". usatf.tv. July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
