Clayton State Track

2002 Laker Season

Guffey places sixth at NCAA Track & Field
Championships; named All-American

Senior closes out collegiate running career with school record time

Meet Results
San Angelo, TX -- May 25, 2002 -- Clayton College & State University senior distance runner Joni Guffey put an exclamation point on a sparkling collegiate running career Saturday in the NCAA Track & Field Championships placing sixth in the 1500m race, posting a school record time of 4:34.53.

The sixth place finish in the 1500m final garnered her Division II All-American honors as the top eight runners in the event received the honor at the national meet hosted by Angelo State University.

"Being named an All-American is a wonderful achievement for Joni," said head coach Mike Mead. "She had a perfect ending to her collegiate running career. She ran a personal best and set a new school in her final collegiate race."

After remaining near the rear of the pack for the first two laps of the race, Guffey made her move in the final 200m, picking off two runners and moving from eighth to sixth place.

Mandi Long, Grand Valley State, won the event posting a time of 4:28.53, followed by Alisha Williams, Western State, with a time of 4:30.08. Andrea Hurbina, Western State, placed third with a time of 4:31.66, followed by Katie Hostetler-Farri, Northern Colorado, with a time of 4:33.73. Margaret Miklovic, Missouri Southern State, finished fifth and three-tenths of second in front of Guffey with a time of 4:34.23.

Guffey qualified for Saturday's finals by placing fifth in her heat on Thursday with a time 4:36.45, the fifth fastest of the two heats and at the time her second fastest time ever.

Clayton State's fifth All-American in its 12-year history, Guffey is the first female CCSU athlete to receive All-American honors. She along with men's soccer player Josh Grenier, who was named an All-American in 2000, are the school's only first-team All-Americans. Men's golfers Adam Short and Dave Kelly received second-team and third-team honors in 1999, while men's basketball player Robert Conley received third team honors in 1998-99.

"Joni is the epitome of what it means to be a student-athlete and has been a fine representative of Clayton State," said Mead "She has set a high standard for our program and set the bar for runners who will follow in her footsteps."

A senior from Frankfort, KY, Guffey is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Clayton State's history. In addition to her accomplishments on the track, she has also excelled in the classroom, evidenced by being named Thursday to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District III Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Guffey was one of 10 student athletes to be honored with the award and will now be on the national ballot and eligible for being named a Verizon Academic All-American. She has the rare opportunity to be named both an All-American on the playing field and in the classroom.

The Women's Track/Cross Country All-American team will be announced on Thursday, June 20. Clayton State's District III College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Guffey graduated magna cum laude with a 3.82 grade point average and was CCSU's top accounting graduate for 2002. She received the 2002 Lady Laker Award presented to the program's top female student-athlete and the H. Mason Barfield Award presented to the athlete with the highest grade point average. She is also a three-time selection to the Cross Country Coaches Association's Academic All-American team.

In the 2001 national meet, Guffey finished fifth in her heat and was seven-tenths of a second from advancing to the finals after posting a time of 4:41.81. At last year's national meet, the top four finishers from each heat advanced plus the four fastest times from both races.

Last fall, Guffey had a record-breaking season in cross country, recording the three fastest 5K times in school history, while breaking the 6K record. She was also named to Division II's All-South Region team and to the Peach Belt All-Conference team for the second time.

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Guffey named to Verizon Academic All-District III
team; eligible for Academic All-American honors

Senior to compete in 1500m final of NCAA Track & Field Championships Sat.

Morrow, GA -- May 24, 2002 -- On the track, Clayton College & State University's Joni Guffey proved she is one of the top distance runners at the NCAA Division II level Thursday, qualifying for the finals in the 1500m race at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in San Angelo, Texas.

In the classroom, Guffey also excelled, evidenced by being named Thursday to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District III Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Guffey was one of 10 student athletes to be honored with the award and will now be on the national ballot and eligible for being named a Verizon Academic All-American. The Women's Track/Cross Country All-American team will be announced on Thursday, June 20. Clayton State's District III College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

A senior from Frankfort, KY, Guffey is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Clayton State's 12-year history. By advancing to the finals of Saturday's 1500m race and being named to the Academic All-District team, she has a chance of being both an All-American in the 1500m and an Academic All-American in Track/Cross Country. She must finish in the top eight in Saturday's final to be named All-American in the 1500m.

