CLEMSON, S.C.-  Senior Tony Juarez led a select group of Clayton College & State University track & field athletes Saturday, placing third in the 1500m race at the Orange & Purple Classic at Clemson University.  

Despite hot conditions, Juarez (East Hazel Crest, IL) posted the third fastest 1500m time in school history with a time of 3:51.42. Junior Adil Berkhedle (Birchmount, Ontario) closed out his year with his best 800m time of the season, finishing 18th with a time of 1:55.88.  

On the women's side, senior Penny Tinker (Mesa, AZ) finished eighth in the 1500m with a time of 4:52.23, followed by sophomore Heather Krehbiel (Peachtree City, GA) in 11th with a time of 4:57.97. Sophomore Melissa Shaw (Morrow, GA) finished 13th in the 800m with a time of 2:21.09.  

A small group of Clayton State runners will close out its regular season on Friday and Saturday, May 14-15, in the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, GA.  

Scheduled to participate in the regular season finale will be Clayton State's six athletes that have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships, plus Tinker, Shaw and senior Stephen Hughes (Hampton, GA).  

Along with Juarez, senior Elijah Ajayi (Riverdale, GA), freshman Brian Etelman (Marietta, GA), junior Carlos Guyton (Thomasville, GA), senior Rother Heard (Conyers, GA) and freshman Eric Simmons (Carrollton, GA) will participate in the meet and try to improve their NCAA provisional qualifying times.  

Juarez has hit the provisional time in the 1500m, while Etelman and Simmons have achieved the provisional mark in the 200m and 400m events, respectively. Etelman, Guyton, Heard and Simmons have hit the provisional mark in the 4x400m relay, while Ajayi, Etelman, Guyton and Heard made the provisional mark in the 4x100m relay.  

The NCAA Division II National Championship meet is scheduled for May 26-29 in Walnut, CA.