No matter the outcome of the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Roman Smith will head home with a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
“It means a lot to me, being at an HBCU and one of the few athletes to go to the National Championships,” Smith said. “It means a lot to me to be at a high level and be a part of African-American history.”
Smith is a high jumper for the Southern Jaguars Track and Field team. He is the only Southern University track and field athlete to qualify for the national competition this year, and has regularly reached heights of more than seven feet – which is considered elite among male college athletes.
“It’s always a great thing when you’re still talking about our sport in June,” said Coach Teremine White, Head Coach of Southern Jaguars Track and Field.
Smith began his collegiate athletic career at Iowa Western Community College. The Kansas City, Missouri native was recruited by Courtney Ware, Assistant Coach for Southern Jaguars Track and Field, who immediately saw his potential and invited him to continue to develop his skills and showcase his talent on a larger stage.
Ware said Smith’s journey to the National Championships began last fall with a dedicated training schedule.
“He made the regionals last year and had some small misses that kept him from making nationals,” Ware said. “This year, we decided to start with a plan and work each meet one by one.”
During the days leading up to the national competition, Ware said she will focus on making sure Smith gets enough rest and adjusts to the time difference, since the championships are in Eugene, Oregon.
Smith said he is just ready to make the most of his opportunity and cap off a successful season.
“The journey has been a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “There’s a lot of adversity that can come with being a student-athlete. But, it’s been a great season overall.”