Leading the Northwestern State women’s track and field team to a pair of Southland Conference titles, including its first ever outdoor conference championship, earned head coach Mike Heimerman the LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s Coach of the Year, which was announced on July 2o.

 

Heimerman, who fell one vote shy of taking home the All-Louisiana Coach of the Year last season, led a total of 16 women’s athletes or relay teams that made the outdoor All-Conference, including four on the first team and seven more on the second team.

 

In the past two years, he has led the NSU women to two indoor team titles and the first outdoor team title in program history this season, as well as a second-place finish.

 

In addition to Heimerman’s superlative honor, NSU also captured 12 spots in individual events and one each on all four relay teams.

 

Zachaeus Beard, Sanaria Butler and Djimon Gumbs all earned spots on the All-Louisiana team in multiple individual events.

 

NSU placed the most athletes on the All-Louisiana team outside of LSU.

 

Beard, who reached the semifinals in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic trials, grabs a spot on the second team in the 200-meter dash and third team in the 100.

 

To earn a second team selection in the 200, he clocked a 20.48 at the SLC Outdoor meet to capture the silver.

 

In his signature event, the First Team All-American ran an impressive 10.03—adjusted for wind—at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout to win the event and post the best time in the conference this season.

 

Beard also was a member of both relay teams, which both earned second team spots, only behind LSU.

 

In the 4×100, the quartet of Beard, Cyrus Jacobs, Keontae Gaines and Mikkel Johansson collected a spot at nationals in Oregon on the strength of a 39.25 at regionals in Kentucky and also earned them a spot on the All-Louisiana Second Team.

 

Beard, Jacobs, Desmond Duncan and Jaysaun Smith also made the second team in the men’s 4×400 relay team, clocking a 3:08.27 at the conference championships.

 

Like Beard, Sanaria Butler also made the team in multiple individual events as well as both relay teams.

She ran a school-record 52.09 at the NCAA East Regionals in the 400-meter dash, which earned her a spot on the second team.

 

Butler collected a spot on the third team in the long jump, posting a 20-5.25 at the Bobcat Invitational.

The sensational sophomore also led the NSU women’s 4×400 relay team to a Second Team All-American selection and spot on Second Team All-Louisiana. The team of Butler, Maygan Shaw, Tranasia Jones and Vanessa Balde smashed the school record, running a 3:29.22 to earn a spot at nationals and a spot on the All-Louisiana team.

 

Butler, along with Shaw, Balde and Lynell Washington collected a spot on the second team in the 4×100 relay after running a 44.43 in front of the home crowd at the Leon Johnson Invitational.

 

Gumbs’ record-breaking season earned him a pair of first team honors, including one of two NSU athletes to make the first team, which he did in the shot put.

 

In the event, Gumbs tossed a school-record 66-7 at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, which earned him the top spot in the conference and the state this season.

 

Not only did he post a terrific performance at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout in the shot put, he did so in the discus as well at the meet.

 

Gumbs claimed a third team selection in the discus, tossing a 186-3.

 

The NSU athlete other than Gumbs to earn a first team selection is senior pole vaulter Madison Brown, who cleared 13-4.25 at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

 

She is joined on the team by friend and teammate Annemarie Broussard, who claimed third in the pole vault, clearing 12-11.5, also recorded at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

 

Joining Butler as an NSU athlete on the All-Louisiana team in the 400 is Shaw, who clocked a 52.59 at the Leon Johnson Invitational on the home track.

 

Gumbs was not the only member of his family to make the team, as he was joined by twin brother Diamante Gumbs in the discus.

 

Diamante earned some bragging rights, as he claimed second team to Djimon’s third team in the discus. Diamante launched a 195-2 at the NCAA East Regional in Kentucky, which punched his ticket to Eugene and nationals.

 

On the women’s side, Kaitlyn Washington also made All-Louisiana in the discus, earning third place with a toss of 170-2 at the LSU Alumni Gold.

 

In the shot put, Shakera Williams placed second in the state, thrilling the home crowd at the Leon Johnson Invitational, tossing a 48-11.5.

 

LSU either won or tied eight of the 10 superlative awards, including all five on the men’s side.