Thursday, May 22, 2014

Xavier Gold Nuggets in six events at NAIA's national meet

5'-10" Jumper
Senior
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
High School: Byrd High School

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has eight women entered in six events at the 2014 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. The three-day meet will begin Thursday morning at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Ala.
   
NeuLion will offer for a fee approximately 22 hours of live streaming of the meet. Click here for more information.
   
The busiest of the Gold Nuggets will be junior Devinn Rolland, who qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the 400 relay and the long jump. Rolland's 100 time of 11.66 seconds and long jump of 5.91 meters (19 feet, 4¾ inches) rank fourth on the NAIA's season lists.  
   
Rolland runs the second segment on Xavier's relay team, whose best time of 47.42 ranks 12th in the NAIA this season. The other members are freshmen Kailey Williams and sophomores Tramaine Shannon and Chelsea James. Freshmen Kaylee Moore and Katelyn McMorris are the backups.
   
Also competing will be junior Catherine Fakler in the 1,500 — her best time is 4:42.12 — and senior Angelica Alexander, who twice this season has high-jumped 1.68 meters (5-6).
   
Thursday's schedule will include the long jump at 5:30 p.m., plus trials in the 400 relay at 2:30, the 1,500 at 3:20 and the 200 at 4:50. The 100 trials will start at 3:10 p.m. Friday, and the high jump will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday.
   
The Gold Nuggets did not score in any of the five events in which they competed a year ago. Rolland was named All-America as a freshman in 2012 after long-jumping 19-5½ and finishing sixth.
   
The Gold Nuggets are 31st in the most recent NAIA National Team Computer Rankings and were as high as 14th. They spent five consecutive weeks (April 9-May 7) in the top 25.
   
The national meet includes men's competition, but the Gold Rush did not qualify any athletes. This is the first time for Gulf Shores as meet site, and it's the first time since 1999 that the meet is competed in the Deep South.

 



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