Two local athletes will be competing at the Division III Outdoor Track and Field Nationals at Baldwin Wallace College this week.

Elyria's Julius Higginbotham and Admiral King's Paris Hilliard look to end their college careers on top.

Higginbotham will compete in the long jump and the 4x100 relay. At the Gregory Invitational last week, he set the school record in the 100 (10.84). His jump of 23 feet, 1.75 inches at the 2010 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships was an automatic qualifier.

Hilliard will also run in the 4x100 relay which also set a school record (41.45) last week. He has received All-Ohio Honorable Mention six times.

Hilliard and Higginbotham qualified for nationals in the same event in 2007.

Long jump trials and finals will be on Thursday at 6 p.m. The 4x100 finals will be on Saturday at 1 p.m.

"It’s close to home," Higginbotham said. What a better way to end my college career. It adds more excitement to be in the position that I’m in and it just seems that it’s meant to be."

swalker@MorningJournal.com