TRACK and FIELD: Keturah Orji and Beatrice Llano Garner SEC Accolades

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TRACK and FIELD: Keturah Orji and Beatrice Llano Garner SEC Accolades

Keturah Orji - Georgia Track and Field (Photo by Cory A. Cole/UGA)
Keturah Orji
Georgia Track and Field
(Photo by Cory A. Cole/UGA)

 
 
Georgia track and field junior Keturah Orji and freshman Beatrice Llano have earned two of the Southeastern Conference’s five, end of the year outdoor awards on the women’s side, according to a league announcement on Wednesday.

 
Orji, a native of Mount Olive, N.J., was named the SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. Llano, a native of Bergen, Norway, garnered SEC Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of Year honors after Orji was recognized for the same award in 2015.
 
 
These announcements come a week before the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin in Eugene, Ore., on June 7 and run through June 10. The sixth-ranked Lady Bulldogs qualified nine individuals (10 entries) in six events for the season finale. The fourth-ranked Georgia men qualified 13 men (11 entries, including two relays) in eight events.
 
 
Orji won her sixth consecutive SEC triple jump title (third straight outdoors) after soaring 45 feet, 9 ¼ inches to top the competition by a foot and three inches. She was the Lady Bulldogs’ top scorer (14 points) by also taking fifth in the long jump with a mark of 21-1.50. Orji leads NCAA by more than a foot and three inches with a top 2017 triple jump effort of 46-11.50, which is the second-longest mark in collegiate history behind her 47-8 NCAA/American record set in 2016. She currently stands seventh on 2017 NCAA long jump list at 21-8.25.
 
 
For the third outdoor campaign in a row, Orji qualified for the Eugene meet in both the triple and long jumps. She opens the NCAA Championships in the long jump at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 8. The four-time NCAA triple jump champion starts in her featured event at 6:40 p.m. on Saturday, June 10.
 
 

Beatrice Llano - Georgia Track and Field (Photo by John Kelley/UGA)
Beatrice Llano
Georgia Track and Field
(Photo by John Kelley/UGA)

 
 
Llano won the SEC hammer throw title with a top effort of 215-0, passing the competition by nearly six feet. She was the only freshman woman to win an individual title. Llano stands fifth nationally after finishing second at the Texas Relays with a mark of 218-4, which is No. 3 on the UGA list and best for the Lady Bulldogs since 2010. She also posted a mark of 218-0 for runner-up honors at the Spec Towns Invitational in Athens.
 
 
Most recently, Llano qualified for her firsts Outdoor Nationals by taking second at the NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, Ky. Llano throws the hammer at the NCAA Championships on Thursday, June 8 at 5 p.m.
 
 
The league also announced its All-SEC First (SEC event winners) and Second Teams (second or third in a SEC event) and its All-Freshman Team (top freshman finisher in an SEC event). The following Georgia team members were included:
 

All-SEC First Team:

 
Denzel Comenentia (shot put, hammer)
Tatiana Gusin (high jump)
Keenon Laine (high jump)
Beatrice Llano (hammer)
Keturah Orji (triple jump)
Devon Williams (decathlon)
 

All-SEC Second Team:

 
Mady Fagan (high jump)
Cejhae Green (100m)
Alex Poursanidis (hammer)
Karl Saluri (decathlon)
Kendell Williams (100m hurdles)
 

All-Freshman Team:

 
Jessica Drop (5000m)
Louisa Grauvogel (heptathlon)
Kate Hall (100m, long jump)
Beatrice Llano (hammer)
 
 
 
 

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