In addition to being a two-time qualifier for the NCAA Track & Field Championships, she graduated magna cum laude with a 3.82 grade point average and was CCSU's top accounting graduate for 2002. She received the 2002 Lady Laker Award presented to the program's top female student-athlete and the H. Mason Barfield Award presented to the athlete with the highest grade point average. She is also a three-time selection to the Cross Country Coaches Association's Academic All-American team.

Guffey will compete in the finals of the 1500m event on Saturday, May 25, at 6:20 p.m. CDT on the campus of Angleo State University. She posted the fifth fastest time in the two qualifying heats on Thursday with a time of 4:36.45, only two-tenths of a second from her own school record time.

Guffey qualified for this year's nationals with a school record time of 4:36.24 at Florida State University's Seminole Twilight. She entered Thursday's races with the 11^th fastest time out of 18 runners in the event.

Last season at the national meet, Guffey finished fifth in her heat and was seven-tenths of a second from advancing to the finals after posting a time of 4:41.81. At last year's national meet, the top four finishers from each heat advanced plus the four fastest times from both races.

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CCSU's Guffey advances to Saturday's final
in 1500m at NCAA Track & Field Championships

Senior distance runner posts her second fastest time in 1500m race

San Angelo, TX -- May 23, 2001 -- Clayton College & State University's Joni Guffey ran the second fastest 1500m time of her life Thursday in the NCAA Track & Field Championships in San Angelo, TX, and with it, she will now advance to the finals in the event on Saturday.

Guffey, a senior from Frankfort, KY, placed fifth in her heat with a time of 4:36.45, only two-tenths of a second from her own school record time of 4:36.24. She set the pace in the race, which was the second heat, leading the first two laps.

"Joni ran a smart, tactful race," said head coach Mike Mead. "She set the pace in the faster of the two heats. Now, we will have to wait and see who has the most left in the tank for Saturday's race and who can bounce back the quickest."

The top five place finishers in each heat advanced to the finals along with the next two fastest times from both heats. The final of the 1500m race will be run at 6:20 p.m. CDT on the campus of Angelo State University.

Guffey's second heat produced the six fastest times between the two races as the top five finishers were separated by only one second. Mandi Long, from Grand Valley State, won Guffey's heat with a time of 4:35.47, while Kadri Kelve, of Emporia State, won the first heat with a time of 4:38.35.

By posting the fifth fastest time in the two races, Guffey has a legitimate shot at making All-American as the top eight finishers in the finals on Saturday receive the honor.

Along with Long and Guffey, other qualifiers from the second heat were: Margaret Miklovic, Missouri Southern St., 4:36.16; Alicen Maier, Central Washington, 4:36.24; Laila Laursen, Western State; 4:36.41; Katie Marschel, North Dakota, 4:37.23; and Shannon Antvelink, Grand Valley St 4:39.53.

In addition to Kelve, other qualifiers from the first heat were: Diljeet Mendoza, Cal State Stanislaus, 4:38.44; Alisha Williams, Western State, 4:38.85; Katie Hostetler-Farri, Northern Colorado, 4:39.03; and Andrea Hurbina, Western State, 4:39.13.

Guffey qualified for nationals with a school record time of 4:36.24 at Florida State University's Seminole Twilight earlier this year. She entered Thursday's races with the 11^th fastest time out of 18 runners in the event.

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Guffey breaks school's 800m record at Georgia Tech
Invitational in tune-up for national meet

Juarez less than a half-second from setting new record in men's 800m

Atlanta, GA -- May 18, 2001 -- In a tune-up for next week's NCAA Division II National Track Championships, Clayton College & State University's Joni Guffey set another record, breaking her own mark in the 800m Saturday at the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta.

Guffey, a senior from Frankfort, KY, finished 27^th out of 46 runners in the event that was filled with Division I competitors. She finished with a time of 2:13.06 in the race, breaking her own record of 2:16.45 that she set last year in the Georgia Tech Invitational. The time also bettered the NCAA Division II provisional national meet standard in the 800m but comes after the qualifying deadline.

On the men's side, sophomore Tony Juarez, East Hazel Crest, IL and senior Jake McLemore, Indian Springs, NV, each competed in the 800m race and finished 47^th and 55^th, respectively, in the primarily Division I meet. Juarez finished with a personal best time of 1:55.37 and less than a half-second from breaking the school's 800m mark, while McLemore finished with a time of 2:01.06.

Juarez also ran in the 1500m race on Friday, placing 28th out of 42 with a time of 3:56.77. The time was second second best and less than two seconds from his school record of 3:54.92 that he set last week at Florida State.

