Jatavia Wright joins the APSU Track and Field staff as an assistant coach specializing in jumping events.
Wright’s name has long been synonymous with excellence in jumps in the Ohio Valley Conference; she won four individual OVC titles in her three seasons at SIU Edwardsville, earning 2014 OVC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and multiple school records along the way.
The Miami, Fla., native earned eight OVC medals in the long jump, triple jump and 100m hurdles, even qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminary in the 100m hurdles. But she cemented her legacy with All-American turns in the triple jump in the 2014 indoor and outdoor season, in the process becoming the first woman in SIUE history to compete in the NCAA Division I Championships.
Wright spent her senior season down the road in Bowling Green, Ky., where she earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, focused on communication. She helped the Lady Toppers to a runner-up at the 2015 Conference USA Indoor Championships and a team title at the 2015 C-USA Outdoor games. She again competed at the regional and national level, qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary in the triple jump and the NCAA Championships as part of the 4x100m relay.
During her time at Western Kentucky, Wright became a dual-sport athlete, joining the Western Kentucky softball team as a utility player.
