For the first time in more than a decade, Park University has a national champion in outdoor track and field.
Freshman Rosjai Curtis captured the NAIA national title in the women’s long jump on Thursday, May 21, at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held at Indiana Wesleyan University. The Overland Park, Kansas, native won the event with a leap of 5.84 meters on her second of six attempts.
Curtis, a graduate of Shawnee Mission North High School, edged out second-place Linnearia Richards (Siena Heights University; 5.83 meters) and third-place Kiana Siefert (Taylor University; 5.82 meters).
The title marks Park’s first outdoor national championship since 2012, when Daniel Tubei won the men’s marathon. Curtis also became the first female national champion from the school since Mikki Massey won the marathon in 2001. She is Park’s first national champion in the long jump and the sixth overall in program history.
Curtis wasn’t done after her long jump victory. She added two more NAIA All-American honors by placing sixth in the triple jump with a mark of 12.15 meters and anchoring the 4x100-meter relay team to a sixth-place finish. She teamed with Hanna Mand, Mya Charles and Alexandria Sherman to post a new school record time of 46.56 seconds.