Up next for Guffey, she will compete in the NCAA Track Championships May 23-25 in San Angelo, TX. Guffey qualified for the meet in the 1500m with a time of 4:36.24 at Florida State University's Seminole Twilight earlier this year. She has the 11^th fastest time out of 18 runners in the event and will run in the second heat of the 1500m scheduled on Thursday, May 23 at 5:20 p.m. CDT. The top 12 finishers will advance to Saturday's final on May 25 at 6:20 p.m.

Last season at the national meet, Guffey finished fifth in her heat and was only seven-tenths of a second from advancing to the finals with a time of 4:41.81.

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Guffey to run at NCAA Div. II Nationals
for 2^nd straight year; Juarez three seconds
shy of qualifying for national meet

Morrow, GA -- May 14, 2001 -- It's official, for the second year in a row, Clayton College & State University senior distance runner Joni Guffey will compete among the top NCAA Division II runners in the country.

Guffey, from Frankort, KY, learned Tuesday that her time of 4:36.24 in the 1500m race at Florida State University's Seminole Twilight qualified her for 11^th in the NCAA Division II National Track & Field Championships. She has the 11^th fastest time out of 18 runners in the event to be held May 23-25 in San Angelo, TX.

"If anyone deserves to go to nationals, it is Joni," said head coach Mike Mead. "She has worked extremely hard all season and her times reflect that. This will a be wonderful ending to her brilliant collegiate career."

Tony Juarez, who also posted a provisional qualifying time of 3:54.92 last week in the 1500m event at Florida State, barely missed qualifying for nationals, coming less than three seconds shy of making the field. Juarez ranked 39^th in the 1500m field with the nation's top 19 times qualifying for the race. A sophomore from East Hazel Crest, IL, Juarez bettered his school record by almost five seconds at the FSU meet.

"Tony had a bunch of guys in front of him, so we knew it would be difficult," said Mead. "But meeting the provisional qualification is still a fine accomplishment, especially since he is only a sophomore."

In addition to her qualifying time at Florida State, where she placed second in the race, Guffey also posted a NCAA qualifying time at the University of Tennessee's Sea Ray Relays. Both her Seminole Twilight time and her time of 4:38.32 at the UT meet broke her school record that she set in the 1500m last year.

Guffey will compete in one of the two preliminary heats of the 1500m scheduled on Thursday, May 23 at 5:20 p.m. CDT. The top 12 finishers will advance to Saturday's final May 25 at 6:20 p.m.

In addition to qualifying for nationals for the second straight season, Guffey also excelled in the classroom. She was the top accounting graduate at CCSU in 2002 and is a two-time winner of the H. Mason Barfield Award presented each year to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Last fall, Guffey had a record-breaking season in cross country, recording the three fastest 5K times in school history, while breaking the 6K record. She was also named to the All-South Region team, to the Peach Belt All-Conference team for the second time and to the Cross Country Coaches Association of America Academic All-American team for the third straight year.

In a tune-up for next week's national meet, Guffey will run the 800m this weekend at the Georgia Tech Invitational. Juarez and senior Jake McLemore (Indian Springs, NV) will also run in the meet.

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Seminole Twilight Results
Tony Juarez Earns NCAA Provisional time in 1500m

Clayton State Runners set three records at FSU Meet

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 12, 2002 -- With a downsized squad of five athletes competing in four events, the Clayton College & State University track squad came away with three impressive school records and an additional NCAA provisional qualifier Saturday night at the Seminole Twilight meet hosted by Florida State University. Senior lady Laker Joni Guffey, who met provisional standards last month, improved her chances at a return trip to the NCAA Division II Championships in the women's 1500m while sophomore Tony Juarez added his named to the men's provisional list in the 1500m, a first for the Clayton State men's program.

"The 800 and 1500 have been our bread & butter events this season and we capitalized tonight," said head coach Mike Mead. "I knew that Joni could knock a few seconds off her time to improve her chances of going to nationals, but Tony's effort was a wonderful surprise! I knew he had it in him to better his school record, but not by over four seconds."

Guffey, from Frankfort, Ky., bettered her NCAA provisional time and school record by more than two seconds as she finished second in 4:36.24 to Peach Belt Conference rival Jennifer Ford of North Florida. Juarez, who had not run faster than 4:02 this season, bettered his school record of 3:59.1 set last year with a fourth place finish of 3:54.92. The East Hazel Crest, Ill. native bettered the NCAA provisional standard by .08 seconds.

