Delophont earns Second Team All-American honors in triple jump at NCAA Championships
6/7/2013 12:00:00โฏAM | Track and Field, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
EUGENE, Ore. โ Kent State freshman Dior Delophont (Nancy, France) placed 15th in the women's triple jump to earn Second Team All-American honors on the third day of competition at the 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.ย Delophont leaped 42 feet, 2 ยผ inches to become Kent State's first women's outdoor triple jump All-American and the 25th women's outdoor All-American overall.ย
"Dior really competed well and did a great job," said Bill Lawson, Kent State's director of track and field and cross country.ย "She had some trouble finding the board at take off and that's tough at this level, but she stayed with it and now is an All-American."
The top eight finishers in each event in Eugene earn First Team All-American honors, with places nine through 16 garnering Second Team accolades.ย Each event is composed of the top 24 student-athletes/relay teams in the country.
Delophont, a 4.0 student, is now a three-time All-American after placing fifth in both the triple jump and high jump at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March.ย The French sensation is also a five-time Mid-American Conference champion between the indoor and outdoor seasons, including the outdoor high jump and triple jump titles.
"Dior's had a Cinderella season," said Lawson.ย "It's unbelievable what she's been able to accomplish this year.ย It just goes to show what a talented student-athlete she is."
Delophont will go for her fourth All-American honor overall when she returns to action at 12:45 p.m. (PST) Saturday, June 8, in the high jump trials/finals.ย Delophont qualified for the high jump with a second-place finish and leap of 5-11 ยผ at the NCAA East Prelims May 23-25 in Greensboro, N.C.ย Her 6-0 clearance May 3-4 at the Campbell/Wright Open is ranked 12th nationally.
Freshman Danniel Thomas (Shrewsbury, Jamaica) will seek her second All-American medal at 1 p.m. (PST) Saturday when she competes in the women's shot put trials/finals.ย Thomas earned First Team All-American honors on Thursday (June 6) with an eighth-place finish in the discus throw at 179-9.
"Dior will be in her best event tomorrow, so we're really looking forward to it," said Lawson.ย "Danniel did a great job in the discus and certainly has a chance to be All-American again.ย We're real proud of what Danniel has accomplished already."
Freshman Reggie Jagers (Solon, Ohio) closed a fine outdoor campaign with an 18th-place finish in the men's discus at 178-2.ย Jagers, who qualified for nationals with a ninth-place finish at the East Prelims at 182-3, needed at least 182-0 to crack the top 16 in Eugene.
"Reggie did a great job," said Lawson.ย "He competed well.ย This is the biggest stage he's ever been on.ย Reggie has a bright future ahead of him."
