Women's Track & Field | March 22, 2025

ATLANTA—The Clayton State University track & field teams returned to action since the first weekend in March in the Emory Spring Break Classic on Friday and Saturday.  The Lakers are continuing put out impressive results in their second meet of the outdoor season. 
 
FRIDAY ACTION
The Lakers competed in select events on Friday afternoon.  Action started in the field where Davonte Jackson finished fourth in the triple jump with a final mark of 14.46m.  Later in the field, Freddie Hawkins and Rodney Crawford finished in a tie for 15^th with a final mark of 1.80m in the high jump.  On the track, Ivorie Smith finished with the ninth fastest time in program history in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:10.61.  In the 200m dash, Cayla Brown finished in 12^th place with a time of 25.31.  Payton Knowles and Ziona Harris also finished in the top 25 in the race.  In the men's race, Titus Hand finished 14^th with a time of 22.01.  Hand was followed by Kelvin Oppong, who finished in 31^st with a time of 22.62. 
 
Later in the evening, Camron Gaddis finished fourth in the 1500m with a time of 3:59.19 and was only one of five runners to go sub-four minutes in the race.  In the 3K steeplechase, Story Alexander crossed the finish line in fifth with a time of 12:31.87.  Action, on the track, ended in the 4x400 meter relay as the team of Rebecca Oji, Marley Tate, JaBresha Palmer, and Harris ran the fourth fastest time, finishing with a time of 4:03.10.  In the men's race, the team of Hand, Rakiem Barnes, Jackson, and Nehemiah Horton finished in fifth with a time of 3:19.95. 
 
SATURDAY ACTION
The action on the track started in the 100m dash where Kalani Wyman finished in ninth and Oppong finished in 12^th with times of 11 and 11.02 seconds, respectively.  Wyman and Oppong took that momentum into the 4x100 meter relay where they teamed up with Dominic Archer and Hand and finished fifth with a time of 42.53. The Lakers then turned their attention to the 800m run where Nehemiah Horton and Gaddis finished third and fourth with times of 1:54.29 and 1:54.70, respectively.  Horton ran the third fastest time in league while Gaddis ran the fifth fastest.  The Lakers, on the men's side finished off the meet in the 4x200 meter relay where the team of Wyman, Oppong, Archer, and Hand finished in sixth clocking a time of 1:31.24. 
 
On the women's side, the Lakers started in the 100m qualifying event where Cayla Brown finished in fourth with a time of 12.36.  Knowles also finished in the top 15 with a time of 12.45.  Next on the track with the 4x100 meter relay where the team of Destiny Hanna, Knowles, Jada Jenkins, and Brown improved upon their time finishing the race in 48 seconds, placing in seventh.  Ziona Harris then took to the 400m dash and finished in 10^th with a time of 58.55.  In the 800m run, Palmer finished in eighth with a time of 2:21.49 while Ivorie Smith placed 12^th clocking a time of 2:23.55.  Ahlana Failey rounded out the top 15 on the leaderboard with a time of 2:24.60. 
 
The Lakers finished action on the track in the 4x200 meter relay where the team of Hanna, Harris, Brown, and Jenkins finished in third with a time of 1:42.85.  That mark shatters the school record in the event by nearly three seconds.   The record was set in 2009. 
 
Below are the Top 25 finishers for the Lakers in this meet

Athlete	Event (s)	Place: Time/Mark
Titus Hand	200m dash 4x400 meter relay 4x100 meter relay 400m dash 4x200 meter relay	14th: 22.01 5th: 3:19.95 5th: 42.53 19th: 50.32 6th: 1:31.24
Camron Gaddis	1500m run 800m run	4th: 3:59.19 4th: 1:54.70
Rakiem Barnes	4x400 meter relay 800m run	5th: 3:19.95 23rd: 1:58.22
Davonte Jackson	Triple Jump 4x400 meter relay	4th: 14.46m 5th: 3:19.95
Rakiem Barnes	4x400 meter relay	5th: 3:19.95
Nehemiah Horton	4x400 meter relay 800m run	5th: 3:19.95 3rd: 1:54.29
Kalani Wyman	100m dash 4x100 meter relay 4x200 meter relay	9th: 11.00 5th: 42.53 6th: 1:31.24
Kelvin Oppong	100m dash 4x100 meter relay 4x200 meter relay	12th: 11.02 5th: 42.53 6th: 1:31.24
Dominic Archer	4x100 meter relay 100m dash (Semis) 4x200 meter relay	5th: 42.53 18th: 11.02 6th: 1:31.24
James Morrow	1500m run	24th: 4:22.64
Ivorie Smith	400m hurdles 800m run	21st: 1:10.61 12th: 2:23.55
Cayla Brown	200m dash 100m dash 4x100 meter relay 4x200 meter relay	12th: 25.31 4th: 12.36 7th: 48.00 3rd: 1:42.85
Ziona Harris	200m dash 4x400 meter relay 400m dash 4x200 meter relay	24th: 25.70 4th: 4:03.10 10th: 58.55 3rd: 1:42.85
Payton Knowles	200m dash 100m dash 4x100 meter relay	25th: 25.80 12th: 12.45 7th: 48.00
Story Alexander	3K steeplechase	5th: 12:31.87
Rebecca Oji	4x400 meter relay 400m dash	4th: 4:03.10 18th: 60.00
Marley Tate	4x400 meter relay 800m run	4th: 4:03.10 25th: 2:29.90
JaBresha Palmer	4x400 meter relay 800m run	4th: 4:03.10 8th: 2:21.49
Destiny Hanna	100m dash 4x100 meter relay 4x200 meter relay	24th: 12.80 7th: 48.00 3rd: 1:42.85
Jada Jenkins	4x100 meter relay 4x200 meter relay	7th: 48.00 3rd: 1:42.85
Ahlana Failey	800m run	15th: 2:24.60
Rodney Crawford	Triple Jump High Jump	19th: 12.48m T-15th: 1.80m
Freddie Hawkins	High Jump	T-15th: 1.80m
Christian Wiltshire	High Jump	23rd: 1.75m

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Lakers have quick turnaround and return to Emory University on March 28^th and the 29^th as they compete in the Emory Thrills in the Hils Open.  The times are to be determined and please visit claytonstatesports.com for the most updated information. 
 
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