Roberson Running for New Lows

NORMAN -- Laid out on the ground and exhausted, Daye Shon Roberson celebrated a career best and reaching a goal.

She had just finished running a sub-52.00 in her specialty, the 400-meter dash, in the prelims. Her time of 51.58 earned a spot in the final at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship and moved her from fifth to third on the University of Oklahoma's all-time list. She would eventually finish second in the final with a 52.15.

“It was so painful,” Roberson said a few days after the race, laughing while she answered the question. “It's so surreal. I don't actually feel like it really happened so I don't know what to feel. During the race, I just kept driving my arms and lifting my legs and it happened. I was really happy and super excited.”

The Friday celebration was short-lived as she had to prepare for two relays, the 400- and 1,600-meter races as well as the 400-meter final on Saturday. She helped both the women's 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay squads earn second place conference finishes sandwiched around her runner-up finish in the 400 final.

“I knew I had three more races so it was just 'okay that was a great accomplishment, a step in the right direction, but you have three more races so get your mind back to normal,'” Roberson said. “With the 4x4 especially, it's understood -- it's not said -- but it's understood that we're here to handle business. This is what we came here to do. It's always been 'I know you're going to do your best.'”

Roberson is now poised to continue her training with a new level of vigor and intensity. Cutting hundredths of a second from her PR will be difficult, but it is a challenge for which she is ready.

“Training is a whole lot more focused,” Roberson said. “At first, I was just doing what Coach (Kevin) Tyler said because he asked me to. Now it's like 'ok this is going to help you get faster, these workouts are a screenplay of what's going to happen next.'”

Roberson has never been one to back down from a challenge. Her mental toughness and confidence comes from her mother.

“She taught me that 'it's going to be hard, you're going to make mistakes, things will happen, but you have to figure out a way to pick it up and dust yourself off,'” Roberson said. “It's not weird to me if I lose a race, it's fine. I don't focus on anything that makes me upset for too long.”

Roberson is the second oldest of seven children and hopes that her collegiate success will inspire her younger siblings.

“I'm not just doing this for me, but I'm doing this for the five kids under me,” said Roberson. “They have to look up and see that our big brother graduated college and they see me in college. I need to do the same thing and try to give them something to strive for.”

Before she gets far ahead into future projections, Roberson is content with focusing on what is immediately in front of her. She heads to the NCAA Regional West Championships ranked fifth in the 400. The 4x4 is ranked sixth and the 4x1 is 12th heading into the weekend. It takes a top-12 finish to advance from Austin to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Ore., June 10-13.

“It's not only humbling, but empowering to run with three other runners,” Roberson said. “It teaches you that you're not the only person who's on the track and three other people are relying on you to do your best so that they can succeed as well.

“For them to be able to have another opportunity and for me to contribute to that opportunity is a really big deal for me,” she added. “I love it and I appreciate it. I wouldn't change it for the world.”

With her success on the track, one might think she has always found success there. Actually, Roberson took a roundabout path before getting involved in track and field. A basketball coach discovered her in her high school as she stole third base during a softball game.

“It's just great to see where it came from. Originally I was playing volleyball, basketball, softball -- I was doing everything except for track,” Roberson explained. “For this to be the sport is pretty ironic.”

As Roberson continues to put foot to track, she plans to have a lot more career milestones in the future. After all, exhaustion is the mark of a true champion.

By: Akilah Laster, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant