Former Louisville Track and Field Standout Okoro Wins African Championships Title

Chinwe Okoro won the African Championships discus title and took runner-up in the shot put.

 

July 2, 2012

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Former University of Louisville track and field standout Chinwe Okoro captured the discus title this past weekend at the 18th African Senior Athletics Championships in Porto-Novo, Benin Republic.

 

Representing Nigeria, Okoro captured the discus title on her final throw. She moved into third place after her fourth throw (54.53m/178-11) and then won the competition after sending her sixth attempt 56.60m/185-8. In the shot put, she registered a throw of 16.21m/53-2.25 for runner-up honors.

 

In June of 2011, Okoro captured the Nigerian shot put national title at the 65th All Nigeria/Cross River State Athletics Championships at UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria.

 

A Darien, Ill., native, Okoro is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recipient, who graduated with a 3.38 in biology. Recently, she was named the 2011-12 BIG EAST Conference Scholar-Athlete Sports Excellence award recipient for women’s outdoor track. Okoro helped guide the women's team to its fifth-straight outdoor conference title this year, a conference women's team record. Additionally, she won her first individual league crown by capturing the shot put title. She graduated as a three-time outdoor All-American, including first-team honors this year in the shot put.

 

Former letterwinner and two-time national champion Matt Hughes competed this weekend as well, participating in the Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials. Hughes placed second in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase behind a time of 8:47.65. Also competing at the event was current student-athlete, Michelle Theophille. She finished second in the women’s high jump finals after clearing 1.83m/6-0.

 

For all of the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to UofLsports.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack.

 

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For More Information, Contact:

Ira Green, (502) 852-4857

Ira.Green@louisville.edu