Jasmine Brown to Compete for NCAA Triple Jump Crown

The triple jump is set to begin Saturday (June 13) at 4 p.m. (CT) in Eugene, Ore.

MACOMB, Ill. - On Saturday, June 13 at 4 p.m. (CT) Jasmine Brown will become the first person in Western Illinois history to contend for a triple jump title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Oregon in Eugene.

The sophomore's road to the championship has been paved with the familiar cobblestones of hard work and dedication, combined with some first place finishes and program records along the way. However, according to head coach Mike Stevenson, it is lofty goals and a strong work ethic that have put Brown where she is today.

"There is no question about Jasmine's drive to succeed. She had set some lofty goals for herself early in the season and has surpassed every single one," said coach Stevenson. "She already has goals and plans for next year. When you add that to a strong work ethic you wind up with a successful student-athlete."

For the program record holder in the outdoor triple and long jumps, her accomplishments signify one simple thing.

"It means that all of my work throughout the season has paid off," stated Brown.

Following months of training, lifting, and practicing at Hanson Field and in East Arena at Western Hall, Brown began her journey to Eugene on December 5 at the EIU Early Bird Opener indoor track and field meet in Charleston, Illinois. The DeKalb, Illinois native finished fifth in the long jump (5.37 meters) and second in the triple jump (11.92 meters). Over the next two weeks she swept first place in the long and triple jump events, and by the end of the indoor season had increased her personal record in both events by almost two feet.

After taking home The Summit League Indoor Track and Field title in the triple jump, WIU's top jumper looked to the outdoor season. She opened her spring on the weekend of April 3-4 at the EIU Big Blue Classic, again in Charleston, Illinois. A third-place finished in the long jump and second-place finish in the triple jump, marked one of Brown's lowest performances of the season, but opened what would prove to be a record-setting campaign.

Under the guidance of coach Stevenson, the sophomore lived out a mantra of getting better each week.

"Out theme through the year was simple," said coach Stevenson. "Try to be better than you were the last time, which will be an awfully tall order for the NCAA Championships. Our other theme that Jasmine and I worked towards regularly was to drive up her average performances, so that even if she had an "off" day she was still successful. I would say she certainly met that objective."

In her next four competitions, Brown finished lower than first place only once. Her lone third-place performance was at the prestigious Drake Relays on April 22 where she out-leapt some of the nations top competitors. At The Summit League Outdoor Championships in Macomb, the defending indoor triple jump champion set a WIU record in the long jump with a leap of 6.08 meters, surpassing a mark dating back to 1982. She claimed a pair of runner-up finishes and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary round in Austin, Texas.

Following a disappointing performance in the long jump at the regional competition, Brown launched herself 13.20 meters in the triple jump for a new Western record, a second place finish at the meet and a berth in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In addition to being the first person to represent WIU at the NCAA meet in the triple jump, the school record-holder is the first female to compete for Western at the outdoor championships since Aubrey Martin and Jennifer Gilson in 2006. Her berth also represents the Leathernecks' first back-to-back championship qualifiers, in the outdoor season, since 1991-92.

A live broadcast of Saturday's events will be available on ESPN3 starting at 3:30 p.m. CT and on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. CT. A full schedule of events can be found HERE or go to NCAA.com, click on track and field and then follow the link for "championships". Fans can also follow Western Illinois track and field on twitter at @W1UXCTF.

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Players Mentioned

Jasmine Brown: JUMPS; Sophomore; Dekalb

Players Mentioned

Jasmine Brown
: Sophomore; Dekalb
: JUMPS