THOMASVILLE — Nick Dodson has his eyes set on a 400m hurdles title.
In his final tuneup before the NAIA Championships on May 21-23, the Shorter College sophomore will take a pit stop in Tallahassee this weekend where he’ll compete in the Seminole Twilight.
Dodson, who recently defended his Mid-South Conference title, is excited about competing against some of the nation’s best on the Divison I-A level.
“I’ve already pretty much seen some of the teams that are going to be there,” said Dodson, whose competition begins on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Mike Long Track at Florida State University. “There’s going to be some pretty good schools there. Florida State, they’ve won a national title the last two years so they’re going to have a lot of good teams come to their meet.”
Dodson’s already excelled against Division I-A competition. He recently competed at a meet at Ole Miss and finished fourth.
“The only kids I lost to were two guys from Ole Miss and one kid was from Mississippi State,” Dodson said. “I wasn’t complaining about that.”
Dodson is ranked in the top three in the 400m hurdles in the country and wants to continue to lower his time before the NAIA meet in a little more than two weeks.
“I’m trying to get to that top spot so I can have a good lane assignment at nationals,” Dodson said.
“I want to go into nationals in the preliminaries with a lot of confidence,” Dodson added. “I defended my conference title two weeks ago up at Kentucky. I’ve been back-to-back the last two years. Going into this meet, as conference champion, I want to go into the 51 (seconds) range this week. Hopefully, I can go 51.5 or even better. My goal for this season is to go 49, which I think I’ll hit at the nationals.”
The former Thomas County Central standout finished runner-up last year in the 400m hurdles. According to Dodson, surpassing that performance is not out of the question.
“I feel real good right now. My legs feel real good,” Dodson said. “I’m ahead of schedule than where I was last year, if you look at my times and my performances. I came in first earlier this year in Charlotte. I won the preliminary and the final. I took third down in Alabama. Then I came back to Tennessee and took first at a big, huge SEC meet at the University of Tennessee.
“I’m way ahead than where I was last year. I’ve got more first-place finishes.
“My times have been very consistent and I’ve been staying within the same range every meet.”
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Nick Dodson leaps over a hurdle during the Mid-South Conference Championship final. Submitted photo
Dodson to compete at FSU meet
- Local Sports
-
-
Yellow Jackets preparing for upcoming season
Thomas County Central's recipe for success this season is simple: Strong pitching, error-free defense and execution on offense.
-
Night Hawks blast Wolfpack
Thomas University needed a spark.
Trent Stoker provided one, as did Chris Cravotta and Hugh Russell Lee. So, too, did Brett White. -
THS girls look to start region tourney at home
It may be the final day of the regular season, but the postseason begins tonight for the Thomasville Lady Bulldogs.
-
Aiming high
Nick Dodson was a track star on the high school and collegiate levels.
It’s almost time to see how the former Thomas County Central compares against the top professional hurdlers in the country. -
Walking wounded Lady Night Hawks
Thomas University's opening-day lineup will have a different look than what coach Bill Wilson envisioned in the preseason.
The pitching rotation has had to be reshuffled as well. -
Link to Harris English interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xCdIeqI8Y&feature=youtu.be
-
Singletary honored by Region 1-AAAA
Thomas County Central sports some of the top athletic teams in Region 1-AAAA.
The Yellow Jackets also feature the top athletic director. -
English off to strong start
Harris English is coming off his best finish on the PGA Tour in this, his still very young rookie season.
-
THS tennis teams sweep Central
Thomasville’s tennis teams had successful starts to their ’12 season.
Thomas County Central's didn’t. -
Syrupmaids topple Jackets
It was senior night at Thomas County Central on Tuesday.
A Cairo upperclassman stole the show, however. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
