Dillard's Track & Field Earn Conference Honors Back to Back

NEW ORLEANS– Dillard University's track and field program is building momentum at exactly the right time—stacking conference honors, posting national-caliber marks, and sharpening its edge against top-tier competition as the season turns toward the heart of the HBCUAC schedule.

Leading that charge is sprinter Surprise Babalola, who repeated as the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Men's Track Athlete of the Week for performances recorded March 23–29. At the Prairie View A&M Relays, Babalola delivered one of the strongest 100-meter showings of the meet, finishing runner-up in 10.26 seconds. The result came in a field of 54 athletes dominated by NCAA Division I talent—and his time cleared the NAIA "A" qualifying standard, reinforcing Dillard's ability to compete beyond its conference footprint.

Babalola wasn't finished. He also powered a leg of Dillard's 4x100-meter relay team, which clocked 40.07 seconds—another "A" standard performance. With Babalola ranking second in the 100 meters and contributing to the NAIA's No. 1-ranked 4x100 relay unit, Dillard's sprint group continues to look like a program capable of making noise on bigger stages as postseason approaches.

Dillard's future is rising just as fast. Freshman Romel Collins was named HBCUAC Freshman of the Week after placing 19th out of 56 in the 100 meters at Prairie View A&M, a finish that put him ahead of multiple NCAA Division I sprinters. The placement underscores a key sign for the program: depth is developing, not just headline performances.

On the women's side, Dillard jumper Tatiana Clay collected a double honor—HBCUAC Field Athlete of the Week and Freshman of the Week—after a standout long jump of 5.62 meters at Prairie View A&M. Clay's mark topped 18 competitors, again largely from NCAA Division I programs, and now leads the conference. She also came within 0.16 meters of the NAIA "B" qualifying standard, signaling that even her best work may still be ahead. Earlier this season, she added another layer to Dillard's speed-and-skill identity by running on the NAIA No. 4-ranked 4x100 relay team.

With conference recognition reinforcing national-level results, Dillard heads into the weekend aiming to convert momentum into consistency. The Bleu Devils will compete next at the Pelican Relays, hosted by Southern University A&M—another opportunity to test themselves, fine-tune execution, and continue positioning the program for a strong run as conference competition intensifies.

-Bleu Devils-