Senior Derek Dark is ranked ninth in the nation in the shot put throw in track and field. This outdoor season, Dark won in each of the two meets he competed in. His latest victory was at the LSU Relays in Baton Rouge. Dark won first place with a throw of 56’6” – his personal best.
“My hard work is paying off,” Dark said. “After being here four years, the work is paying off. I’m forever appreciative.”
Dark’s first win of the season came at the Southern Miss Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss. Dark’s winning throw calculated to be 53’8”.
In Dark’s career at ULM, there have been multiple coaches who taught him how to execute his throw better. His newest mentor is assistant coach Larry Jones, a Louisiana Tech alumni.
“He’s made very great leaps and bounds, technically,” said Jones, who is in his first year with the team. “He has been doing a lot of drilling. He’s been responding and soaking everything up.”
Dark is ranked first place in farthest shot put throw this season against the rest of the Sun Belt Conference opponents.
Junior Aaron Sirles from North Texas is in second with his best throwing in a distance of 53’1.”
Dark advanced to the NCAA East Preliminaries in 2010 and 2011 and expects to repeat again this season. But this year, the regional round isn’t satisfying enough. He wants nationals.
“My ultimate goal this season is for the team to win the conference title,” Dark said. “Individually, I would like to win the shot put title and get to the national stage.”
Jones added, “He has energy that needs to be squared up into the right spots. If he does that, he can throw at least two or three feet farther.”
The team is preparing for the SBC outdoor championships at Florida Atlantic University on Friday, May 11 in Boca Raton, Fla.