The third school record of the night was broken by freshman Adil Berkhedle in the 800m. Berkhedle, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, bettered his own record that he set two weeks ago with a time of 1:54.90 as he finished eighth overall.

Clayton State also was represent by junior La'Keshia Hayes with a nine place in the women's 800m with a personal best time of 2:23.04. Senior Jake McLemore competed in the men's 800m with an 11^th place finish in 2:00.66.

"We now play a waiting game for the next two days to see who makes it to nationals," said Mead. "Tony is a long shot since there are a bunch of guys in front of him, but we'll just have to see how everything plays out since many folks have qualified in multiple events and must declare by Monday night. We'll know for certain Tuesday afternoon who will compete at nationals."

In the meantime, Guffey, Juarez and one or two others will prepare for a last-chance tune-up meet this weekend at Georgia Tech. Those qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships will compete May 23-25 in San Angelo, Texas.

Samford Twilight Results

Clayton State Men set three Team Records at Samford Meet

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 28, 2002 -- The Clayton State men's track & field team set one individual and two relay records, while Joni Guffey won the 1500m run on Saturday evening at the Samford Twilight meet. Freshmen Adil Berkhedle and Carlos Guyton, along with sophomore Russell Tolbert and senior Jake McLemore each had a hand in two of the records. The quartet teamed up in the 4 x 400m relay and lowered the school record by more than two seconds to win the final event of the meet. The foursome ran 3:21.38 to break the mark of 3:23.60 set three weeks ago.

Earlier in the evening, Berkhedle and McLemore battled in the 800m, along with teammate Tony Juarez, for a 2-3-4 finish and broke the two-year old record set by former Laker runner Cam Hinz. Both Berkhedle and McLemore bettered Hinz' 2000 time of 1:57.59. Berkhedle finished with a team record of 1:55.76 while McLemore finished in 1:56.27, a personal best.

The third record involved Guyton, Tolbert and Elijah Ajayi and Gabriel Scott as the foursome bettered the 4 x 100m-relay record that is seldom run by Clayton State. The squad finished third with a time of 43.84.

"For the most part, this was the last meet of the season for most of our folks and we finished on a pretty positive note," said head coach Mike Mead. "The best event of the night for us was the 800m. Our men and women shined. Russell ran his second-best 400m and best 400m leg on the 4 x 400 relay. Adil and Jake had impressive runs in the 800m and Tony once again ran a solid double in the 800 and 1500 events."

La'Keshia Hayes, running on a sore ankle, managed a respectable fifth place finish in the 800m, while teammates Melody Bogan and Latrice Thomas ran season bests. Guffey, attempting to secure her second consecutive trip to the NCAA championships in the 1500m easily won the event in 4:44.13. Kim Daniel came away with a third place finish in the 3,000m run for the women's next-best individual finish while Nicole Wise garnered a sixth place finish.

Tolbert finished second in the 400m with a 48.97 and tied for second in the high jump with Guyton who finished third in the 400m. Juarez picked up a third in the 1500m.

A small contingent of Clayton State runners will be preparing for one last shot at a NCAA provisional qualifying time when they compete in the Seminole Twilight meet at Florida State University on May 11. Those who join Guffey in running a provisional time will learn by May 15 whether they will advance to the NCAA championship meet in San Angelo, Texas that runs May 23-25.

Guffey, Guyton, Tolbert lead CCSU Track at UAH Invitational

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 20, 2002 -- Senior women's runner Joni Guffey earned a pair of wins while Carlos Guyton and Russell Tolbert combined for three wins on the men's side as Clayton State track and field made a solid showing at the first University of Alabama-Huntsville Invitational on Saturday.

Guffey dominated the 1500m and 800m races in leading the lady Lakers to a second place team finish out of six schools represented. Host UAH dominated the meet, scoring 249 points, to CCSU's 55 points for runner-up. Guffey ran her second best time of the year in the 1500m, after running an NCAA Division II provisional time last weekend, with a 4:42.96 which was over 18 seconds ahead of second place Amy Phillips (5:01.70). In the 800m, Guffey paced the first lap together with teammate La'Keshia Hayes and finished with a 2:17.49 for the win. Hayes finished third in the event with a 2:24.56 time.

