March 11, 2021

An aerie of Eagles fly south for NCAA Division II Indoor Championships

For the second time this season, the Eagles will head to the Birmingham Crossplex, this time with national championship aspirations.

LIVE VIDEO (Mar. 12)

LIVE VIDEO (Mar. 13)

LIVE STATS

VIDEO: Joseph Oreva Interview

VIDEO: Devon Moore Interview

MEET SCHEDULE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the second time this season, the Eagles will head to the Birmingham Crossplex, this time with national championship aspirations.

Devon Moore and Joseph Oreva will compete in three total events on Friday, Mar. 12 at the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships. If Moore finishes in the top eight runners, then he will qualify for the finals of the 60 meter and 200 meter runs and race again on Saturday, Mar. 13.

Moore was scheduled to compete at the 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships exactly one year ago to the day in the same two events before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all spring sports.

"I was heartbroken," says Moore. "I spent all that time working on my craft and getting better and when they told us that there was no championship I felt like all my hard work went down the drain."

Moore's run of 6.74 seconds in the 60 meter at the UIndy Last Chance Meet ranks him fourth in the country, while his time of 21.44 seconds in the 200 meter at the VMI Classic is eighth in the country.

After finishing third and recording a false start in his first two 60 meter races of the season at the KMS Invitational in January, Moore has won seven straight races in the men's 60 meter to close out the indoor regular season. Moore has won 16 out of his last 20 races in the indoor 60 meter, his worst finish being in the finals of the 2019 Division II Indoor Championships where he finished seventh with a time of 6.86 seconds.

"Coach Kieran gives us details and things to work on," says Moore. "Since the last time at Birmingham I've gotten better and stronger."

At the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships, Moore did not finish the race in the 200 meter. Since then, the senior out of Baxley, Ga. has raced in the 200 meter in the indoor season 13 times, placing first in seven races and set a new school indoor record with a time of 21.24 seconds at the 2020 VMI Indoor Classic.

"It'd be mindblowning if I win a national championship," says Moore. "I told myself I have to win. If I don't, that's fine but just leave it all on the track."

Oreva obliterated the 44 year old indoor school record in the long jump with a distance of 7.75 meters at the Buccaneer Invitational on Feb. 5. It didn't take long for Oreva to break the record again as he jumped 7.84 meters in his final jump of the day just eight minutes later to win the competition. That distance still ranks first in the nation at the Division II level by 0.09 meters.

For the first time in 4⃣4⃣ years, the @CN_Track record book has a new name for the men's indoor long jump.@orevisc_j's jump of 7.84 meters makes him the #⃣1⃣ long jumper in DII and #⃣2⃣4⃣ in the world! pic.twitter.com/xIoqHgwA5v
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 6, 2021

"The record was something I wanted to break since being in Nigeria," says Oreva. "The first time I stepped foot on campus I asked about the record because I wanted to be a legend and icon here at Carson-Newman."

Oreva enters the national championships with three straight long jump event wins to start his career, with his closest win being by 0.30 meters at the KMS Invitational in Birmingham Crossplex on Jan. 24.

"I don't think much about the distance before meets," says Oreva. "But I go every day to try to implement what coach Tyler (Stepp) tells me to do and the distance will come naturally."

Moore and Oreva were both named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Athletes of the Year for indoor track and field. Moore is the first ever Carson-Newman athlete to be named Southeast Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. The award dates back to 2006 and has been won by a male track athlete from the South Atlantic Conference seven times, the most recent being PJ Lotharp of Lenoir-Rhyne in 2019.

Oreva was the fifth all-time winner of the Southeast Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year award from Carson-Newman. This is the second straight season an Eagle freshman has won the award, as Christian Shouse was the winner last season. Tanner Stepp is the only two-time winner from Carson-Newman, going back-to-back in 2015 and 2016, while Andrew Pickwell was the first award-winner from Carson-Newman, winning the honor in 2011.

�� Move over some spots in the @CN_Track trophy case as @orevisc_j and @ReallVon continue to add to their impressive haul.

�� https://t.co/wmMaS1ibKm pic.twitter.com/YmI942qjDB
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 6, 2021

Oreva also won his first two ever SAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Week Awards for the weeks of Feb. 9 and Mar. 2. Moore earned his third career SAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors on Feb. 9. The selections of the two on Feb.9 was the first sweep of the SAC Indoor Awards for Carson-Newman since Jan. 28, 2020, when Moore earned his first career weekly honor.

Moore will also look to make school history as he will have a chance to become, at least, a seven-time All-American, breaking a tie with former Eagle track athlete Tanner Stepp for the most All-American honors for a Carson-Newman track athlete.

"I have to give all the glory to God," says Moore. "Without Him I wouldn't be in this position. But it's an honor. It shows all of the hard work I've put in since I was little."

The 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships will be held Mar. 11-Mar.13 at the Brimingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala. Every day of the event will be live streamed at ncaa.com.

Moore will compete in the 60 meter run prelims at 3:45 PM eastern time and in the 200 meter run prelims at 4:25 PM eastern time on Friday, Mar. 12. If he were to qualify for the finals, Moore would race in the 60 meter finals at 3:10 PM eastern time and the 200 meter finals at 3:50 PM eastern time on Saturday, Mar. 13

Oreva will compete in the men's long jump prelims at 3:00 PM eastern time on Friday, Mar. 12, with the finals taking place right after the preliminary round.

"It would be a dream come true to win a national championship," says Oreva. "I remember thinking about it in Nigeria and it's amazing that this moment is happening right now."