ATLANTA, Ga. (May 13, 2024) – The Southern Athletic Association has named its Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year.
 
Rhodes sprinter TJ Clayton was named the Track Athlete of the Year while Centre pole vaulter Logan Isaacs is the Field Athlete of the Year. Justin Davis of Rhodes earned Newcomer of the Year honors. Berry head coach Luke Syverson was named the Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the championship. The awards were voted on by the SAA’s eight head coaches.
 
Clayton is the fastest man in the history of the SAA, breaking records in both the 100m and 200m dash at the conference championship in April. The senior won gold in the 100 with a time of 10.28, the fourth fastest in the nation, and stopped the clock at 21.09 in the 200, ranking him 15^th nationally. Clayton also anchored the SAA champion 4x100m relay squad to a time of 42.06. He was the co-Athlete of the Meet, sharing the award with Ethan Armour of Hendrix, and was the inaugural SAA Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Isaacs shattered the SAA record in the pole vault at the conference championship, bettering his own by nearly six inches and winning the event by a full foot. The junior cleared 5.06 meters on his final jump to set a new conference record and rank No. 3 in the country.
 
Davis has made an immediate impact on the conference in his first collegiate season. The first year was a double-winner at the SAA championship, posting convincing victories in the long jump and triple jump. On the first day of the event, all six of his jumps were good enough to win with his 7.03 meters leap on his third jump earning the title. His leap of 7.14 meters at the Ole Miss Classic earlier in the year ranks 37^th in Division III. The following day, Davis dominated the triple jump, posting a winning mark of 14.31 meters on his final jump of the day, ranking 31^st in the country. He was also named the SAA Field Athlete and Newcomer of the Year at the inaugural Indoor SAA Track & Field Championship.
 
Syverson took the SAA’s top coach award for the third-straight season, having led his Vikings to conference titles each of the last three years.
 
SAA Athletes will continue to post qualifying marks for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship, May 23-25 in Myrle Beach, South Carolina.