Whitworth’s Amblessed Okemgbo wins shot put national championship | Track and field

May 22, 2026 Updated Fri., May 22, 2026 at 4:38 p.m.

Whitworth's Amblessed Okemgbo, a Medical Lake graduate, won the Division III championship in the shot put on Friday in La Crosse, Wisc. (Courtesy of Whitworth Athletics)

From staff reports

Amblessed Okemgbo became Whitworth’s first female track and field national champion in 11 years by winning the shot put throw Friday at the NCAA Division III finals in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The senior from Medical Lake popped a best of 47 feet, 6 1-4 inches on her third attempt and saw it hold up ahead of runner-up Jenae Bothe of Washington University. Whitworth teammate Madison Carr of West Valley took sixth at 45-5 3-4, and Kylie Loveless was 11th at 43-7.

Paired with a fourth-place finish in the discus on Thursday, Okemgbo is now a seven-time All-American.

Five Pirates – including 2024 men’s javelin champion Cody Wheeler – are in action Saturday when the meet concludes.

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Whitworth’s Amblessed Okemgbo wins shot put national championship | Track and field

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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