Chapman and Davis Eager to Participate on International Stage

July 10, 2019

RALEIGH – Eager to carry the successes of their debut seasons at NC State to the international stage, rising sophomores Timara Chapman and Jamar Davis of the NC State track and field team will compete at the 2019 Pan Am U20 Championships July 18-21 in Costa Rica.

"I'm excited going into it," Davis said in a recent interview. "I have never competed outside the country and I have never competed with U.S.A. on my uniform. I think that will be a really fun experience."

A 3x All-ACC performer (triple jump/long jump) and 1x All-American (triple jump), Davis will be competing in the triple jump for the United States in Costa Rica. Though he admittedly has never competed outside the country, the experience will be somewhat familiar for the native of Mebane, N.C.

"I think that my freshman season at NC State has prepared me for this," he said. "Triple jump is one of those events where you compete against many international athletes, and I'm used to that high level of competition."

Chapman heads into the U20 Championships having earned one of the most prestigious awards a student-athlete can earn during her freshman season: the coveted ACC Freshman of the Year trophy. The Raleigh native was named the top-performing freshman of the indoor track and field season on March 19.

"That was a big shock," she said. "I was just scrolling through Instagram and thought 'Wait! That's me! What is this??' I was really confused, but it was so cool. I just recently received the trophy, and it is just so unreal. Hopefully I can earn another similar award later in my career."

Chapman qualified for the Pan Am U20 Championships in late June with her strong heptathlon performance at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships in Miramar, Fla. She was outside of qualification position before finishing incredibly strong down the stretch, earning a first-place result in the long jump and second-place marks in the javelin throw and 800m to claim second place overall with 5,383 points.

"I kind of knew that I was going to qualify going into the 800, but I didn't want to go in too cocky," she said. "I just knew I had to run my 8(00) like I was supposed to. I was really excited. I felt a relief come over me. Day one was a struggle, so I was very excited and happy (after day two)."

Though the competition may make for one of the most challenging experiences of his athletic career, Davis is ready to live in the moment.

"I'm going in with the mentality that anyone can win and anyone can do anything," he says. "I've competed against people who are two or three feet worse than me and lost; I've competed against people who are two or three feet better than me and won. It doesn't really matter what you've jumped before; it matters what you jump there."

Both Wolfpack student-athletes are excited to use this opportunity to not only see how they perform on an international stage, but also to gain valuable experience to help further their careers at NC State.

"I think that competing with international athletes—especially in the multis—is a great challenge because they are really good," Chapman said. "This is going to push me and hopefully I can level up to them. I think this is going to give me a drive where I know what I can do and what my full potential is."

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North Carolina State University Athletics

Chapman and Davis Eager to Participate on International Stage

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