NEW ORLEANS – After two weeks off from competition, Dillard is set to compete in four events at the 2018 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, May 24-26, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Competition for the three-day meet at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium begins Thursday with the men’s decathlon at 10 a.m. CT. Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Bleu Devils compete in two events Thursday beginning with the trials of the 4×100-meter relay at 3 p.m. CT, followed by sophomore Darrien Shepherd in the opening round of the 200-meter dash at 5:05 p.m.
Shepherd will be the only Bleu Devil competing Friday as the sprinter is slated to start the first round of the 100m at 3:10 p.m.
Jovan Roaches-Lambey is scheduled to compete in the triple jump final Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Los Angeles native won both the long and triple jump titles at the 2018 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in April.
The 4x100m relay final is Saturday at 2:50 p.m., with the 100m and 200m finals scheduled for 4 p.m. and 5:20 p.m., respectively.
BLEU DEVIL QUALIFIERS
Darrien Shepherd | Winnfield, La. | Sophomore | 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Shepherd will continue his impressive sophomore campaign after running personal bests in both the 100m (10.63) and 200m (21.29) this season. He will compete in three events and has the Bleu Devils highest seed at 11th in the 200m. Shepherd is seeded 24th in the 100m and is also a member of the 4x100m relay, which is seeded 22nd.
Jovan Roaches-Lambey | Los Angeles, Calif. | Sophomore | Triple Jump
Roaches-Lambey stellar sophomore season continues after claiming both the long and triple jump titles on the final day of the conference outdoor championships. However, the Los Angeles native will only compete in the triple jump and is seeded 30th with a personal-best mark of 46 feet, 10 ¾ inches (14.29 meters).
Deshawn Odom | Mobile, Ala. | Sophomore | 4x100m
Odom is a member of the Bleu Devils 4x100m relay and has played an instrumental part this season in helping the quartet qualify for the national championships. He was the leadoff leg on the Bleu Devils third-place team that ran a season-best time of 41.70 seconds at the conference outdoor championships.
Eliott Cleveland | Houston, Texas | Senior | 4x100m
Cleveland is one of two seniors that will make the trip to nationals as a member of the 4x100m relay. The Houston, Texas native ran a season-best 10.98 earlier this season and was a member of the relay that placed 17th at last year’s national championship.
Tyrone Barrow | New Orleans, La. | Sophomore | 4x100m
For the second consecutive year, Barrow will run at the national championship meet as a member of the 4x100m relay. The New Orleans native is looking to help the Bleu Devils advance to the final this year after placing 17th last year with a time of 42.17. Barrow ran the second leg on the Bleu Devils third-place team that ran a season-best time of 41.70 at the conference outdoor championships in April.
Stephano Flowers | Terry, Miss. | Senior | 4x100m
Flowers is the third Bleu Devil who will be making a return trip to nationals as a member of the 4x100m relay. The senior sprinter has been consistent for the Bleu Devils anchoring the relay to a third-place finish in a time of 41.70 seconds at the conference outdoor championships. Flowers has the second-fastest 100m time on the team after running a personal best 10.69 at the South Alabama Invitational in April.
Courtesy: DU Athletics
