This is the first season as an assistant coach on the Laker track and field team for Coach Ayana Drakes-Campbell. Coach Drakes-Campbell is going to oversee the sprinters and brings a lot of great experiences to the team.
Ayana Drakes-Campbell started her coaching career as a Director of Operations and the Assistant Track and Field Sprint Coach at The Fast and Furious Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica, from 2015-19. Coach Drakes-Campbell then from 2019-22 was the head coach of the Redan Recreation Track and Field Center. There, she was able to send several athletes to District and State Championships, which was not accomplished in many years. She mentored one athlete that placed first in the long jump at the district level, and at the state championship,and one athlete that was a top-four finisher in the long jump and second place finisher in the shot put.
Ayana holds three different types of certifications which includes a Georgia High School Principal of Coaching (2019), a USTAF Level one certification (2019) and a USATF Level two certification (2021).
Ayana's track and field journey started at Lithonia High School where she led the team to a State Championship in 1998. In her senior year, she was awarded the MVP title and earned a track and field scholarship to Albany State University.
Coach Drakes-Campbell had a very successful track and field career as a Golden Ram. Ayana was 12-time SIAC all-conference selection in the 400m, 200m, 4x100, and was a 4x all-conference selection in the 400m. Coach Drakes-Campbell also held the triple jump record for over 9 years. Ayana was also a six-time All-American in 200,400,4x100 and the 4x400.
Ayana Drakes-Campbell graduated from Albany State in 2003 with her Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems while earning her Master's Degree in 2018 from Strayer University in Business Administration with a concentration in Globalization.
