EUGENE, Ore. – All season, it has been the goal of Southeastern Louisiana senior Adonson Shallow to claim All-American status. He can accomplish that and win national titles in three events June 9-12 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at historic Hayward Field. Shallow earned spots in the discus, hammer throw and shot put competitions.
Shallow's feat of qualifying for the national meet in those three throwing events was matched by only one other student-athlete. While Shallow did it at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Greensboro, N.C., Arizona State's Justin Lewis pulled off the feat at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Discus comes first at 4 p.m. CDT Wednesday. Shallow gets the day off Thursday, then on Friday at 6 p.m. CDT, he'll take on the nation's best in hammer throw. He'll wrap things up with shot put at 11:40 a.m. CDT Saturday.
“He'll start with discus, his best event,” head coach Sean Brady said. “That'll set the stage. He's excited and ready for the competition. He believes he could win it if things turn in his favor. Our best finish as a team came in 2006, when we finished 40th. We could top that this week with just one guy, which would be pretty incredible.”
Last week, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Shallow the South Central Region Field Athlete of the Year. That honor followed up his Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year award, which he captured after winning league titles in the trio of aforementioned events.
Shallow concluded an amazing month of May by winning the discus event at the regional championship meet. His third of six throws was his best. It traveled 187 feet, 1 inch (57.02 meters), nearly five feet ahead of the second place finisher.
A solid performance in the regional meet's hammer throw competition guaranteed Shallow a spot on the national stage in that event. His best effort sailed 215 feet, 9 inches (65.76 meters), good for fifth place.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines native assured himself a place in the national shot put competition with a third place at the regional meet. He unleashed the best toss of his career, registering a mark of 60 feet, 11.25 inches (18.57 meters).
Shallow is the Southeastern school record holder in all three events, having regularly topped his own marks throughout the season. His top discus throw traveled 196 feet, 1 inch (59.77 meters), at the Northwestern State Invitational. The top hammer throw occurred at the same meet, going 220 feet, 1 inch (67.7 meters). Again, his finest shot put heave came at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Television coverage of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be available on the CBS College Sports Network Friday beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. On Saturday, action shifts to CBS beginning at 12 p.m. CDT.
For live results and streaming video of non-televised events, fans can visit the official website of Southeastern Athletics, lionsports.net.
