Tia Calvin, the Okinawa district high-jump champion and an accomplished sprinter, last month signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent committing to Lipscomb, a Christian university in Nashville, Tenn., competing in the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference.
Calvin, a senior, jumped 4 feet, 9¾ inches last Saturday to wrap up the district high-jump championship. She finished second in the 100 in 12.7 seconds and third in the 200 in 26.77, each personal bests.
“Tia brings a great work ethic and we feel like she has a great upside,” said Marcus Evans, the Bison’s assistant track and field coach for sprints and hurdles. “Coming from a military family, she has absorbed hard work and determination. She is a great student and she will add a lot to our team.”
Calvin’s father, Duane, is a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant who was assigned to Camp Kinser while on active duty; he is now the family life pastor at Koza Baptist Church, near Kadena Air Base. Calvin’s mother, Latasha, is OCSI’s secondary-school principal.