MORRISTOWN - The Morris School District and the Town of Morristown will honor United States Olympian and Morristown High School graduate Christina Epps during halftime activities of the Morristown High School homecoming football game against Montclair on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Epps, an Indoor World-Champion triple-jumper, represented the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Jeneiro. Her 46.6-foot triple jump at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., was a personal best and second-longest jump at the Olympic Trials after felow Olympian and Mount Olive High School graduate Keturah Orji.
Epps' jump placed her among the best-of-the-best triple jumpers in the world and sealed her trip to Rio.
At Rio, Epps finished 15th in the qualifying and didn’t reach the final round.
Epps will be welcomed at halftime by the Morristown High School marching band and honored by members of the Morristown Town Council, current students and faculty, family and friends and Morristown Mayor Timothy Dougherty, who will present Epps with the key to the city.
The game will begin at 1 p.m. Halftime ceremonies are expected to begin at about 1:45 p.m. Epps will be on hand afterward to greet community members and sign autographs after the ceremony.
On Friday, the day before the game, Epps will visit several schools to talk with students about setting goals, perseverance, and answer questions abut her Olympic experience and what it took to get from Morristown to Rio.
She will visit Frelinghuysen Middle School in the morning, then Alfred Vail and Alexander Hamilton schools Friday afternoon.
A member of the Morristown High School class of 2009, Epps started her high school athletic career as a star basketball and volleyball player. After considerable encouragement from track Coach Matt Carmel, she switched to track and field events in her junior year. Just one year later, she captured the NJ State Triple Jump championship title.
"Christina is one of the hardest-working students I have ever coached,” said Carmel. “She never quit, not ever. We could not be more proud of what she has accomplished and we look forward to welcoming her home to celebrate her spirit, her determination, and her many remarkable accomplishments.”
After graduating from Morristown High School in 2009, Epps attended Coppin State University in Baltimore, Md., where she competed successfully in track and field events at the national level. While at Coppin State she distinguished herself as a student and athlete, graduating with a degree in psychology and earning six Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles along the way. A NCAA Division 1 athlete, Epps holds the Coppin State indoor and outdoor triple-jump records.
“Christina represented our country and our town on the world stage with tremendous class and dignity,” said Mayor Dougherty. “We hope the entire town will come out to help celebrate and honor our own home town Olympian.”