Men's Track and Field aims for 2024 GCAC Championship

The Wiley University men's track and field team will head to Shreveport, looking to capture the 2024 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship hosted by Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission on Friday and Saturday at Lee Hedges Stadium.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online or at the gate. The championship will stream on the GCAC Channel of HBCU-Plus - a free application that can be downloaded on mobile devices or Smart TVs. Friday's events will primarily be field events. However, the 200-meter dash will be the first event at 11 a.m. It will be followed by the 4 x 800-meter relay at 12:15 p.m. The men's long jump and the women's discus throw will start at 2 p.m. The men's discus throw, the women's long jump and the men's and women's javelin throw will follow. Saturday's schedule will begin at 10 a.m. with the high jump. The 4 x 100-meter relay will be the first track event at 10:50 a.m. The event will end with the 4 x 400-meter relay, after which the award ceremony will take place.

Competing against the Wildcats are the three-time defending champion Dillard University, Fisk University, Philander Smith University, Rust College, Talladega College and the University of the Virgin Islands.

The Wildcats enter the GCAC Championship having qualified six athletes in four events. Ronald Garrett qualified in the 110-meter hurdles and as a member of the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays. Tyvonne Allen advanced in the 400-meter dash and is a member of the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays. Justice Northern also runs on both relay teams. Micah Ruben is the other member of the 4 x 100-meter relay and Jaylon Donson is the other 4 x 400-meter relay member.

Wiley has a few athletes leading the conference in their events. Xavier Hutchinson, who is the defending javelin champion and was named the Most Valuable Field Athlete after last season's championship, leads the conference in the javelin (49.60 meters) and the triple jump (13.20 meters). Isaac Jenkins leads the conference in the long jump (7.13 meters).

Donson (1:58.10) and Jaden Cole (1:59.07) own the top times in the 800-meter run. Javoun Goldsby has the second-best time in the 1,500-meter run. Garrett is third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.58) and the 400-meter hurdles (54.86). The Wildcats own the second-best 4 x 400-meter relay time (3:14.69).

Wiley seeks its first GCAC title and eighth overall in program history. Its last title came in 2018 when it completed a five-peat, one of the most dominating runs in Red River Athletic Conference history.

For more coverage on the Wildcats visit Men's Track & Field - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)

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