The No. 13 Nationally Ranked Dillard Women’s Track & Field Program Off To the Carey Last Chance Meet This Friday

New Orleans – The No. 13 nationally ranked Dillard's women's outdoor track & field program will compete for the final time in the regular season as the program participates in the Carey Last Chance Meet this Friday starting at 11 a.m.

Earlier this week, Dillard's women's program was voted No. 10 in the South Region in the weekly USTFCCCA Poll that was released on May 9. The program followed that up by being voted No. 13 nationally in the USTFCCCA Poll on May 11. It is the seventh straight week that Dillard has been ranked in the top – 30.

The program has the fifth-ranked 200m sprinter in the country (Kevell Byrd), the sixth-ranked 200m sprinter (Jakenzie Thymes), the sixth-ranked triple jumper (Rachel Rowe), the seventh-ranked 200m sprinter (Ryan Smith). the eighth-ranked 400m sprinter (Kevell Byrd), the 10th-ranked 100m sprinter (Kevell Byrd), the 11th-ranked 4x400 relay team (Kevell Byrd, Anginique Andrews, Karmyn Dotson, Ta'Nijal Matthews), the 12th-ranked long jumper (Rachel Rowe) and the 16th-ranked 4x100 relay group (Kevell Byrd, Ta'Nijal Matthews, Rachel Rowe, Ryan Smith) and the 22nd-ranked triple jumper (Leila Walton).

The competition for this week's competition at the Carey Last Chance Meet includes Ryan Smith (100m, 200m, 4x100 relay), Kevell Byrd (4x100 relays, 4x400 relays), Ta'Nijal Matthews (400m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relays), Leila Walton (400m hurdles and triple jump), Karmyn Dotson (400m, 4x400 relays), Anginique Andrews (400m, 4x400 relays) and Rachel Rowe (triple jump, 4x100 relay)

Last time out at the Penn Relays from April 29-30 in Philadelphia, Dillard's women's outdoor track and field program's 4x400m relay team continued to make noise on the national level in placing fourth overall at Franklin Field.

The 4x400m relay team of Kevell Byrd, Anginique Andrews, Karmyn Dotson and Ta'Nijal Matthews ran a 3:54.65. It was a season-best time for the group and bettered their previous NAIA qualifying mark this season. It was the sixth time that a Dillard 4x400m relay team has finished in the top-five of their event this season.

The team finished just behind Essex Community College, Holy Family and California Pennsylvania in the finals. Dillard's group of four placed ahead of St. Peter's, UMES, Molloy, Central State and Kutztown on Saturday. DU was the only NAIA program to qualify for the finals at the Penn Relays in the 4x400m event this season and one of only two non-NCAA programs along with Essex CC.

The last time the entire team competed it was at the 2022 GCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships from April 22-23, Dillard won the conference title for the first time since 2012 and the fourth time since 2010. The program ended up 255 points. Over the two days of competitions, DU had four NAIA automatic qualifiers, set two school records (200m and the triple jump), won 11 events and totaled 34 All-GCAC selections. The program also had both the GCAC Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the meet in Kevell Byrd and the GCAC Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the meet in Rachel Rowe.

Kevell Byrd won a total of three events and also was part of two event winning relays teams. Byrd won the 400m with a 57.75, the 100m with 12.52, the 200m with a school record and NAIA automatic qualifying mark of 23.72. She was also part of the 4x100 relay team along with Ta'Nijal Matthews, Rachel Rowe and Ryan Smith that won their event with a 47.59. Byrd also was part of the 4x400 relay team along with Anginique Andrews, Jakenzie Thymes and Ta'Nijal Matthews that won their event with a 4:08.16.

The 4x800 relay team of Karmyn Dotson, Nyjae Blanton, Rachel Jackson and Jaelynn Hoffman won their event with a 10:20.38.

Dotson also earned the individual victory in the 800m with a 2:32.04.

Leila Walton won the 400m hurdles with a 1:07.79.

Rowe earned the event victory in the high jump with a 1.50m. She also earned the event victory and had an automatic qualifying mark in the long jump with 5.75m. Rowe continued her busy afternoon and won the triple jump with a 12.05m. The mark was a school record and an automatic qualifying mark.

Thymes finished second in the 200m with an NAIA automatic qualifying mark of 23.77. Her teammate, Ryan Smith, placed third in the 200m with an NAIA automatic qualifying mark of 23.81.

Other All-GCAC performers for Dillard at the meet include: Kaylyn Turner (3rd – javelin – 27.06), Anginque Andrews (2nd – 400m – 59.13), Ta'Nijal Matthews (3rd – 400m – 59.32), Leila Walton (2nd – 100m hurdles – 16.11), Rachel Jackson (3rd – 100m hurdles – 16.76), Ta'Nijal Matthews (2nd – 100m – 12.71), Ryan Smith (3rd – 100m – 12.80m), Rachel Jackson (2nd – 5000m – 21:58.65), Kaylyn Turner (2nd – 400m hurdles – 1:08.19), Rachel Jackson (3rd – 400m hurdles – 1:08.75), Codi Fillmore (3rd – high jump – 1.45m) and Leila Walton (3rd – triple jump – 10.98m)

Next, Dillard's women's program will send a delegation of competitors to Gulf Shores, Alabama for the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships from May 25-27.
           
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