By Ben Anderson, FM88 Sports Alumnus<\/p>\n
May 21, 2026<\/p>\n
Marshall Track & Field concluded the outdoor season with thunderous results at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships.<\/p>\n
Leading the way for the Thundering Herd was senior Lara Check, winning the women\u2019s Long Jump with a 6.3m jump to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Regional\u2019s for the second consecutive season and earn Sun Belt Conference First Team Honors. Check said that her previous experience competing at the highest stage has helped her preparation for this time around.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe noticed last year that we weren\u2019t lifting during the preparation for regionals,\u201d Check said. \u201cWe\u2019ve just made some adjustments with our practice and I think we\u2019ll all be able to show out and it would definitely be good in going with a different mentality this time, knowing that I’ve got some big jumps under my belt specifically with those fouls that I had at conference.\u201d<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s team had its strongest showring since returning as a program in 2023, scoring 46 points for an 8th place finish. The women\u2019s team finished 10th with 52 points. Director of Track & Field Keith Roberts credited his coaching staff and the culture that he has built for the team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt goes back to having great assistant coaches that want to go out and work hard and recruit and find the right athletes,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cYou got to have the athletes that have the mindset to get it done. I think we\u2019ve created a culture where people want to be successful, and they expect to be successful. And they\u2019re going to do it no matter what and they set high standards and they go out and get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Herd finished with nine athletes named to the SBC All-Conference team, its most since joining the league. Roberts says that the success has helped tremendously with recruiting.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we have the athletes that we have, we\u2019re getting contacted by people more than we ever have that could help us score points right away,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cEvery single day we\u2019re making calls, sending emails, setting up visits, and burning the midnight oil.<\/p>\n
The Herd has six athletes competing at the NCAA Regionals. The largest representation is the men\u2019s long jump group with the trio of OT Omot, Trashaun Smith, and Cam Hamby.<\/p>\n
Omot, a transfer a from JUCO program Iowa Western said that the rise in competition from JUCO to NCAA Division has helped him develop discipline in his strive to be the best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a couple of meets in April where I jumped 15 meters and in JUCO, I\u2019d easily make the final and I didn\u2019t make the final,\u201d Omot said. \u201cI feel like that was character development, knowing that I got to bring my A game every meet when I\u2019m Division I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamby, a graduate transfer from Campbellsville, said that there is no room for error at Regional\u2019s, especially with having the opportunity to extend his collegiate career on the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis next meet is literally three jumps that determine basically for me the rest of my life,\u201d Hamby said. \u201cThree jumps to either go to nationals or three jumps to go to the workforce. That\u2019s all I\u2019ve been thinking about getting it done. The first three jumps in the last recent meets, just to get a feel for what it\u2019s going to feel like to go out there, only get three jumps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel Urraca, a junior transfer from NC Central will be competing in the men\u2019s shot put. Urraca said that he too understands the mentality of having no room for error.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just got to get mentally ready because I only get three attempts,\u201d Urraca said. \u201cI only get three, there\u2019s no three more throws, so I really got to train like I only get three, so I got to do it in three or do it in two, I really just do it in one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lastly, Ryan Muktar will be competing in the men\u2019s high jump.<\/p>\n
Check, Omot, and Urraca said that everyone on the team has bought into the Thundering Herd mentality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had more of a team mentality,\u201d Check said. \u201cEveryone just supporting each other at conference, really just uplifted people into higher positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always joking in the hotel room or even at practice,\u201d Omot said. \u201cIt\u2019s just first one to 16 meters, we\u2019re always battling and iron sharpens iron. But once we get on a runway, we\u2019re supportive of each other. It\u2019s like there\u2019s a hint of animosity, the competition factor, you want to go further than that. But you still support your teammate at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen the team grow a lot since I first got here,\u201d Urraca said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s mentality changed for the better than when I first got here. I liked this team and the way they work at practice. I\u2019m at the shot ring and I see my teammates running around and pushing themselves to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marshall Track & Field aims to put the cherry on top on what has been a successful academic year for Marshall athletics and send an athlete to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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