Hayes also picked up a second in the 400m (1:03.15) and teamed with Guffey, Melody Bogan and Latrice Thomas for a second place finish in the 4 x 400m relay (4:15.65). Bogan and Thomas finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 400 and were fifth and sixth in the 800m event.

On the men's side, Tolbert and Guyton had a productive day for the Lakers who finished third out of four teams as host UAH took the men's team title. Guyton got things going by earning a win in the high jump with a leap of 6-6. Tolbert finished third in the event with a jump of 6-4. In the 400m, Tolbert and Guyton finished one-two. Tolbert recorded the third fastest time in Laker history with a time of 48.98 while Guyton ran 50.00 to nose out third place finisher James Xavier. The duo paired up with Jake McLemore and Scribner Malloni to win the 4 x 400m in 3:29.11. Guyton and Tolbert also collected second and third place finishes, respectively, in the 200m.

McLemore also earned a third in the 1500m (4:18.26) while Malloni earned a fourth in the 3,000m and a fifth in the 1500m. Rounding out the scoring was Chris Gruwell with a sixth place finish in the 5,000m run.

"We looked good considering most everyone has raced at least three times in the past week," said head coach Mike Mead. The men's team, led by Carlos and Russell, were very productive considering we only brought have the squad to this meet. Joni looked strong in her two wins, as did La'Keshia in the 400 & 800 events. The heat definitely effected us in the distance events above 1500m, but we have to be prepared for all conditions. We'll put it all together next week at Samford."

For most of the Clayton State runners, next Saturday's meet will mark the season finale at the Samford Twilight Track & Field meet in Birmingham. Next Saturday's events begin with field events at 4 p.m., followed with running events at 6 p.m., CDT.

Lakers set two team records, earn five runner-up finishes at Cumberland Invite

Meet Results
Williamsburg, Ky., April 13, 2002 -- Making its strongest showing of the season, the Clayton State men's and women's track & field squads set two school records and earned a combined eight Top 3 finishes during Saturday's Cumberland College Invitational. The CCSU women's 4 x 400m relay and the men's 4 x 800m relay records were improved while the Lakers collected five runner-up finishes in both 4 x 800m relays, women's 1500m run, men's high jump and men's triple jump.

"This was our best showing of the season," said Lakers head coach Mike Mead. "Not only did we set two records and have several top finishes, we also set a slew of personal bests. All the hard work of the past few months are finally paying off. We were lucky that the rain held off for most of the meet and gave us relatively good conditions."

As a team, the men's squad finished seventh out of 14 teams while the women's team finished eighth out of 16 in the final team standing. The women's 4 x 400m finished third with a time of 4:10.93, almost a one second per runner improvement over the old mark of 4:14.86 set last year. The was composed of senior Joni Guffey, juniors Melody Bogan and La'Keshia Hayes, and freshman Kim Daniel.

The men's 4 x 800m record was improved by less than a second as senior Mike O'Donnell, sophomore Tony Juarez, and freshmen Adil Berkhedle and Scribner Malloni combined for a time of 8:09.70. The relay was one of three, second-place finishes for the CCSU men's squad. Earlier in the meet, freshman Carlos Guyton of Thomasville, Ga. cleared 6-6 to finish second in the high jump. Sophomore Elijah Ajayi equaled his team record of 43-4 1/4 for a runner-up finish in the men's triple jump. The Lakers also got a third place finish from Russell Tolbert in the 400m who ran 49.14.

The women's second place finishes came from Guffey in the 1500m run and the 4 x 800m. Guffey, who ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:38.32 the night before in Knoxville, Tenn., came back on Saturday to finish second with a time of 4:46.31. Later in the day, Guffey teamed with Daniel and freshmen Stephanie Gilbert and Latrice Thomas to run 9:57.07 for second in the 4 x 800m. Daniel also finished third in her first collegiate 3,000m run. She finished with a time of 10:51.10 and was less than three seconds off the school record.

Besides the top finishes, the Lakers got personal bests from Hayes (2:23.50, 7^th) in the 800m run; Bogan (2:32.9, 17^th) in the 800m; Gilbert (5:21.84, 14^th) in the 1500m; Nicole Wise (12:48.07, 12^th) in the 3,000m; and Chris Gruwell (18:03.82, 28^th) in the men's 5,000m run. In addition, Tony Juarez ran a season-best 4:02.74 for a fifth place finish in the 1500m run.

