University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Orji Wins Third Straight USA Title In Professional Debut
June 24, 2018 | Track & Field
DES MOINES, Iowa --- Georgia's Keturah Orji won her third consecutive triple jump title at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, during her professional debut.
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Orji recently became the first female in history to be one of three finalists for three years in a row for The Bowerman, which is collegiate track and field's highest honor given to a male and a female in the sport each year.
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Orji, a native of Mount Olive, N.J., topped a 14-year-old meet record (Tiombe Hurd, 47 feet, 5 inches) and passed a six-year-old facility record (Gana Demydova, 46-7.25) with her third attempt of 47-10.50. This edged her top American rival in the event, Tori Franklin, after Franklin traveled a wind-aided (3.8 meters/second) distance of 47-7.75 on her sixth and final attempt.
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Franklin, who snatched the American record from Orji with a mark of 48-8.25 in May, took an early lead at USAs with an opening try of 47-6.25 compared to Orji's first jump of 47-0.75. Sandwiched between fouls on her second and fourth tries, Orji soared for the winning mark of 47-10.50 with a legal wind of 1.9 m/s.
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This performance came several weeks after Orji swept the triple and long jumps at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships in her final competition for the Lady Bulldogs. Thanks in large part to her 20 points, the Georgia women finished as the meet's runner-up by a single point after capturing the program's first team national championship during this year's indoor campaign.
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Orji completed her UGA career as an eight-time NCAA champion and a 15-time scoring All-American while also setting collegiate records in the event both indoors and outdoors. She recorded the top eight indoor triple jump efforts in NCAA history and owns the top six outdoor triple jump marks in collegiate history.
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Also on the track at USAs, Bulldog junior Kendal Williams ran a 10.00 to take third in the 100-meter dash final. After taking third in the 200m at the NCAA Championships earlier this month to help lead the Georgia men to the team national crown, Williams was fifth in the 100m semifinal round of USAs after crossing the line in 10.02.
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Results and recaps from Georgia track and field can be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.
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Orji recently became the first female in history to be one of three finalists for three years in a row for The Bowerman, which is collegiate track and field's highest honor given to a male and a female in the sport each year.
Â
Orji, a native of Mount Olive, N.J., topped a 14-year-old meet record (Tiombe Hurd, 47 feet, 5 inches) and passed a six-year-old facility record (Gana Demydova, 46-7.25) with her third attempt of 47-10.50. This edged her top American rival in the event, Tori Franklin, after Franklin traveled a wind-aided (3.8 meters/second) distance of 47-7.75 on her sixth and final attempt.
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Franklin, who snatched the American record from Orji with a mark of 48-8.25 in May, took an early lead at USAs with an opening try of 47-6.25 compared to Orji's first jump of 47-0.75. Sandwiched between fouls on her second and fourth tries, Orji soared for the winning mark of 47-10.50 with a legal wind of 1.9 m/s.
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This performance came several weeks after Orji swept the triple and long jumps at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships in her final competition for the Lady Bulldogs. Thanks in large part to her 20 points, the Georgia women finished as the meet's runner-up by a single point after capturing the program's first team national championship during this year's indoor campaign.
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Orji completed her UGA career as an eight-time NCAA champion and a 15-time scoring All-American while also setting collegiate records in the event both indoors and outdoors. She recorded the top eight indoor triple jump efforts in NCAA history and owns the top six outdoor triple jump marks in collegiate history.
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Also on the track at USAs, Bulldog junior Kendal Williams ran a 10.00 to take third in the 100-meter dash final. After taking third in the 200m at the NCAA Championships earlier this month to help lead the Georgia men to the team national crown, Williams was fifth in the 100m semifinal round of USAs after crossing the line in 10.02.
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Results and recaps from Georgia track and field can be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.
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Players Mentioned
Jumps
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Sprints
/ Track & FieldMonday, May 18
Monday, May 18
Monday, May 18
Monday, May 18