PNG High Jump and Long Jump specialist, Rellie Kaputin, was honoured with a special achievement award last weekend at the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame Annual Awards in Amarillo, Texas.
The award was in recognition of Kaputin becoming the first athlete since 2012 to earn All-American honours in three different events at the same National Championships.
Her 14 points at the 2016 NCAA Division 2 Nationals is the most by any West Texas athlete in school history. She finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 12.83m which broke both the School, and PNG National records.
She also finished sixth in the long and high jump.
Kaputin set a new school record in the long jump with a leap of 6.22m on her fourth attempt. She also earned US Track and Field Coaches Association National honours in all three of those events.
Kaputin was awarded the Bob Noble Award that is given to the Outstanding Female Field Athlete of the Lone Star Conference Championships after winning the long and triple jump and finishing seventh in the high jump.
In accepting the special achievement award Kaputin said she had been working very hard to achieve her goals in all my competitions.
Kaputin was part of PNGs success in the Pacific Games in 2015, and is the current National Record holder in the Women’s Long Jump.
