Okorie To Compete at Pan Am Junior Championships

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Rising sophomore Ariel Okorie will represent the United States in the heptathlon at the upcoming Pan American Junior Championships to be held July 21-23 in Trujillo, Peru.

The Waynesville, Missouri native earned the opportunity to compete in the Pan Am Junior Championships by winning the heptathlon at the U.S. Track and Field Junior Outdoor Championship June 22-23 in Sacramento, California. The soon-to-be sophomore totaled a season-best score of 5,266 points.

Okorie is part of an 85-athlete roster composed of the best and brightest on the track and field circuit under the age of 20 years old, including those from the high school and college levels.

Okorie’s competition in the heptathlon will get started on Saturday with the 100 meters at 8:55 am CT followed by the high jump at 9:35 am CT, the shot put at 11:05 am CT and the 200 meters at 12:55 pm CT. Action will conclude on Sunday with the long jump at 10 am CT, the javelin at 11:30 am CT and the 800 meters at 12:45 pm CT.

A member of the Big 12 Championship-winning women’s team, Okorie won the U.S. Junior Championship by holding off Code Black Elite’s Tierra Crockrell by 117 points at Hornet Stadium. Sitting in second place after day one with 3,182 points, Okorie earned the title with Top 3 finishes in each of the last three events – long jump, javelin throw and 800 meters. In all, she finished first or second in four of the seven events, including event-bests in the high jump and long jump. She set a season-high with a toss of 34-91 (10.64m) in the shot put.

The 5,266 points were a season-best for Okorie in the heptathlon, eclipsing her previous high of 5,251 points tallied in finishing third at the Big 12 Championship on May 13.

For the latest on K-State track and field, follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter using the hashtag #KStateTF or on the team’s Facebook page.

Kansas State University Athletics

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