Sophia Beckmon of Oregon City qualifies for U-20 World Championships — but won't be allowed to compete in Colombia: ‘I’m angry and upset’

“I make goals for every meet. This time, it was to go 21 (feet) or make the team, and I did it.”

By René Ferrán

Sophia Beckmon, a rising senior at Oregon City, completed her second-place finish in the long jump Friday at the U.S. Under-20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, with her opening jump of 20 feet, 0½ inch, holding up through six rounds of competition to nab the second automatic berth to the U-20 World Championships in Cali, Colombia, in early August.

“I make goals for every meet,” Beckmon said. “This time, it was to go 21 (feet) or make the team, and I did it.”

However, that dream turned into a nightmare later in the day when she learned that because she doesn’t have a passport, she had to give up her spot on the world team.

“They said I have until tomorrow (to get one), but that’s impossible,” she said in a text late Friday. “If I’m being completely honest, I’m angry and upset.”