Ross was born on October 29, 2001, in Medford, Oregon, to mother Amanda Krug, a mental health professional.[4][5] She has a twin sister named Jazzlyn.[6]
Ross graduated from North Medford High School in 2020, where she was one of the top throwers in the country.[7][8] She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and where she also competed in shot put and discus for the Oregon Ducks.[9]
Career
Despite the cancelation of her senior season at North Medford High School due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ross embarked on her collegiate career at the University of Oregon, competing in shot put and discus for the Oregon Ducks starting in the 2021 season.[2]
In 2022, Ross placed 5th in shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships with a throw of 17.83 m (58 ft 5+3⁄4 in) and 9th in discus with a throw of 53.84 m (176 ft 7+1⁄2 in).[10]
In April 2024, Ross set a new NCAA record in the women's shot put at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, California, with a throw of 19.71 m (64 ft 7+3⁄4 in), breaking the record set by Adelaide Aquilla in 2022.[12][13] The next month, in May 2024, Ross broke her own NCAA shot put record at the 2024 NCAA Division I West First Rounds, with a throw of 20.01 m (65 ft 7+3⁄4 in).[14] In doing so, she became the first collegiate woman to pass the 20-meter mark in shot put, and just the seventh woman in American history.[15]
In 2024, Ross closed out her collegiate career as the NCAA Division I outdoor champion in shot put, with a throw of 19.57 m (64 ft 2+1⁄4 in), and placed 2nd at the indoor championships, with a throw of 18.47 m (60 ft 7 in).[1]
Ross competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she placed 4th in shot put with a throw of 19.28 m (63 ft 3 in).[1]
Personal life
Ross is currently at work on a master's degree in prevention science at University of Oregon; she hopes to follow in her mother's steps to work in a helping profession in the future.[16]
Growing up, Ross looked up to Olympic gold medal shot putter Michelle Carter, saying, "I love what she does for the throws world, I love what she does for the Black community."[17] Ross got to compete alongside Carter at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Ross' first championships and Carter's last before retiring from competition.[17]
