Thrower Chinwe Okoro Wins Nigerian National Title
June 24, 2011 | Women's Track and Field
June 24, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville track and field All-American Chinwe Okoro won the Nigerian shot put national title on Thursday at the 65th All Nigeria/Cross River State Athletics Championships at UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria.
On the heels of a personal-best throw, a mark of 16.79m/55-1, Okoro landed a first-place finish in the event. She outpaced the closest competition by 1.79m/5-10.5 to win her first Nigerian national title.
With the win, the Darien, Ill., native solidified a spot to compete at the 2011 All-Africa Games from Sept. 3-18 in Maputo, Mozambique, with a majority of the events taking place at Zimpeto Stadium.
In addition to competing in the shot put at the Nigerian Championships, Okoro also is slated to participate in the discus on Saturday, June 25.
In 2008, Okoro became one of the first female athletes in program history to win a national title at the USA Junior Championships, winning the shot put competition on a throw of 16.06m/53-0.25. Following the win, she advanced to the IAAF Junior World Championships, where she finished 10th in the event.
Okoro capped the 2011 outdoor season with All-America honors in the discus (first team) and the shot put (honorable mention) at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
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