MORROW, Ga. – Clayton State Athletics continued a culture of academic excellence on Saturday, December 8 as the program produced 20 current or former student-athletes earning degrees at the 2018 Fall Commencement Ceremony held at The Loch.
 
This year's graduates represent 10 Laker team's and are headlined by six men's basketball student-athletes. Earning degrees from that program were Jaumonee Byrd, Mike Scott, Denzel Council, Kendall Joseph, Obi Udezeh and Nathan Powell.
 
Women's soccer came in second with four individuals, including Erika Gurnsey, Denisha Paskell, Paige Lievsay and current graduate assistant Charlotte McCormack. Kemjika Finebone, Kimberley Zahm and Chelsy Haynes represented women's track & field and Adarion Watson, Wilson Louima and Rafael Salis did so for men's track & field.
 
Women's basketball, with Aysia Grimsley and Kenisha Jones-Barrett, and Kayla Lumpkin and Nahtyka Jolly of cheerleading, rounded out the 2018 Fall graduating class.
 
Since the 2014-15 year, Clayton State Athletics has produced more than 100 graduates. This past spring featured a record 29 individuals and the fall had 13 graduates. In May of 2017 a total of 16 graduates crossed the stage after 18 did so in the Fall of 2016. Clayton State set a program record of 20 individuals in May 2016 following 13 in the Fall of 2015. The 2014-15 graduations saw a combined 20 graduates.
 
Clayton State University, a unit of the University System of Georgia located 15 miles southeast of Atlanta, Ga., currently offers 11 sports as well as cheerleading and is a member of NCAA Division II. The Lakers have more than 140 student-athletes competing for championships at the national, regional and conference level with each program being members of the Peach Belt Conference.
 
2018 Fall Commencement Graduates – Current and Former Student-Athletes (20)
*Jaumonee Byrd, Men's Basketball
Denzel Council, Men's Basketball
Kemjika Finebone, Women's Track & Field
Aysia Grimsley, Women's Basketball
Erika Gurnsey, Women's Soccer
Chelsy Haynes, Women's Track & Field
Nahtyka Jolly, Cheerleading
Kenisha Jones-Barrett, Women's Basketball
Kendall Joseph, Men's Basketball
Paige Lievsay, Women's Soccer
Wilson Louima, Men's Track & Field
Kayla Lumpkin, Cheerleading
*Charlotte McCormack, Women's Soccer
Denisha Paskell, Women's Soccer
Nathan Powell, Men's Basketball
Rafael Salis, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
*Mike Scott, Men's Basketball
Obi Udezeh, Men's Basketball
Adarion Watson, Men's Track & Field
Kimberley Zahm, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
*Earned Master's Degrees
 
NOTE
List of graduates are those anticipated to earn their degrees.