The Lakers have a busy week ahead as they return to action Wednesday in a rare weekday meet at Oglethorpe University, followed with a meet on Saturday at the University of Alabama-Huntsville Invitational. Wednesday's meet at Oglethorpe, located in Atlanta, begins at 3 p.m.

Guffey Runs NCAA Qualifying Time at Sea Ray Relays

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 12, 2002 -- Clayton State track & field runner Joni Guffey is one step closer to a return trip to the NCAA championships next month. The Frankfort, Ky. senior ran an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark of 4:38.32 in the women's 1500m run here on Friday night during the annual running of the Sea Ray Relays, hosted by the University of Tennessee. Not only did Guffey's time better the 4:41.00 provisional mark; it also bettered her own school record by 0.23 seconds.

"This was by far the best tactical race of Joni's collegiate career," said Laker head coach Mike Mead. "The race started slower than we had anticipated, but she hung in there and moved when she needed to go. She ran negative splits -- each lap faster than the first -- the entire way. Next to last year's national meet, this was the biggest meet she or anyone else at Clayton State had ever run in. This was a big confidence booster for Joni. She ran well with the big guns tonight!"

Guffey finished 21^st out of a field of 46 runners who were all from NCAA Division I programs. She ran in the third and final section, which is usually the slowest. Out of the 17 runners in her section, Guffey finished third, finishing just 0.16 behind second place Jessica Morris from Virginia Tech.

Guffey will have at least three more opportunities to lower her 1500m time and improve her chances in running in her second straight NCAA track & field championship meet. She will not officially learn of her final status until May 15. This year's NCAA meet will be held May 23-25 at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.

Clayton State track & field squad sets two team records, places 3rd in 400m relay at Spec Towns Invit.

Meet Results
ATHENS, GA., April 7, 2002 –The Clayton College & State University track & field team set two school records and had a third and fourth place finish Saturday in the Spec Towns Invitational held at the University of Georgia in Athens.

The 4x400m men's relay team had the top finish for the team, placing third with a school record time of 3:23.60. Russell Tolbert (Atlanta, GA) had the fastest leg of the group at 49.8 seconds, followed by Carlos Guyton (Thomasville, GA) at 50.1, Adil Berkhedle (Scarborough, Ontario) at 51.5 and Tony Juarez (East Hazel Crest, IL) at 52.1.

Tolbert also ran a 49.03 time to place fourth in the open 400m race, the third fastest 400m time in Clayton State history. Juarez set the school record in the 5000m race with a time of 15:58.23, placing seventh, while Berkhedle had the school's third fastest 800m, placing 11^th with a time of 1:58.62. Scribner Malloni finished seventh in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:46.95.

Guyton tied for fifth in the high jump, clearing 6-foot-4, while Tolbert tied for seventh, clearing 6-0. Elijah Ajayi (Riverdale, GA) placed 18^th in the 100m and 20^th in the 200m events with times of 11.60 and 23.19, respectively. Gabriel Scott placed 22^nd with a time of 11.94 in the 100m and 24^th in the 200m with a time of 24.09.

Mike O'Donnell (Chester, GA) placed 14^th in the 5,000m race with at time of 16:47.55, followed by Malloni in 15^th with a time of 17:20.17 and Chris Gruwell (Gainesville, GA) in 17^th at 18:32.39. O'Donnell also had a time of 4:23.60 in the 1500m event, followed by Jake McLemore (Indian Springs, NV) with a time of 4:32.40.

On the women's side, the Lakers weren't at full strength due to some injuries and only had five women competing in the meet.

Joni Guffey (Frankfort, KY) had the top finish for the women, placing fifth in the 1500m race with a time of 4:50.38. She also placed seventh in the 800m race with a time of 2:21.86.

La'Keshia Hayes (Lithonia, GA) placed 11^th in the 800m event with a time 2:27.56, while Nicole Wise (Jonesboro, GA) placed 10^th in the 5,000m event. Kim Daniel (Macon, GA) had to drop out of the 5,000m race due to an injury and Melody Bogan (College Park, MD) had a false start in the 800m race.

Clayton State will return to the track on April 13 for the Cumberland Invitational in Williamsburg, KY.

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Guffey leads Laker track & field team at rain-shortened Emory Classic

Women's Results; Men's Results
ATLANTA, GA., March 30, 2002 – Dodging the raindrops, the Clayton College & State University track & field teams had several top finishers in the Emory Classic Friday and Saturday before the event was cancelled due to the weather.

