Today, we honor Desmond Mapps and Michael McGruder, who have been together since junior college at Arkansas-Baptist.

Desmond Mapps is a criminal justice major who plans to become a professional track athlete after graduating May 11. He transferred last summer from Arkansas-Little Rock, where he was an NCAA Regional Qualifier in the 100, 200, and in the 4x100 relay. Dez took sixth in the 200 at the Southland Indoor Championships. He ran a leg on a 4x100 relay team that posted a 39.57 time, 20^th nationally. Mapps is a native of Dallas, Texas, and attended Garland High School. 

Michael McGruder is a general studies major who also graduated last Friday. Michael has been in the same team with Dez Mapps from community college to Arkansas-Little Rock, and now at NSU. Michael was a school record breaker at Arkansas Little-Rock in the 200 and in the 4x100. As a Demon in February, he took bronze in the 60-meter dash and was fifth in the 200 at the Southland Indoor Championships. Outdoors, he finished eighth in both the 100 and 200 in the Southland Outdoor Championships. McGruder also ran on the Demons 4x100 relay that has the nation's 14^th best time, 39.45. McGruder is a native Forrest City, Arkansas, and a product of Forrest City High School.

Career Bests for Desmond Mapps:
    60 Meter Dash
        Indoor              6.84, Southland Conference Indoor Championships, 2/21/18       
    100 Meter Dash
        Outdoor           10.72, UTA Bobby Lane Invitational, 3/24/18                     
    200 Meter Dash
        Indoor              21.37, Ted Nelson Invitational, 1/12/18
        Outdoor           21.91, LSU Alumni Gold, 4/21/18
    4x100 Meter Relay
        Outdoor           39.57, TCU Invitational, 3/17/18, (A. James, M. Larkins, D. Mapps, M. McGruder)
    4x200 Meter Relay
        Outdoor           1:25.70 McNeese Cowboy Relays, 3/10/18, (A. James, D. Mapps, M. McGruder, K. Harry)
    4x400 Meter Relay
        Indoor              3:32.56 Ted Nelson Invitational, 1/12/18 (C. Milton, D. Mapps, M. Larkins, M. McGruder)
       
Career Bests for Michael McGruder:
    60 Meter Dash
        Indoor              6.77, Southland Conference Indoor Championships, 2/22/18       
    100 Meter Dash
        Outdoor           10.43, TCU Invitational, 3/17/18                        
    200 Meter Dash
        Indoor              21.41, SLC Indoor Championships, 2/21/18
        Outdoor           21.02, TCU Invitational, 3/17/18
    4x100 Meter Relay
        Outdoor           39.45, Texas Relays, 3/31/18, (K. Harry, M. Larkins, A. James, M. McGruder)
    4x200 Meter Relay
        Outdoor           1:25.70 McNeese Cowboy Relays, 3/10/18, (A. James, D. Mapps, M. McGruder, K. Harry)
    4x400 Meter Relay
        Indoor              3:32.56 Ted Nelson Invitational, 1/12/18 (C. Milton, D. Mapps, M. Larkins, M. McGruder)

Associate head coach Adam Pennington's comments:
"Desmond Mapps and Michael McGruder. I wish I had both of those guys for all four years. Both have had pretty successful careers. They have been bouncing around from long sprints to short sprints. Both of them started out as 400 meter runners in college, so for them to end up being 100 meter runners and run the times they run is impressive. Both of them I wish, health wise, were a little bit healthy this year. I wish I had another year with them, because they are very mature athletes, very talented, and overall just great kids to be around."