HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana junior Adonson Shallow will be the first male in program history to compete in the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. His invitation became official when the governing body released its participant list Monday night.
Shallow will vie for a national title in the weight throw this weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Shallow's best mark of the season came at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 27. The 68 feet 11.75 inches (21.02 meters) toss gave Shallow the SLC title, a new league record and school record.
“I worked really hard trying to get to nationals,” Shallow said. “I had a little trouble along the way with my technique, but we worked it out, and it all came together at conference.”
14 other student-athletes will compete in the weight throw. Shallow's mark ranks him 12th, with LSU's Walter Henning coming in as the favorite thanks to a heave of 78 feet 1.01 inches (23.8 meters).
The meet begins on Friday morning, but Shallow will have wait until 2 p.m. Saturday for the weight throw. Live video will be available at ESPN360.com, with a tape-delayed broadcast scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, on ESPN2.
“We have some inherent limitations when competing indoors,” head coach Sean Brady said. “Adonson has found a way to overcome those, because he's tremendously gifted.”
Senior Faisal Muhammad hoped to join Shallow in the NCAA weight throw competition, but could not reach a provisional qualifying mark at the LSU Last Chance meet on March 5. Shallow unleashed his best throw of the indoor season, at 62 feet 10.5 inches (19.16 meters). The provisional standard was 63 feet 11.72 inches (19.50 meters).
A pair of Southeastern sprinters entered the LSU Last Chance Meet with their sights set on getting to nationals. Neither was unable to get their times down to the provisional standard of 6.71 seconds in the 60 meter dash. Junior Shannon Grover ran a 6.94 in the preliminary heat, and then a 6.96 in the finals. Senior Andon Mitchell was just behind Grover in both races, crossing the finish line in 6.95 seconds in the prelims, followed by an effort of 6.98 seconds in the finals.
While Shallow attempts to capture an indoor national title in Fayetteville, his teammates will open the outdoor track and field season at the McNeese State Cowboy Relays in Lake Charles Saturday.
