Two seasons ago, Northwestern State thrower Diamante Gumbs traveled to Eugene to cheer on twin brother Djimon Gumbs when Djimon competed at nationals in both shot put and discus.
Fast forward to 2024, the twins switch places, as Djimon is the one traveling to Eugene to support Diamante, as Diamante caps off a sensational NSU career with his turn at nationals, competing in the discus.
“This is Diamante’s turn to get a crack at nationals and he’s been really hot this last year in the discus,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “He’s had some big throws at practice and decent throws at competition. To have one of those big throws finally happen at a meet was huge.
“I expect some big things from him and he’s just scratching the surface. He’s looking to have a little fun and finally getting out of the shadow of his older brother (by a minute). I am looking forward to seeing Diamante go out there and prove he is not just Djimon’s brother. He’s DD.”
Diamante is one of two NSU athletes heading to nationals in an individual event, as well as NSU has two relay teams competing.
“For a school this size, or really any size, to get that many people to the national championships is a huge accomplishment because they only take the top 12 in each region in each event,” Heimerman said. “So to be one of the top 12 in the East region is very, very tough. It is a huge honor to be there and these kids are looking forward to going there and competing.”
The nationals begin Wednesday with the men’s semifinal events with the finals taking place Friday. The women’s events are Thursday and Saturday.
The men’s 4×100 relay kicks off the nationals for the Demons at 6:32 p.m. on Wednesday. Zachaeus Beard competes in the 100 at 7:46 p.m.
Gumbs competes in the men’s discus at 7:35 p.m. on Friday.
The women’s 4×400 relay competes at 10:48 p.m. on Thursday.
All events will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Diamante made on the strength of a massive personal best throw on his first toss at regionals, launching a 195-2, which earned him a third-place finish to clinch his spot to Oregon.
Coming out of the second flight, he thought he’d get in, but he did not celebrate until it became official.
“It was very nerve-wracking having to wait to see if I would make it after my throws at regionals,” he said. “Everybody was telling me that throw should make it in, but at the same time, I didn’t even want to watch it, though, because I was so nervous because I was hoping I would make it out. Seeing where I was at the end of the third flight, that is when I started to realize that I am going to be there.
“But coming out of the second flight, there were a lot of guys who could have really made it out of the second flight. We really put pressure on the third flight and were able to squeeze some of them out. I was ready and I was able to get enough on the first throw and I saw where it landed and I was just excited.”
Diamante is joined in the open events by Beard, who reached Oregon in both the 100-meter dash and as a part of the men’s 4×100 relay.
Beard finished fourth in the prelims at regionals in the 100 and proved that was no fluke, as he clocked a blazing 10.04, his top wind legal mark, to place third at regionals and punch his ticket to nationals.
To begin the final day of the men’s regionals in Kentucky, Beard was a part of the 4×100 relay team that made its way to the Beaver State with a season-best time of 39.28.
The group of Beard, Cyrus Jacobs, Keontae Gaines and Mikkel Johansson defeated its previous best of 39.42 this season.
NSU finished fifth in its heat, behind four SEC schools, all of which finished in the top six in the overall times.
On the women’s side, the 4×400 relay team smashed the school and conference record, running a 3:29.22 to finish second in its heat and fifth overall to join the men’s 100-relay team at nationals.
Three of the four athletes ran together in 2023, so Sanaria Butler, Vanessa Balde and Maygan Shaw have familiarity with one another. They are joined by Tranasia Jones, who transferred to NSU this offseason from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The quartet has broken the school and Southland Conference record in the event three times this season, as the group broke its own record of 3:32.67 set at the Texas Relays earlier this season.
The groups are the first relay teams from NSU to make nationals since 2018.
Jasmyn Steels earned a national championship the following year, in 2019, in the long jump during the indoor season. The relay teams, Beard and Gumbs aim to match her with a championship of their own.
While it has been five years since an NSU athlete won any championship, it has been 13 years since the last NSU outdoor champion, Trecey Rew, who claimed it in the discus in 2011.
The NSU athletes have the opportunity to etch their names even further in the program record book, as their road to the championship continues at the University of Oregon on Wednesday.
“I’d love for everybody to be able to call themselves All-Americans,” Heimerman said. “They need to be in the top 16 in their events, so I would love for them to make that. I’d like for everyone to compete their best and come back with a personal best. If they all do PRs, big things will be in store.”
