Men's Track & Field | February 18, 2024

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Clayton State University track & field teams are set to compete in the inaugural Peach Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Monday at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center. Action begins at 9 a.m. and it will conclude with the final event at 4:50 p.m.
 
The Lakers, on the women's side, are led by Ariyonna Jones.  Jones, who broke four school records during the season, set a provisional mark in the 400m at the USA Jaguars Indoor Invitational on February 4^th with a time of 56.77.  Also at the meet, Jones broke the school record in the 200m dash with a time of 24.89.  Ariyonna currently enters the PBC Championships with the number one seed in both the 200m and 400m.  Following Jones is Kennedy McDonald, Cayla Brown, and Maya Adams.  McDonald is currently 6^thin the 400m dash and 13^th in the 200m dash.  Kennedy is also a part of the 4x400 meter relay team that enters the Championships as the third seed.  Brown had a good indoor season thus far as she enters the Championships with the 8^th best time in the 200m and the 12^th best time in the 60m dash.  Rounding out the impactful women is Adams.  Adams enters the Championships as the seventh seed in the 60m dash. 
 
In the field, the Lakers are led by Jaazer Ridges.  The transfer from Wichita State currently 5^th in the triple jump and 9^th in the long jump.  Following Ridges is Jada Colbert.  Colbert enters the meet as the 4^th seed in the high jump. 
 
The Lakers, on the men's side, are led by Sancho Smith, Titus Hand, Kelvin Oppong, and Camron Gaddis.  Smith, who is a native of Bermuda, has had a great indoor season as he is the eighth seed in the 800m run.  Smith is also a part of the 4x400 meter relay team that is fourth in the PBC and is also on the DMR team that is second in the conference.  Hand follows Smith which is currently fifth in the 400m and seventh in the 200m dashes.  Like Smith, Hand is also a part of the fourth-ranked 4x400 meter relay team.  Oppong and Gaddis round out the impactful runners for the Lakers.  Oppong, at the Emory CrossPlex Invitational, broke the school record in the 60m dash with a time of 6.96.  His 60m dash time ranks fifth in the PBC.  Christopher Hart is two slots in front of him in the third spot in the race.  Oppong was also a part of the team that broke the school record in the 4x200 meter relay.  Gaddis, who is a sophomore from Lawrenceville, is currently eighth in the mile as he set that mark at the USA Jaguar Indoor Invitational on February 4^th.  Gaddis is also a part of the DMR team that ranks second in the league. 
 
The Lakers are led in the field by the Davonte Jackson and Freddie Hawkins.  Jackson enters the Championships as the top-seeded long jumper and the second-seeded triple jumper.  At the Sewanee Indoor Invitational, Jackson missed the NCAA DII provisional mark by .3 meters.  Hawkins, in the high jump, tied the school record with a final mark of 2m.  That mark is also good for tops in the conference. 
 
Below is a full list of the Lakers competing in the Conference meet:
 

Name	Event(s)
Maya Adams	60m dash
Cassidy Jenkins	60m dash
Cayla Brown	600m dash 200m dash
Jada Jenkins	60m dash 200m dash
Ariyonna Jones	200m dash 400m dash 4x400 meter relay
Kennedy McDonald	200m dash 400m dash 4x400 meter relay
JaBresha Palmer	800m run 4x400 meter relay
Ivorie Smith	800m run DMR
Joy McLeod	60m hurdles DMR
Tanaeya Johnson	3K DMR
Story Alexander	3K DMR
Kelvin Oppong	60m dash
Christopher Hart	60m dash
Titus Hand	200m dash 400m dash 4x400 meter relay
DaTavion Lawson	200m dash 4x400 meter relay
Keith Hicks	400m dash 4x400 meter relay
Sancho Smith	800m run 4x400 meter relay
Rakiem Barnes	800m run DMR
Camron Gaddis	Mile DMR
Nehemiah Horton	Mile DMR
Ishmeal Neblett	60m hurdles
Jamiel Robinson	60m hurdles
Jaazer Ridges	4x400m meter relay Triple Jump Long Jump
Jada Colbert	High Jump
Freddie Hawkins	High Jump
Adarius Andrews	High Jump Long Jump
Kahmani Zachery	High Jump DMR
Davonte Jackson	Long Jump Triple Jump

 
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