TORA HARRIS
Event: High Jump
Height: 6-3
Weight: 183
PR: 2.33m/7-7.75 (2006)
Born: September 21, 1978 in College Park, Ga.
Current Residence: Chula Vista, Calif.
High School: South Atlanta (HS) ‘97
College: Princeton ‘02
Coach: Frans Bosch
Agent: Kevin Brown
Club: Shore A.C.
Career Highlights: 2006, 2009 USA Outdoor champion; 2007 USA Indoor
champion; 2002 NCAA Indoor & Outdoor high jump champ; 2001 World University
Games bronze medalist; 7-time Heps champion; 5-time NCAA All-American
Harris won his
second career USA Outdoor title at the 2009 Championships in Eugene, Ore., with
a seasonal best clearance of 2.31m/7 feet 7 inches. Harris set his indoor
personal best in 2009 with a clearance of 2.32m/7-7.25i in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Harris’ highlights in 2007 included his first-ever national indoor title, a win
at the Nike Prefontaine Classic and a fifth-place finish at the World Athletics
Final. He enjoyed his finest season in 2006 highlighted by his win at the AT&T
USA Outdoor Championships, with his personal best winning jump of 2.33m/7-7.75,
the best by an American that season. Harris’ 2005 campaign got off to a
fantastic start in winning his first U.S. national title at the USA Indoor Track
& Field Championships in Boston with a clearance of 2.27m/7-5.25. Harris had an
outstanding season in 2004, placing second at the USA Indoor Championships prior
to making the U.S. Olympic Team with his third-place at the Olympic Trials in
Sacramento. He has made a name for himself as one of the top high jumpers in the
U.S., and in 2002 he earned his first #1 U.S. ranking. The five-time
All-American won his first NCAA title in March 2002 at the NCAA Indoor
Championships with a jump of 2.26m/7-5, and he added the NCAA outdoor title for
good measure. The win came after a successful summer in 2001, when Harris won
the bronze medal at the World University Games in Beijing, China, with a jump
that was just 1 cm off his personal best. Harris was a hit with the locals in
Beijing his mother is Taiwanese and Harris speaks fluent Chinese…while at
Princeton Harris never lost a Heps title, indoors or outdoors.
2008: 9th at Olympic Trials (2.19m/7-2.25)...ranked #9 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 2.30m/7-6.50.
2007: 6th at USA Outdoor Championships (2.21m/7-03.00)…USA Indoor champion (2.29m/7-6)…Nike Prefontaine Classic champion (2.30m/7-6.50)…5th at Moscow (2.31m/7-7)…ranked #10 in world, #2 U.S. by T&FN…best of 2.31m/7-7.
2006: 1st at USA Outdoors (2.33m/7-7.75)…3rd at World Cup (2.24m/7-4.25)…2nd at Shanghai (2.31m/7-7)…ranked #8 in world (#1 U.S.)…best of 2.33m/7-7.75.
2005: 7th at USA Outdoor Champs (2.17m/7-01.50)USA Indoor champ (2.27m/7-5.25)3rd in Bydgoszcz (2.23m/7-3.75)2nd at Shanghai (2.29m/7-6)ranked #6 in U.S. by T&FNbest of 2.29m/7-6.
2004: Tied for 2nd at USA Indoors (2.20m/7-2.5)… 3rd at Olympic Trials (2.27m/7-5.25)…did not qualify for Olympic Games final (2.15m/7-0.5)…ranked #4 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 2.27m/7-5.25.
2003: 3rd at USA Indoors (2.30m/7-6.50)…5th at USA Outdoors (2.22m/7-3.25)…16th in qualifying group at World Outdoors (2.22m/7-3.25)…2nd at Buhl (2.27m/7-5.25)…best of 2.30m/7-6.5…ranked #4 in U.S. by T&FN.
2002: Won NCAA Indoor title with a leap of 2.26m/7-5 …won NCAA Outdoor title (2.25m/7-4.50)…5th at USA Outdoors (2.24m/7-4.25)…won Heps outdoors (2.31m/7-7PR)…1st at Penn Relays (2.30m/7-6.50)…2nd at Nike Prefontaine (2.30m/7-6.5)…5th at Eberstadt (2.30m/7-6.5)…won Heps indoors (7-1.75)…ranked #6 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 2.31m/7-7PR.
2001: World University Games bronze medalist (2.26m/7-5)…4th at USA Outdoor Champs (2.24m/7-4.25)…4th at NCAA Outdoors (2.24m/7-4.25…no-height at NCAA Indoors…won Heps indoors and outdoors …. ranked #5 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 2.27m/7-5.25.
2000: Tied for 7th at Olympic Trials (2.22m/7-3.25)…did not compete collegiately in order to prepare for Olympic Trials …best of 2.25m/7-4.50.
1999: 5th at NCAA Outdoors (7-4.25 school record and PR)…13th at NCAA Indoors (7-1.5)… 1st at Heptagonals indoors (6-11) and outdoors (7-0.5)…1st at IC4As…best of 2.24m/7-4.25.
1998: 7th at NCAA Outdoors…1st at Heptagonals indoors (7-1.5) and outdoors (7-1.75)…1st at IC4A outdoors (7-3 PR), 2nd indoors…best of 2.21m/7-3.