TORONTO, Ontario, Canada — Hawk fans familiar with the track & field team know the extraordinary achievements of senior Dillon Simon. Those who follow bowling know that the team got plenty of reliable service from junior Thashaina Seraus this past year.
Recently, the dynamic Hawk duo trekked up to Toronto for the Pan-American Games, competing with superstar athletes from across North and South America. The event coincides with the Olympic Games, held every four years, one year prior to the Olympics.
Competing in the shot put for his home country of Dominica, Simon had several attempts to place himself in the upper echelons of the final. It would be his second attempt that would be his best with a distance of 19.55 meters. The mark was still good for a seventh place finish against a field of arguably the best shot putters in the Western Hemisphere.
The distance would have been his second longest as a collegian, finishing 0.32 meters shy of his 19.87 meter outdoor record at the Virginia Challenge in April. His records for UMES also counts for his home nation, where he is also at the top of the record books.
Jamaica’s O’Dayne Richards won the gold in the event, setting a Pan American record of 21.69 meters.
Although he’s far from finished, Simon’s performance at the Pan American Games puts a cap on a fantastic career as a representative of Hawk nation. He has rewritten the record books and is now the sole possessor of all four throwing records between indoor and outdoor track. Along the way Simon has appeared at several MEAC, ECAC and NCAA championships, finishing among the top 25 shot putters, weight throwers and discus throwers in the country. He additionally captured a plethora of awards from both UMES and various organizations.
Playing for her home country of Aruba, Seraus led off with a doubles competition alongside her countrywoman Kamilah Dammers. Over the course of 12 games played she experienced highs and lows en route to a solid performance. Perhaps fighting some nerves, Seraus led off with an uncharacteristic score of 123, but quickly turned it around with a 202 in the second set of frames.
Seraus’ best run came midway into the dozen game set with a 222 in game seven. She followed that with a 247, which would end up being her highest score. In the ninth set of frames Seraus delivered a 203, completing a trio of scores over 200. After a pair of scores in the high 100’s, she finished on a high note with a 242 in the 12th and final game.
Overall, Seraus had a total pinfall of 2,287 for an average of 190.6. Her teammate Dammers was slightly more consistent with an average of 192.3. Together the duo earned a pinfall of 4,601, good for ninth in the 14 team field.
Colombians Clara Guerrero and Rocio Restrepo took home the gold with a pinfall of 5,074.
In the singles competition, Seraus soared thru the qualifying stage, leading off with five straight games of 200 or more, including a high of 279. She ended the first day of qualifying in second place, just one pin behind the leader. However, a surge by other competitors sent Seraus to third by the end of the round, which was still good enough to advance.
Seraus started off the round robin phase well with a 213 but slid back into the 100s over the next few games. Despite a solid and consistent finish for the eight-game round, she finished in fifth, one position shy of the cut off line for the semifinals.
Shannon Pluhowsky of the United States took home the gold in the women’s finals.
Seraus is slated to be the anchor for the UMES bowling team when play resumes this coming autumn.