ASU Track Men “Better than last year”

ALBANY, Ga. – Albany State University Men’s Outdoor Track & Field is looking to return to its winning ways in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this spring after finishing short of a conference title in 2018. The Golden Rams will begin their preparation for the SIAC this weekend with a trip to the Columbus State University Cougar Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 23.

“We’re better than we were last year,” said Coach Kenneth Taylor. “We expect to see improvements on the men’s team overall. We really didn’t lose anyone and we have some young folks who we think are really going to help us. We’ll have to see what comes to fruition.”

Leading the team once again will be mid-distance runner Joshua Ajiero and hurdler/jumper Cervantes Jackson, who were each named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) First Team All-Americans last year.

Ajiero was the Ram’s No. 1 athlete in 2018, taking bronze in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 1:48.24. Prior the national meet, the Tifton, Georgia native brook the ASU school record in the 800 three times during the season.

“We’re trying to get him in the same rare form he was in last year so he can come out and do bigger and better things than last year,” Taylor said.

Jackson is looking to return to his national champion form this season after competing injured in 2018

Bainbridge native won national titles in both the high jump and triple jump two years and finished fifth nationally in the high jump last spring with a 6-foot, 10.15-inch jump. He was also the team’s No. 2 hurdler, top javelin thrower and best decathlete.

In addition to Ajiero and Jackson, Taylor says he expects big things out of sprinter and jumper Christopher Jackson from Bainbridge, Georgia, as well as top distance runner Zackary Johnson

ASU adds six newcomers to this year’s roster.

“All of this comes together at the conference championship in April. We’re going to train this team and work toward peaking at the conference championship and moving on from there to the national championship.”

Following this weekend’s trip to Columbus, ASU is scheduled to compete at Savannah State University, Paine College, Florida A&M Relays and the Emory University Invitational before hosting the Alice Coachman Invitational at ASU Robert Cross Track & FIeld Complex on Saturday, March 30. The Georgia Southern Invite and Berry Invitational are the final events before traveling to Rock Hill, South Carolina for the SIAC Championship, April 18-20.

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