PONCHY’S PRIDE—Southeastern long jumper Roseann Bell, a Ponchatoula graduate, will be competiting in the NCAA Mideast Regionals for the Lady Lions this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark. Photo Courtesy SLU

Three local prep track & field products rank among the NCAA nation's elite and two of them will be competing at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

Two of Southeastern's 17-athlete qualifying contingent have Tangipahoa ties — sophomore decathalete Cory Roberts, a New Orleans native who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas, and Roseann Bell, a junior long jumper from Ponchatoula.

"I've been pretty steady — not too bad, but not too great," Bell said. "I'm feeling a lot better than last year. Last year was my first year, and I was very nervous. Everything is the same now, but my nerves are a lot better this year."

Jumps coach Michael Bartolina said Bell was bothered with nagging injuries earlier in the season, but is healthy now and could make a splash in the event.

"Hopefully, at the meet she'll put it all together," Bartolina said. "She's jumped 19-11 and jumped 19-9. If she jumps over 20 feet or in that 20-feet-or-higher range, she'll advance."

Roberts and another Lion who owns qualiying marks, 10,000-meter runner Henry Rop, will not compete in the regional meet in their respective events, however.

In the 10,000-meter run and combined events such as the decathlon, all competitors making the automatic standard will qualify for the NCAA championships. If there are not enough qualified athletes to fill the field, athletes will be added in order of performance — if they surpassed the provisional qualification.

Roberts' best point total of 7,123 falls between the automatic mark of 7,500 or more points and the 6,900 points for provisional qualification. Rop's mark of 31:26.23 puts him behind the automatic mark of 28:45.00 and the provisional mark of 29:30.00.

In addition, Kentwood native Carlese Franklin of McNeese State has qualified as a javelin thrower. Two of his former Kangaroo teammates, however, qualified but will not participate. Two-sport standout brothers Marcus and Darrick Brown are both participating in NFL football camps this summer instead of the NCAA track meet.

Franklin, who finished second in the javelin at the Southland Conference championships, has McNeese's highest qualifying ranking for the mideast regionals. His best of 218-6 in the javelin ranks seventh in the region.

During practice this week, the Cowboy standout has gone 229 feet, which will certainly send him to the finals.

“I think that Carlese has a good shot,” said McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy. “Going off past performances in the regionals, a throw of 218 feet could get a spot.”

Southeastern's contingent is headed by senior thrower Teremine White, the 2008 Southland Conference Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, and Rop, who was the 2008 SLC Outdoor Freshman of the Year. White will compete in the discus and shot put.

Other Lion qualifiers include 2006 All-America Avery Sorapuru (long jump and the 110-meter hurdles), senior Dwight Womack (discus), junior Corey Billizone (high jump and triple jump), junior Babtunde Babalola (high jump and triple jump), sophomore Kalphys Kemboi (3,000-meter steeplechase), sophomore Adlus Wiltz (400-meter hurdles) and freshman Shannon Grover (100 and 200 meters). Wiltz and Grover, along with freshmen Jerel Butler and George Cunningham, will also compete in the 4x400 meter relay.

Joining Bell are fellow Lady Lions Colleena Collins (the SLC champion in the hammer throw), Yvette Schubert (javelin), and sophomore Aqueela El-Amin (pole vault).

All the locals are among the athletes competing in Fayetteville for spots in the NCAA’s national championships, which will be held June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa. Only the top five regional finishers in each event will advance to the national meet.