The Central State men's track & field team turned in a strong overall performance at Cedarville, finishing third in the team standings with 123.5 points, just behind Kentucky State (129.5) and host Cedarville (234).
Central State's sprint group set the tone early and piled up points throughout the meet, led by Jae-Lijah Cochran, who delivered a standout double victory. Cochran won the 60 meters in 6.84 after posting a 6.83 in the prelims, then came back to set a meet record in the 200 meters in 22.22. The Marauders went 2-3 in the 60 as Kaname Bryant placed third in 6.99, and Central State dominated the 200 meters with four of the top four finishers: Cochran (1st, 22.22), Bryant (2nd, 22.80), Qimarreon Marks (3rd, 23.08), and Austin Fenn (4th, 23.11).
The Marauders' depth showed in the 400 meters, where Central State claimed six of the top seven scoring positions. Marks won the event in 50.58, with Fenn taking third (51.30), Ivory Payne fourth (51.65), Anthony Thompson Jr. fifth (51.76), Reyhan Muhammad sixth (51.99), and Jason Maddickes seventh (52.72). That strength carried into the relays, as Central State captured the 4x400 relay title with the "A" squad of Thompson Jr., Fenn, Cochran, and Marks finishing in 3:23.45. The Marauders also placed a second unit in the event, with the "B" squad running 3:27.67.
In the middle distances, Andrew Drumwright earned a key scoring finish in the 800 meters, placing fourth in 2:00.65, while QiAden Marks added points with a sixth-place run in 2:02.20. On the distance side, Alex Payne scored in both the 3000 meters (7th, 10:02.42) and the mile (17th, 4:44.86).
Central State also made its mark in the field events. Nathaniel McHardy won the shot put with a top throw of 14.27m (46'10"), while Bishop Hafford added points in sixth (12.64m). In the jumps, Jevon Warren placed third in the high jump at 1.89m (6'2.25"), with Myles Russell right behind in a tie for fifth at 1.69m (5'6.5"). Russell also scored in the long jump, placing fifth with a best mark of 6.19m (20'3.75").
With big-time wins in the 60, 200, 400, 4x400, and shot put, plus scoring across the board, the Marauders left Cedarville with momentum and proof of their depth heading into the next meet at Ohio Northern.
Batchelor Sweeps Sprints as Marauders Stack Wins and Podiums at Cedarville
The Central State women's track & field team put together an impressive day at Cedarville, highlighted by dominant sprint performances, big points in the hurdles, and a strong showing from the throws and jumps groups.
Freshman JayDeen Batchelor turned in a breakout meet, sweeping the short sprints with two event wins. The freshman opened by winning the 60 meters in 7.69, then came back to capture the 200 meters in 26.45 to score a meet-best 20 points across the two events. Central State also added points in the 60 with Favour Oladapo, who placed sixth in 8.06. In the 200, the Marauders showed depth with Jurnie Hemsley finishing second in 26.56, Oladapo taking fifth (26.99), and Deja Curry-Brown right behind in sixth (27.00). Ciara Valentine narrowly missed scoring in ninth (27.39), while Ramiya Taylor (27.95) and Alexandria Carrington (28.72) also competed.
The Marauders owned the 400 meters, sweeping the top five places and piling up points. Hemsley earned her second win of the day by taking first in 1:00.76, followed by Kennia Dexter in second (1:02.01), Curry-Brown in third (1:02.67), Valentine in fourth (1:02.89), and Taylor Hayword in fifth (1:04.50).
Central State also made major noise in the hurdles. Alexandria Carrington won the 60 hurdles in 9.54 after running 9.47 in the prelims. Paige Turner added points with a fourth-place finish in 10.24, while Hayword placed fifth in 10.29, giving the Marauders three scorers in the event.
In the field events, the Marauders delivered multiple podium finishes. Turner doubled back to place second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.52m (4'11.75"). In the horizontal jumps, Central State placed three athletes in the scoring positions of the long jump, led by Taylor (6th, 5.04m), Trinity Pollard (7th, 5.02m), and Anyah Stevenson (8th, 4.97m). Stevenson also finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 10.30m, while Pollard placed third at 9.78m.
The throws group was a major point producer as well. Central State went 2-3-4 in the shot put, with Kayla Robinson taking second at 11.17m, Aleah Otabor third also at 11.17m, and Janihya Campbell fourth at 10.99m. Campbell delivered a meet win in the weight throw, posting a top mark of 12.88m to take first, while Otabor added another podium with a third-place finish (10.56m) and Robinson scored again in fifth (8.76m).
Central State will look to build on the momentum from a meet filled with event wins, multiple podium finishes, and strong depth across sprints, hurdles, jumps, and throws.
