Senior Devon Bond has made a smooth transition from Texas to UTSA this season.
SAN ANTONIO — Often times, transferring from one school to another, especially in athletics, requires an adjustment period for a student-athlete. In the case of junior Devon Bond, that time frame has been rather short, especially if the first month-and-a-half of the indoor season is any indication.
Bond, who made the move 80 miles down IH-35 from the University of Texas last fall, has become an integral part of UTSA’s success this winter, as the Roadrunners look to extend their Southland Conference dominance to five indoor championships in row this weekend in Norman, Okla.
The Trenton, N.J., native currently leads the league with his personal-best and school-record measurement of 52-5 ½ (15.99m) in the triple jump, which he set, ironically, at the New Balance Invitational in New York City two-and-a-half weeks ago. Not only did he top his previous mark by more than two feet, but it also set a national record in his native Guyana (pronounced GUY-anna).
“I had really been looking forward to that meet since the season started and it was circled on my calendar,” Bond said before heading to class on Tuesday morning. “I have competed there many times and it was great to get a PR in front of my family and friends. I just wanted to go there and perform to the best of my abilities and I think I was successful in doing that. Setting a Guyana national record was a special achievement and something I will remember the rest of my life, but I have so many other goals I want to achieve before my career is over.”
One of those is to qualify for the NCAA Championships, which is scheduled for March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark., for the first time in his career and become UTSA’s sixth All-American. Bond, also a standout high jumper who has cleared 7-0 ¼ (2.13m), enters this weekend’s Southland Indoor as the 12th-best performer on the national leaderboard, which should get him into the national meet. However, he knows he needs to continue to improve his standing in order to make that goal become a reality.
“I really have been focusing on preparing my body both physically and mentally for the last two weeks in preparation for this meet,” he said. “I want to do whatever it takes to help my teammates win another championship and, if that means I jump 54 feet, that will make it that much better and get me one step closer to my goals. I want to win my events (he will compete in both the high and triple jump) and, if I am doing that, then that means we are getting closer to winning another ring. I take a lot of pride in keeping the championship tradition alive here.”
Bond said coming to the Alamo City was an easy decision because of the Roadrunners’ recent run of success to go along with the reputation of their head coach, Aaron Fox, a five-time Southland Coach of the Year honoree and the 2008 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association’s South Central Coach of the Year. Fox also is a 1999 graduate of Bond’s former residence, the Forty Acres.
“I really didn’t have to think twice about coming to San Antonio. It’s been great so far and it helped that Coach Fox and I have a little in common,” Bond said with a smile on his face.
Maybe that’s why he is off to such a great start, but there’s no denying that Fox is happy Bond is now a part of his program.
“Devon is a lot of fun to coach,” Fox said. “He listens, works hard and is a very strong competitor. He has also assumed a leadership role on the team and that has been very important because we don’t have a lot of seniors on this year’s team. We are definitely lucky to have a young man such as him on our campus and a part of our program.”