AUSTIN, Texas – Northwestern State has a great tradition of success at the prestigious Texas Relays, and it could grow this week with potential winners like All-America sprinter Justin Walker and top 5-ranked triple jumper Aaron Williams.
 
A select contingent from NSU have qualified to compete in the 87^th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, while many of the Demons and Lady Demons will join athletes from across the country in nearby San Marcos at the Bobcat Invitational track and field meet.
 
Walker, who holds school records in the 100 (10.13) and 200 (20.49) dashes and has ranked in the top 10 nationally in those events during his career, makes his outdoor debut in the 100 meters Friday in Austin.  Williams, whose 51-4 ¼ triple jump mark two weeks ago ranks third nationally early in the season, also competes Friday. His twin brother Emmanuel, headed for a redshirt season outdoors, won indoor All-America honors in the triple jump early this month.
 
"Justin has looked very, very good this spring and ran a spectacular anchor leg on our 4x100 relay last Saturday at Louisiana Tech, so I'm excited to see what he can do this weekend in one of the greatest meets in college track and field," said NSU head coach Mike Heimerman. "Aaron is in the B-second of the triple jump, with the entries turned in before this season opened, so they're based on last year's marks. It's still going to be a pretty high caliber competition in the B-section, and I'm looking for him to thrive in the atmosphere there.
 
"We won the 4x400 relay back to back at Texas just 2-3 years ago, and we've had winners there through the years," he said. "When you do well at Texas, you are among the best."
 
Both meets begin Thursday for NSU entries, with Consuela Lindsay and Brent Giddens running the 400 meter hurdles qualifying heats in Austin while Mawi Berkhadley begins day one of the heptathlon with the discus tandem of Rechelle Bessard and Shakemia Johnson throwing down I-35 in nearby San Marcos.
 
"Consuela has been looking really, really good," said Heimerman. "I think she'll crack the 60-second barrier and be close to her school record. Brent has been looking good in the high hurdles, which is not his specialty, and we'll see him in the intermediate hurdles also at Texas.
 
"Thursday in San Marcos, we open up with Mawi in the heptathlon. That's what we recruited her to do, because of her versatility in high school, and this will be her first one ever. It's going to be exciting to watch her over the two days."
 
Bessard and Johnson, along with the Lady Demons' top thrower, Keona Jackson, will be able to compete in both meets, having qualified for the Texas Relays.
 
"We've also got Rechelle and Shakemia competing in the discus tomorrow afternoon.  It worked out that the time schedule allowed them, and Keona, to throw in both meets, so we're doing it," said Heimerman. "It will be similar to conference meet where you are involved in a three-day competition. It's a good opportunity to go through that routine and it will help us at the end of the season."
 
At Texas, the Lady Demon throwers could sparkle, he said.
 
"Shelly Bessard is in the A-section discus, so some of the country's best will be in there with her, and she has been looking very good in practice. Shakemia is in the B-section discus and had one of her best meets there last year," said Heimerman. "Keona is in the B-section of the shot put in her first time at Texas.  We backed off our training a little and hopefully we're a little more fresh with our legs and can get some good throws."
 
Among the Friday events in San Marcos, the men's and women's high jumps have good prospects for NSU with Lady Demon senior Nicole Hajka joining Berkhadley while Quinton Helaire and Alex Washington could fly high for the Demons.
 
Both the long jump and triple jump will be staged on Saturday in San Marcos. The Demons have the top ranked Southland Conference competitors in three of the four fields. Jaynisha Berry leads the league's women in the long jump (19-3 1.4, 35^th nationally), while Por'sha Thomas (40-0, 34^th nationally) and Taylor Walker (39-8, 41^st in the NCAA) are far and away 1-2 in the conference rankings two weeks into the season.
 
"The standards are very high to get into the Texas Relays, even higher than most years, which will lead to  lots of good competition at Texas State. They are going to have a lot of athletes from all over the country who couldn't get into the Relays, so we'll see kids from Oregon and Iowa and other brand-name programs. We love the opportunity," said Heimerman.