NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Devinn Rolland ran the NAIA's fastest time of the 2014 outdoor season in the women's 100-meter dash at the Tulane Team Challenge on Saturday.
Rolland, second in the event, ran a career-best 11.83 seconds at Tad Gormley Stadium to qualify automatically for the NAIA National Championships in May.
The Gold Nuggets met A-qualifying marks in four other events and B-qualifying marks in two. The A marks:
• Rolland in the 200 — second place in 24.97 seconds and fourth-fastest in the NAIA this season.
• Hannah Finnegan in the 3,000 steeplechase — second in 11:09.53 and fourth-fastest in the NAIA.
The 400 relay team of Kaylee Moore, Rolland, Kailey Williams and Chelsea James — third in 47.96 and ninth-fastest in the NAIA.
• Angelica Alexander in the high jump — first place in 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 meters). It's the second time in three meets that Alexander reached that best-in-the-NAIA mark.
James was fourth in the 100 in 12.12 for an NAIA B-qualifying mark. Rolland was fifth in the long jump with an NAIA B mark of 18-0½ (5.50 meters) — she reached the A mark in this event in the season opener.
For the XU men, Christopher Kennie, Christopher August and Brent Kitto produced top-7 finishes. Kennie was fifth in the long jump (6.30 meters), August was seventh in the 800 (2:04.74), and Kitto was seventh in the 1,500 (4:12.58).
Next meet for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will be the Pelican Relays on Friday at Baton Rouge, La. Field events will start at 10 a.m., with running events at 3 p.m. Southern University's Roscoe Moore Track at A.W. Mumford Stadium will be the venue.
Here are all the Xavier results from the Tulane Team Challenge:
Women
100: Devinn Rolland, 2nd in 11.83; Chelsea James, 4th in 12.12; Kaylee Moore, 8th in 12.42; Kailey Williams, 12th in 12.76
3,000 Steeplechase: Hannah Finnegan, 2nd in 11:09.53; Reeka Belton, 3rd in 11:41.44
1,600 Relay: Katelyn McMorris, Terri Cunningham, Kailey Williams, Tramaine Shannon, 3rd in 4:14.21
400 Relay: Kaylee Moore, Devinn Rolland, Kailey Williams, Chelsea James, 3rd in 47.96
800: Zahri Jackson, 5th in 2:17.70; Catherine Fakler, 8th in 2:23.29; Hali Yarmush, 15th in 2:35.47
1,500: Zahri Jackson, 4th in 4:45.57; Catherine Fakler, 6th in 4:47.86; Ashley Flournoy, 9th in 5:06.46; Briana Simms, 12th in 5:12.48
400 Hurdles: Chelsea Simpson, 7th in 1:16.20
200: Devinn Rolland, 2nd in 24.97; Tramaine Shannon, 13th in 26.46; Katelyn McMorris, 20th in 27.23
400: Tramaine Shannon, 4th in 58.21
3,000: Briana Simms, 6th in 11:37.31; Hannah Finnegan, 8th in 11:56.15; Reeka Belton, 9th in 12:46.08
High Jump: Angelica Alexander, 1st in 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches)
Long Jump: Devinn Rolland, 5th in 5.50 meters (18 feet, 0½ inch); Katelyn McMorris, 7th in 5.08 meters (16 feet, 8 inches)
Men
800: Christopher August, 7th in 2:04.74
1,500: Brent Kitto, 7th in 4:12.58; Christopher August, 13th in 4:23.63
3,000: Kwame Jackson, 11th in 9:35.74.
Long Jump: Christopher Kennie, 5th in 6.30 meters (20 feet, 8 inches)