Senior Joni Guffey (Frankfort, KY) had the top finish in the rain-shortened event, placing second in 1500m race with a time of 4:45.5. Freshman Kim Daniel (Macon, GA) followed Guffey in sixth place in the race with a personal best time of 5:03.18.

Daniel also doubled in the 5,000m race placing seventh with a new school record time of 19:16.72, while Nicole Wise (Jonesboro, GA) finished 32^nd in the event with a time of 22:19.37.

On the men’s side, sophomore Tony Juarez (East Hazel Crest, IL), placed fourth in the 1500m race with a time of 4:04.9, while Russell Tolbert (Atlanta, GA) finished third in the high jump, clearing a height of 6-foot-4.

Sophomore Elijay Ajayi (Riverdale, GA) had a personal best time of 22.96 in the 200m race, qualifying for the finals before the rain cancelled the finals. He also placed 13^th in the 100m event with a time of 11.42, followed by Gabriel Scott (Augusta, GA), finishing 22^nd with a time of 11.76.

Senior Mike O’Donnell (Chester, GA) placed 13^th in the 1500m race with 4:15.18, while Jake McLemore finished 27^th with a time of 4:41.64. Senior Chris Gruwell (Gainesville, GA) finished 13^th in one of the 5,000m races with a time of 18:07.53.

Freshman Scribner Malloni (Milford, OH) finished eighth in the 3,000m steeplechase, while Carlos Guyton (Thomasville, GA) finished seventh in the high jump, clearing 6-foot-2.

In addition to the 200m, the triple jump, the men's 400m, men's and women's 800m, one of the men's 5,000m races and the men's and women's 4 x 400m relay weren’t finished due to the weather.

Clayton State will return to the track on April 5-6 for the Spec Towns Invitational at the University of Georgia.

Clayton State earns Six wins,
Six records in track & field opener

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C., March 16, 2002 -- The fifth track and field season for Clayton College & State University began this weekend in record-setting fashion at the danielchapterone Bulldog Relays, hosted by Gardner-Webb University. Combined, the men and women's teams set six records and won six events during the two-day meet.

The Clayton State women's team, led by senior Joni Guffey (Frankfort, Ky.), won the 4 x 800m and distance medley relays in record time. In addition, Guffey won the open 1500m run and picked up where she left off last season as she vies for her second straight trip to the NCAA Division II championships in May.

Meantime, the men's team, led by sophomores Russell Tolbert (Atlanta, Ga.) and Tony Juarez (East Hazel Crest, Ill.), picked up three wins and three records. Tolbert was involved in all three firsts, winning the open 400m (50.30) on Friday night and coming back on Saturday to run 400m legs on the sprint medley and distance medley relays. Juarez anchored both winning relays -- the 800m leg of the sprint medley and the 1600m leg on the DMR. The men's records were set in both relays, while freshman Carlos Guyton (Thomasville, Ga.) busted Tolbert's high jump record with a leap of 2.0m (6-6 3/4) for second place.

"This was a great start to our fifth season of track," said Lakers' Head Coach Mike Mead. "We dominated most of the relays that we competed in and picked up some team records in the process. Our women's distance medley record stood since 1998 -- our oldest record on the books!"

Guffey's 1500m victory was the women's team highlight on Friday night. In her first 1500m since last year's NCAA meet, Guffey ran 4:43.57, which is less than three seconds off the NCAA provisional qualifying standard for Division II.

"Joni looked strong in her first 1500-meter run of the season," said Mead. "Not only has Joni been ahead in her training regiment compared to last season, but so is her teammates. La'Keshia Hayes (junior, Lithonia, Ga.) had never broken 2:30 in the 800 and she did it twice this weekend. That's improvement!"

Hayes and Guffey teamed up with junior Melody Bogan (College Park, Md.) and freshman Kim Daniel (Macon, Ga.) to break the team record and win the 4 x 800m relay in 9:51.80. Guffey and Daniel later teamed with freshmen Stephanie Gilbert (Jonesboro, Ga.) and Latrice Thomas (College Park, Ga.) to break the four-year-old distance medley record in a winning time of 13:00.14.

The third record of the weekend for the Clayton State women came from freshman Nicole Wise (Jonesboro, Ga.) in the 5,000m run. She became the first lady Laker to run a 5,000m on the track and did so in a time of 23:05.40.

In addition, Daniel and Hayes had top five finishes in two open events. Daniel finished fourth in the 800m (2:27.69) and fifth in the 1500m (5:14.91) while Hayes finished fifth in the 800m (2:28.57).

