During her undergraduate years at Coppin State University, Christina Epps competed for several NCAA triple-jump championships. But in the next month, Epps will be battling for a much bigger prize.
On July 7, Epps, 25, became the first athlete in Coppin State history to earn a spot on the United States Olympic Team. Epps' 14.17-meter leap at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., clinched second place at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. The native of Morristown, N.J., will be one of three U.S. triple jumpers traveling to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, along with Keturah Orji and Andrea Geubelle.
"Prior to the trials, I did a lot of mental preparation," said Epps, a 2014 Coppin State graduate who serves as an academic advisor in Coppin State's athletic department. "I had to get into a championship frame of mind. When I got to Eugene, my body was ready, and I just had to perform."
