MARION, Indiana -- Xavier University of Louisiana missed chances to advance and
score points Thursday in the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National
Championships.
On the meet's opening day, the Gold Nuggets did not
qualify for the semifinals of the 400-meter relay or the 200-meter dash. And
Devinn Rolland, an All-America long jumper at this meet as a freshman in 2012,
finished near the back of a field of two dozen athletes.
Xavier's 400
relay team of Chelsea James, Rolland, Tramaine Shannon and SiMon Franklin ranked
20th in the preliminaries in 50.10 seconds and missed qualifying for Saturday's
final by slightly more than two seconds. XU coach Joseph Moses said his team led
early in the race, but a right-hamstring injury to Franklin flared up during
Wednesday workouts and prevented the Nuggets from advancing.
"The medical
team up here did a great job wrapping her leg tight," Moses said. "I told Monee
she didn't have to run, but she wanted to because she's a senior, and this is
her last meet."
Rolland, who reached the NAIA's 200 semifinals a year
ago, did not qualify this time. She ran 25.34 to rank 14th in the preliminaries,
about a third of a second slower than the time she needed to advance.
In
the long jump, Rolland ranked 22nd with a best mark of 16 feet, 10 inches. She
needed 18-7 to qualify for the final, which Oklahoma Baptist freshman Akela
Smith won with a mark of 20-10 on her next-to-last jump in the
final.
Franklin will try to run Friday in the 400
preliminaries.
No Xavier men qualified for the meet.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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