It's only her freshman year, but Avery Lewis has already left her mark on the record books. And now she can call herself a national champion.
The star ninth grader that attends Friends' Central leapt 21 feet, 2.5 inches on her last attempt to win the Championship Girls' Long Jump at adidas Indoor Nationals on Saturday in Virginia Beach to win her first national championship of her high school career.
Lewis, who is competing with the North Carolina-based Run U Xpress at nationals, already had the win secured heading into her sixth and final jump. She leapt 20-03.5 on her first attempt before adding a mark of 20-02.5 on her third jump. She wound up being the only girl in the Championship field to surpass the 20-foot mark.
So, she went for it all on her last attempt and it paid off.
Her mark of 21-2.5 is a personal best for Lewis that breaks her own freshmen national class record and Pennsylvania state record. She jumped 20-08 at the VA Showcase -- also held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center -- back on Jan. 17, which originally broke the freshman record and long-standing PA state record.
Lewis' record-setting leap also moves her up to sixth all-time in the U.S. for high schoolers. Tara Davis holds the national high school record with her jump of 21-11 in 2017.
Lewis isn't finished at adidas Indoor Nationals. Earlier in the day on Saturday, she qualified for the semifinals of the Championship 60-meter dash. She went 7.55 for the fifth fastest time overall in the field. The semis are scheduled for 10:10 A.M. on Sunday.
Watch a video of Lewis' record-setting 21-2.5 leap below:
