Sophomore Nataliyah Friar has become one of the elite long jumpers in the nation for the LSU women’s track and field team. She heads into her second outdoor season fresh off a bronze medal at the 2015 indoor NCAA Championships and she is still steadily improving.
Friar has been a versatile athlete for LSU, competing in both the long jump and the triple jump in last weekend’s NCAA Championships. Friar just missed out on the triple jump final, but she said winning the long jump bronze medal was a defining moment in her collegiate career.
Friar entered the competition with the 11th ranked mark in the country.
“It was an amazing experience,” Friar said “I came in as an underdog but I knew I could do better.”
A three-time national champion in high school, Friar was a heralded recruit and made an impact for the Lady Tigers right away. She earned a top-10 finish in the indoor long jump final in 2014, but Friar wanted more.
“I refused to be ninth again,” Friar said. “That really hurt and my goal was definitely to be in the top three this year.”
Prior to her career at Wentzville (Mo.) Holt High School, Friar excelled at multiple sports, including basketball and cross country until eighth grade. Her mother, Danita Evans, played college basketball at Lindenwood University.
Friar said her peers always told her she looked significantly faster than everyone else on the basketball court. Entering high school, she realized her potential and decided to run track exclusively.
“I was beating some high school athletes in the eighth grade,” Friar said. “After that, I knew I wanted to run track.”
Nearing the halfway point of her LSU career, Friar said her goals are getting bigger. This outdoor season, she looks to continue her success in the long and triple jump events.”
According to LSU coach Dennis Shaver, Friar will attempt to qualify for a third event in the outdoor NCAA championships this season. She will work with LSU’s 4×100 relay team.
Shaver said her versatility has been an integral part of her and the team’s success.
“She’s an outstanding athlete and she’s made some significant progress in both the long jump and the triple jump,” Shaver said. “Some of the best jumpers in both events are young athletes, so her career will present many challenges, but we’re looking forward to her improvement in this outdoor season and the next couple of years.”