Kentucky State Indoor Track and Field Posts Seven Top-10 Finishes at HBCU Showcase

Kentucky State Indoor Track and Field Posts Seven Top-10 Finishes at HBCU Showcase

NEW YORK — Kentucky State's indoor track and field programs recorded seven top-10 finishes and placed three Thorobreds among the national top 25 during the 2026 HBCU Showcase at The Armory.
 
The Thorobreds' men's team finished 11th overall, leading all SIAC programs in the standings, while the women's team placed 13th, also ahead of conference competition.
 
Shamond McClain delivered Kentucky State's top performance with a third-place finish in the men's triple jump. His mark of 47 feet, 10.75 inches earned a podium spot and currently ranks No. 23 nationally in NCAA Division II and No. 21 among all HBCU competitors.
 
Six additional Thorobreds recorded top-10 finishes across track and field events. On the track, Darris Ivy placed sixth in the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.6, a mark that also ranks No. 21 among HBCU competitors this season.

In the field events, Zhakeya Hawkins finished sixth in the women's pole vault, Andrew Bownes placed sixth in the men's weight throw, and Brayden Wilson added a ninth-place finish in the men's long jump.
 
Kentucky State also posted strong relay performances. The men's 4x400-meter relay team finished fourth in 3:22.3, ranking No. 23 among HBCU relays, while the women's 4x400-meter relay team recorded a time of 4:04.4, currently the No. 22 fastest among HBCU competition.
 
Complete results for Kentucky State student-athletes from the HBCU Showcase are listed below.
 
TRACK RESULTS 
Event Team Place Athlete Mark Notes
60m Prelims M 23 Yumana Lofton 7.1 7.093
60m Prelims M 32 Ernest Chambers 7.19
60m Prelims M 37 Jaelen Griffin 7.33
60m (Unseeded) W 13 Bailiy Graham 8.17
60m (Unseeded) W 20 Aleczandrea Coffie 8.26
60m (Unseeded) W 25 Iyanna Thompson-Carson 8.35 8.343
60m (Unseeded) W 28 Samiyah Rembert 8.45
60m Hurdles Prelims M 17 Ja'Mann Avery 8.8
60m Hurdles Prelims M 22 Montae Ashford 9.07
60m Hurdles Prelims W 36 Jada Murry 10.3
60m Hurdles Prelims W Jaaliyah Biggers DQ Rule 7-6.2b
200m M 14 Yumana Lofton 22.26 New HBCU #82
200m M 36 Jaelen Griffin 23.1
200m W 43 Tahja Mims 26.8
200m W 54 Iyanna Thompson-Carson 28.24
400m M 12 Jeremiah Preston 50.39 New HBCU #78
400m M 25 Joshua Merriweather 52.35
400m W 29 Zhakeya Hawkins 01:01.4
400m W 37 Kylie Hollis 01:03.3 New HBCU #116
800m M 6 Darris Ivy 01:57.6 New HBCU #21
800m W 38 Laila Jackson 02:44.6 New HBCU #81
1 Mile W 18 Laila Jackson 06:15.2
 
FIELD RESULTS
Event Team Place Athlete Metric Imperial Notes
Long Jump M 9 Brayden Wilson 6.65m 21-10.00 New HBCU #55
Long Jump M 17 Dontae Rucker 6.24m 20-05.75 New HBCU #88
Long Jump W Jaaliyah Biggers FOUL
Pole Vault W 6 Zhakeya Hawkins 2.30m 7-06.50
Pole Vault W Ariana Simmons NH
Shot Put M 11 Andrew Bownes 12.40m 40-08.25
Shot Put W 21 Ariana Simmons 9.74m 31-11.50 New HBCU #72
Shot Put W 23 Shanell Laws 9.53m 31-03.25 New HBCU #78
Triple Jump M 3 Shamond McClain 14.60m 47-10.75 New HBCU #21 / DII #23
Triple Jump M Brayden Wilson FOUL
Weight Throw M 6 Andrew Bownes 13.88m 45-06.50
Weight Throw W 20 Shanell Laws 9.41m 30-10.50 New HBCU #65
 
RELAY RESULTS 
Event Team Place Time Athletes Notes
4x400m Relay M 4 03:22.3 J. Preston, J. Merriweather, E. Chambers, D. Ivy, M. Ashford, Y. Lofton New HBCU #23 / New DII #48
4x400m Relay W 8 04:04.4 Z. Hawkins, T. Mims, B. Graham, K. Hollis, L. Jackson, I. Thompson-Carson New HBCU #22 / New DII #54
 
 
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.