University of Minnesota Athletics
Warm-Up Lap: Q&A with Nayoka Clunis
1/31/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gopher women's track & field team has 19 newcomers on this season's roster, 12 true freshmen and seven transfers. Among the tranfers is junior Nayoka Clunis, who came to the University of Minnesota after beginning her collegiate career at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan., where she was the 2017 NJCAA discus national champion and an 11-time national place winner at the NJCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships during her two years competing for Cloud County.
Clunis has already made her mark as a Gopher. In just four meets competing in uniform, Clunis has moved into third in the shot put (53-03.50, 16.24m) and fifth in the weight throw (67-04.75, 20.54m) among all-time Minnesota throwers. She has set lifetime-best marks in both throwing events and still has plenty of potential for more.
Before Clunis and the Gophers compete on the road at the Michigan Power Five Invitational this weekend, get to know Clunis on and off the track.
Name: Nayoka Clunis
Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica
Major: Business & Marketing Education
Favorite class at the U: AMST 2031
Best place to study on campus: 5th floor computer lab
Career goals: Business manager or entrepreneur
Favorite indoor event: weight throw
Favorite outdoor event: discus/ hammer
Favorite motivational quote: "The pains that you've been feeling, can't compare to the joy that's coming." Romans 8:18
If you could play another sport at the U, it would be: Volleyball
Dream vacation: Dubai or Australia
Favorite animal: Panda
Pre-meet ritual or routine: Eat something Jamaican the day of competition.
Advice for a young athlete: Never let fear stop you from being the best version of yourself. You'll never know how great you can be without change.
Name one word that describes you: Resilient
Favorite Netflix series: Too much to be named, but Switched at Birth, New Girl, Reign, all Marvel series, and 13 Reasons Why
Biggest pet peeve: Bad makeup
Name one food you could never give up: Stew peas with pigtail and steam fish
What actress would play you in a movie: Gabriel Union Wade
Favorite thing to do in your spare time: Listen to music and watch throws videos of the greats.
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Players Mentioned
