INDIANAPOLIS, IN - For the second year in a row, Claflin University track & field will be represented on the national stage as Panther freshman
Jaevon Riley was selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship Meet. The selection was announced Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm proud of Jaevon, he definitely put in the work and did what he came to Claflin University to do," said Claflin University track & field head coach Garon Jackson. "He was one of the top track athletes in the state of South Carolina coming out of high school last year, so my expectations were very high for him coming in."
Riley earned his spot in the national championship meet in the men's 400m hurdles after showing steady improvement throughout the entire season. His best performance of the season came at the Lee University Last Chance Meet where he ran a 52.12 and placed him second at the meet. In addition to being an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time, the result also earned him a 20
th placed ranking nationally and thus earned him a place in the national championship meet. The effort was one of many great performances by Riley this season. He placed second in the men's 400m hurdles and second in the men's 400m dash with a 47.91 at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet. He was also a member of the Panthers' 4x400m relay team that claimed first place in the event at the conference championship meet.
Riley's performances in the outdoor track & field season served to cap a great freshman season for the C.A. Johnson High alumnus. He was also a member of the Panthers' 4x400m relay that clinched the 2023 CIAA Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship.
"He's just a freshman and he's already one of the top 400m hurdles runners in the country," Jackson added.
Last season, it was Lady Panther senior Zaria Nelson who represented Claflin University at the 2023 Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship Meet where she placed 11
th in the women's discus throw with a 148'2" (45.17m) throw. The effort was enough for her to earn a second team spot United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-American team.
The 2023 NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship Meet will be held from May 25-27
th at the Colorado State University Pueblo Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colorado. Event dates and times along with live streaming information will be announced when they become available.
For more information on Claflin University track & field, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu.
