ATLANTA, Ga. (March 15, 2024) – Rhodes senior sprinter TJ Clayton was named SAA Track Athlete of the Year while teammate Justin Davis was voted both the Field Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, it was announced by the conference on Friday.
 
Clayton won both the 60 meter and 200 meter dashes in convincing fashion at the inaugural SAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. He was the only runner under seven seconds in the 60, stopping the clock at 6.92 and then qualifying for nationals in the 200 with a time of 21.95. Clayton was also part of the Lynx runner-up 4x400 relay team that posted a time of 3:29.25.
 
At the NCAA Division III National Championship, Clayton won his heat in the 200 with a conference record time of 21.53 seconds. He then took seventh in the final, finishing in 21.60 seconds and earning All-American honors.
 
Davis has made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season as a double SAA champion and national qualifier. At the conference championship, he won the long jump with a leap of 7.23 meters and doubled-up with a championship in the triple jump, clearing 13.40 meters.
 
Davis participated in both jumps at the national championship. He sailed 6.96 meters in the long jump and was 11^th in the prelims. The first year shined in the triple jump, reeling off an SAA record leap of 14.37 meters on his first attempt of the day to become and All-American with a ninth place finish.