Men's Track & Field | January 18, 2026
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Clayton State University track & field teams kicked off 2026 with a bang as they saw excellent results at the 2026 KMS Invitational on Sunday. The Lakers took down countless school records.
MEN'S SIDE
The men started off, on the track, with a bang as the team of
Drewmel Banks,
Marcus Robinson,
Tyler Dixon, and
Kevin Turner finished in second place with a final time of 1:30.04, which is a new program record. The men's DMR team of
Nehemiah Horton,
Josh Soluade,
James Morrow, and
Dion Dial followed that up with a first place finish with a final time of 10:54.93. That time was 15 seconds better than second place. Later, on the track,
Rakiem Barnes broke the program record in the 600m run with a time of 1:21.78. Barnes was followed by
Sancho Smith who finished in second and
Avery Moran who finished in fifth. The Lakers kept raking on the track as
Camron Gaddis beat a field of 30 runners in the mile run with a time of 4:22.36.
Emanuel Dixon finished fifth in the race. Gaddis then followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the 3000m run with a time of 8:48.49.
The Lakers also made some noise in the 60m dash as Turner and Robinson both passed through the prelims and semifinals to the finals. Turner finished fifth in the finals with a time of 6.95 while Robinson placed seventh with a time of 7.01 seconds. Both Turner and Robinson tied the program record for the race in this event after Marcus posted a time of 6.95 in the semifinals. In the 60m hurdles,
Davonte Jackson also set a new school record with a time of 8.37 in the finals. Jackson finished as the race's runner-up. After Horton finished fourth in the 800m run, Robinson paced the Lakers in the 200m dash with a time of 22.23. The Lakers finished strong with the 4x400m relay with a second place finish. The team of
Isaiah Taylor,
Anthony Somers, Horton, and Robinson finished with a time of 3:34.45.
The Lakers also had a good performance in the field events.
Desmond Major was busy in the field as he became the first Laker since 2020 to compete in the weight throw (7.88m). Major also became the first Laker to participate in the Pole Vault with a final mark of 2.75m. After a tremendous effort in the hurdles, Jackson won the triple jump with a final distance of 14.21m.
Logan Wright finished sixth in the event.
Derrick White then closed out the action for the Lakers in the field with a tied for first finish in the high jump with a final heigh of 1.90m.
WOMEN'S SIDE
The women's saw early success in the 4x200m relay as the team of
Destiny Hanna,
Jada Jenkins,
Ziona Harris, and
Aerin Summers won the race with a time of 1:46.20. The Lakers then dominated in the 600m run as
Marley Tate won the race with a time of 1:39.98.
Ivorie Smith and
Ahlana Failey finished second and third in the race, respectively. Like on the men's side, the women had a lot of success in the 60m dash. Hanna went through the gauntlet and eventually finished with a third place finish in the race. She saw her best time come in the prelims with a time of 7.90 seconds.
Jada Warren then took second place in the mile with a time of 5:52.28 and Harris and
Justice Lester went first and second in the 400m dash with times of 60.85 and 61.75, respectively.
Later, on the track,
India Williamson finished fourth in the 800m run with a time of 2:29.71 and
Maleena Castillo clocked the sixth fastest time in the race. The Lakers then saw Jenkins pace the Lakers in the 200m dash with a time of 26.01. She finished in fifth in the race. Action on the track concluded in the 4x400m relay as the team of Harris, Tate, Smith, and Failey won the race with a time of 4:12.07. The team of Lester,
Asia Swilley, Castillo, and
Alexandra Baracco finished in second place in the race.
The Lakers saw very good results in the field as
Keira Davis shined in the high jump with a final height of 1.50m and set a new school record in the pole vault with a final height of 2.30m. Hailey Jackson-Morgan was also busy in the field as she took fourth in the weight throw (11.23m) and shot put (10.13m).
Jacquelyn Johnson finished fifth in the shot put (9.96m) and ninth in the weight throw (8.00m). In the jumps,
Iyanna Jordan,
Gabriella Lawrence, and Janiya Daniel paced the Lakers and finished in the top 10 in various events.
Below are all Top-10 Finishers for the Lakers in the KMS Invitational
*New School Records
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Lakers are back on the track on Friday, February 6
th at the UAB Black and Gold Invitational in Birmingham.
Be sure to follow Clayton State Athletics, "South Atlanta's College Team" on
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