MORROW, Ga. –  You can never have enough speed and Clayton State women's track & field has added another burner with the addition of Division II Lee University transfer Kayla Williams (Decatur, Ga./Centennial High School) as announced by head coach Chris Brown on Wednesday, July 17.

KAYLA WILLIAMS: 4-11, Decatur, Ga. (Lee University/Centennial High School)
Williams joins the Lakers following a year at Lee University and just two competing at Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia. Even in just that short amount of time she has produced an impressive list of accomplishments at both levels.
 
With the Flames she notched a total of 10 top five finishes between the indoor and outdoor campaigns. However, what was more impressive was when she accomplished three of those outings – at the Gulf South Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
There she competed in three events and placed in the top three in all of them, earning All-GSC Second-Team honors in the 4x100 relay (46.49) and 100-meters (12.09). She came in 2-of-7 in the relay and was 2-of-20 in the 100-meters to go with finishing 3-of-27 in the 200-meters.
 
That would be All-Conference standing in the Peach Belt Conference but the GSC only recognizes First- and Second-Team performances. On top of that she recorded a time of 11.77 in the 100-meter prelims that would lower the current Clayton State program record by 0.15 seconds were she to have done it with the Lakers.
 
A local product, Williams got her start in just two years of competition at Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia. In those two years she accomplished more than a number of athletes do in four campaigns.
 
During that time she would earn six trips to the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Championship in four different events and qualify for the Region 7-6A and 6A Sectional Championships seven times each. She would head to State in the 100-meters and 4x100 relay both years, 4x400 relay as a senior and 200-meters as a junior.
 
Some of her best performances would come on that grand stage as she set a personal best in the 100-meters with a mark of 12.16 in her first trip and lower that to 11.86 the following year.
 
That would see her earn GHSA State Runner-Up honors as she finished 2-of-16. In order to get there she would also claim three Region 7-6A Championships, all during her senior year, doing so in the 100-meters (11.98) and 4x100 (47.93) and 4x400 relay (4:01.03). She would also pick up three runner-up finishes at that level and one at Sectionals.
 
Over the course of her high school career she delivered 40 top five finishes with 14 first place outings among them. Of those, 23 and nine, respectively, came during her senior season.
 
That year she would be named Team Most Valuable Player after notching program records in the 100- and 200-meters as well as the 4x400 relay. This came after setting the records for the first two the previous year.
 
In addition to competing for the Knights, Williams also qualified for the Junior Olympics at the Regional level in the 100- and 200-meters as well as the 4x100 relay. The latter would see her advance to the Junior Olympics in 2016.
 
Head Coach Chris  Brown on Kayla Williams
"Kayla 'TINY' Williams is just what we have been looking for. She's a great student-athlete and comes with leadership skills and a bundle of experience. With her talent we are excited about the possibilities of what she will bring to Laker Nation. This makes our women's sprint class pretty exciting and I look forward to working with her and further developing her talent."

2019-20 Clayton State Women's Track & Field Signing Class
Jayda Daniels: 5-4, Hinesville, Ga. (Bradwell Institute) – Release (6/20)
Shania Riles: 5-8, Columbus, Ga. (Carver High School) – Release (6/22)
Kimberly Fernandez: 5-7, Buford, Ga. (Heritage High School) – Release (7/16)
Kayla Williams: 4-11, Decatur, Ga. (Lee University/Centennial High School)

Transactions
Clayton State Athletics announced that Kayla Williams has transferred into the women's track & field program from Division II Lee University.