After serving a four-week suspension, track and field all-American Gil Roberts competed for the first time this season Saturday in the Texas Tech Invitational.
Roberts was suspended along with teammates Tim Foster and Lamont Adams for allegations surrounding theft of clothing items on Jan. 6 at the Academy Sports and Outdoors in Lubbock.
Tech coach Wes Kittley suspended both Foster and Adams indefinitely.
Kittley said all three athletes have had their troubles before, but Roberts has a different situation than Foster and Adams in regards to discipline and character.
“I can’t elaborate on grades, but the overall package he is doing better,” he said. “That was one of the decisions. It was a tough decision to get rid of the two other guys.
“I want them to do well, but I just felt like each one situation was dealt with independently and differently and each one had a little different situation.”
Roberts ran in the 400-meter-dash and placed fifth with a time of 47.85 seconds.
Kittley said Saturday was Roberts’ first time running since the IAAF championships on Aug. 18 of last year in Berlin.
Although Roberts did not win his race, Kittley said he expects him to run much faster in his next race.
Roberts was unavailable for comment Saturday.
“He has missed a lot,” Kittley said. “I think it’s obvious when you saw him run today. He’s not as sharp as he would have been than if he’d been in the program the whole time. But he is very outstanding.”
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