KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andrea Norris came up one-third of a meter shy of the Olympic final in the triple jump during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
She officially finished in 21st place.
Norris — a native of University Place, Washington, in the Seattle/Tacoma metroplex — was the top-ranked U.S. female triple jumper in 2013 and studied nursing at the University of Kansas, competing under her maiden name Geubelle.
She was the 2013 U.S. outdoor champion in the event, winning silver in the triple jump and bronze in the long jump a year later.
Norris won two more bronze medals at the 2016 U.S. indoor nationals (long jump) and 2017 outdoor nationals (triple jump), adding another silver in the triple jump at the 2018 indoor nationals.
Before she was an Olympian and national champion, Norris was a three-time NCAA champion and 11-time All-American in the long jump and triple jump during her Jayhawks career.
As a freshman, Norris earned her first All-America honor, placing eighth in the long jump during the 2010 NCAA outdoor championships. She also placed 11th in the triple jump.
During her sophomore season, Geubelle finished eighth in the triple jump during both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, but her breakthrough was coming.
She won the 2012 NCAA indoor title in the triple jump (44 feet, 10 1/4 inches), finishing eighth in the long jump.
During outdoor season, Geubelle was third in the long jump, after a protest erased her best jump, and sixth in the long jump.
At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Geubelle won a bronze medal in the triple jump, but failed to make the Olympic qualifying standard by a centimeter and didn’t get to compete at the London Games.
She also placed 11th in the long jump.
As a senior at KU in 2013, Geubelle peaked, repeating as the NCAA indoor champion in the triple jump (46-6 1/4) and doubling up with a title in the long jump (21-6).
She finished second in both events during the 2013 NCAA outdoor championships before turning pro.
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