Three Cypriots in the finals of the US Collegiate Championship
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Three Cypriot athletes will participate in the finals of the United States University Championships (NCAA), which will be held from June 10 to 13, 2026 at "Hayward Field" in Eugene, Oregon.
Valentina Savva (hammer throw), Christiana Hellina (javelin throw) and Iosif Michalis Papa (discus throw) will represent Cypriot athletics in the event. All three have NCAA finals experience.
As reported by KOEAS, the first in the battle will be Savva, silver world champion U20 and bronze European U23, who qualified first from the Western qualifiers and will compete with the goal of a place in the top nine.
The women's hammer throw is the first event on Thursday (11/06), set for 14:30 Oregon time, which will be 30 minutes past midnight Cyprus time, towards dawn Friday (12/06).
A few hours later, at 04:15 in the morning on Friday (12/06), the Greek team will compete, which secured qualification from the East, despite injury problems during the season.
Finally, Papa will compete at 00:15 on Saturday morning (13/06) Cyprus time.
The profiles of the three Cypriot athletes:
VALENTINA SAVVA
Date of birth: 17/05/2005
Event: Hammer throw
Coach: Giorgos Aresti
University: California (Berkeley)
University Nickname: Golden Bears
Individual performance: 70.22m. (18/05/25)
This year's performance: 69.68m. (14/05/26)
This year's NCAA performance ranking: 5th
Previous NCAA Finals: 2025 – 10th place with 66.84m.
COMPETING: 11/06/26 14:30 (Oregon), 12/06/26 00:30 (Cyprus)
CHRISTIANA ELLINA
Date of birth: 18/12/2004
Event: Javelin
Coach: Giorgos Andreou
University: Virginia
College Nickname: Cavaliers
Individual performance: 54.63m. (29/06/24)
This year's performance: 54.41m. (26/03/26)
This year's NCAA performance ranking: 19th
Previous NCAA finals: 2024 – 18th place with 50.31m (with FIU)
COMPETING: 11/06/26 18:15 (Oregon), 12/06/26 04:15 (Cyprus)
IOSIF MICHALIS PAPA
Date of birth: 13/05/2003
Αγώνισμα: Δισκοβολία
Coach: Apostolos Parellis
University: UMBC
University Nickname: Retrievers
Individual performance: 64.14m. (12/04/26)
This year's performance: 64.14m. (12/04/26), at NCAA 59.86m. (20/03/26)
This year's NCAA performance ranking: 19th (with 59.86m)
Previous NCAA Finals: 2025 – 17th with 56.98m
COMPETING: 12/06/26 14:15 (Oregon), 13/06/26 00:15 (Cyprus)
Related items
-
Achilles' Shield: Approval Time – Greek Participation "Locked" at 25%
-
Man Fined €270,000 for abandoning nine kittens in Thessaloniki — €30,000 per animal under Greece's new law
-
Mitsotakis tells Amanpour: Putin must know he cannot win militarily
-
Trump wants to visit Greece, the Patriarch of Jerusalem told Mitsotakis
-
Mother and son stabbed in Aigio – 54-year-old’s partner under questioning over brutal crime
Latest from E.Tsiliopoulos
- Achilles' Shield: Approval Time – Greek Participation "Locked" at 25%
- Man Fined €270,000 for abandoning nine kittens in Thessaloniki — €30,000 per animal under Greece's new law
- Mitsotakis tells Amanpour: Putin must know he cannot win militarily
- Trump wants to visit Greece, the Patriarch of Jerusalem told Mitsotakis
- Mother and son stabbed in Aigio – 54-year-old’s partner under questioning over brutal crime