Tolbert picked up the Lakers' first win of the meet with a 50.30 time in the 400m while Guyton finished third in 50.94. Then Tolbert ran a 50.7 400m leg on the sprint medley relay, teaming with Juarez, freshman Lawrence Kelley (Marietta, Ga.) and 2001 team MVP, sophomore Elijah Ajayi (Riverdale, Ga.), which ran a total time of 3:35.40 for first place and the team record.

The final team record came in the winning distance medley relay. Senior Jake McLemore (Las Vegas, Nev.) led off with a 4:10 leg that covered 1200m. Tolbert mustered a 51.5 400m leg, followed with an 800m leg by freshman Scribner Malloni (Milford, Ohio) in 2:10. Juarez began his 1600m leg (4:33 split) with a comfortable lead, but by the third lap, Canisius College's anchor runner narrowed the gap to 10m. With 200m to go, the Canisius runner overtook Juarez and it appeared the race was decided, but Juarez sprinted the home stretch to re-take the lead and earn the victory. The finishing time of 10:46.14 shaved over 15 seconds off the previous mark set in 1999.

In similar fashion, Tolbert ran a thrilling anchor leg on the 4 x 400m relay. Trailing by 30m and in third place, Tolbert got the Lakers the lead with less than 200m from the finish line. But Geneva College's anchor leg came back to challenge Tolbert in the final 60m and nose out the Laker sophomore by .04 of a second at the tape.

"We had some gutsy racing by Tony and Russell", said Mead. "That's the kind of racing I like to see from our kids. It was tough on them since the meet schedule was shortened and we did not get the rest we had anticipated. I saw great promise from our guys. Jake ran a strong 1200m leg on the DMR to get him ready for the 1500m. Lawrence ran a strong leadoff leg on the 4 x 400m and a solid anchor leg on the 4 x 200m relay. This bunch has gobs of potential this season."

The Lakers' next test comes in two weeks. Both squads return to action for the Emory Track & Field Classic, which runs March 29-30 in Atlanta. The meet will feature some of the top NCAA Division II and III programs.

Track & Field teams to open season March 15th in Bulldog Relays at Gardner-Webb

Morrow, GA -- February 8 -- The Clayton College & State University men's and women's track & field teams are gearing up for the 2002 season with the first meet fast approaching on March 15.

The teams will open their seasons, traveling to the Bulldog Relays on March 15-16, hosted by Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. After the season-opener, the squad will compete in a local meet at Emory University in Atlanta on March 29-30.

The Lakers have a trio of women returning to the squad, led by senior Joni Guffey (Frankfort, KY). Last year, Guffey became the first Clayton State track & field runner to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Guffey, a two-time team MVP, qualified for nationals in the 1500m event with a record-setting time of 4:38.55 in the Seminole Twilight last year. She also holds the school record in the 800m event, setting the mark in the Georgia Tech Invitational last year with a time of 2:16.45.

Also returning to the women's squad will be junior La'Keshia Hayes (Lithonia, GA) and junior Melody Bogan (Collge Park, MD). Hayes is the school's record holder in the 200m, 400m, long jump and triple jump events.

Four newcomers to the squad will be freshmen Kim Daniel (Macon, GA), Stephanie Gilbert (Jonesboro, GA), Latrice Thomas (College Park, GA) and Nicole Wise (Jonesboro, GA).

On the men's side, the team has six returnees, including 1500m record holder Tony Juarez (East Hazel Crest, IL) and last year's team MVP Eljiah Ajayi (Riverdale, GA). Juarez returns after setting the team record in the 1500m event at the SIUE Twilight with a time of 3:59.10. Ajayi, a versatile performer last season, competed in the sprints, jumps and throws. He set the school mark in the long jump, triple jump, shot put and discus.

Also returning to the men's squad will be junior Stephen Hughes (Hampton, GA), senior Jake McLemore (Indian Springs, NV), senior Mike O'Donnell (Chester, GA) and sophomore Russell Tolbert (Dunwoody, GA). Tolbert holds the school mark in the high jump.

Six newcomers to the team will be freshmen Adil Berkhedle (Scarborough, Ontario), Carlos Guyton (Thomasville, GA), Lawrence Kelley (Marietta, GA), Scribner Malloni (Milford, OH), Stephen Parrish (Jonesboro, GA) and sophomore Ron Robertson (Claxton, GA).

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