JONESBORO – Arkansas State senior track and field sprinter Jaylen Bacon has been named the U.S. Track and Field/Cross County Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) 2018 NCAA Division I South Central Region Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in an announcement from the organization’s office Friday.

Bacon recently tied the world’s fastest time in the 100-meter dash with a wind legal 9.97 seconds at the NCAA West Region Preliminary at Sacramento State University. The time not only broke his own school-record in the event, but also qualified him a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter dash for the second consecutive season.

Bacon has posted times sub-10 second times in three of his last four races in the 100-meter dash, which included a time of 9.99 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships.

The Eastover, S.C. native will also compete in the 200-meter race at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., after posting a time of 20.51 seconds, which was the second fastest among the qualifiers in the West Region, and eighth among all qualifiers. He has posted a season-best time of 20.25 seconds, which currently ranks as the eight fastest in the United States.

He is the first A-State student-athlete since Sharika Nelvis in 2014 to earn the South Central’s Athlete of the Year honor.

He also helped Arkansas State win both the men’s indoor and outdoor Sun Belt Conference championships, marking the first-time in school the feat had been accomplished as a member of the SBC. Bacon won gold in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash races as he finished career with nine SBC gold medals.

Bacon competed in the 2017 outdoor championships where he became the first athlete in program history to earn First-Team All-American honors in two separate events at the one NCAA Championship, including both indoor and outdoor events.

He later went on to compete for team USA at the 2017 IAAF World Championships where he helped the team to a silver medal in the 4x100m relay race.

The regional award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.  The USTFCCCA honored the top track athletes and field athletes along with the top head coaches and assistant coaches for both men and women.  The USTFCCCA awarded recipients in nine regions – Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain, Northeast, South, South Central, Southeast, and West.

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EUGENE, Ore. – In the third day of competition at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Arkansas State juniors Jaylen Bacon and Tiaan Steenkamp each earned All-America honors.

“Tiaan did well for his first time at nationals earning second team All-America, A-State head coach Jim Patchell said. Weather conditions were not the best, but Tiaan competed well and capped off a good season for him. Jaylen did well earning first team All-America in both the 100 and 200. He didn’t have his best race in the 100, but this is the first time he has made it all the way through the collegiate system to the finals. Jaylen has had a great year.”

Bacon opened his night with the 100-meter dash final, sprinting to a fifth place finish. He clocked a time of 10.25 seconds into a light headwind on a cool night in Eugene. His fifth place finish was the first top-five finish in a track event for an A-State athlete since 1978 when Donnie Taylor finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles. It is the seventh total top-five finish in a track event and second in the 100-meter dash, joining Ed Preston who finished fourth back in 1975.

Bacon wrapped up the meet as one of six individuals to appear in both the 100 and 200-meter dash finals. He finished eighth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.84 seconds. He finishes as a First Team All-America honoree in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, the first athlete in program history to earn multiple first team honors in one NCAA Championships, indoor or outdoor.

Steenkamp made his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut Friday. He finished tied for 15th with a mark of 2.08m (6-09.75) to earn Second Team All-America honors. He was unable to clear the opening height on his first attempt, but glided over the bar on his second attempt to stay alive. Three attempts at 2.13m (6-11.75) were unsuccessful, resulting in the 15th place finish.

The final day of competition will see Calea Carr (discus) and Viktoriia Sadokhina (triple jump) competing for A-State. Both events will be streamed live on ESPN3.

A-State Schedule at NCAA Outdoor Championships
Wednesday, June 7
Cristian Ravar Ladislau | Hammer Throw | 65.33m (214-4) | 16th (2nd Team All-America)
Jaylen Bacon | 100-meter Dash | 10.02 | 5th (Advance to Final)
Jaylen Bacon | 200-meter Dash | 20.39 | 8th (Advance to Final)

Thursday, June 8
Erin Farmer | Shot Put | 16.82m (55-02.25) | 9th (2nd Team All-America)

Friday, June 9
Tiaan Steenkamp | High Jump | 2.08m (6-09.75) | T15th (2nd Team All-America)
Jaylen Bacon | 100-meter Dash | 10.25 | 5th (1st Team All-America)
Jaylen Bacon | 200-meter Dash | 20.84 | 8th (1st Team All-America)

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AUSTIN, Texas – Junior discus thrower Calea Carr and junior sprinter Jaylen Bacoh each punched their ticket to Eugene for the NCAA Outdoor Championships to highlight the second of three days at the NCAA West Region Preliminary for student-athletes from the Arkansas State University track and field teams.

Carr finished 11th in the discus throw to clinch her spot in Eugene. She posted a best throw of 53.57m (175-9), a new personal-best, and tied for the second-best throw in program history. Carr also competes at the NCAA West Region Preliminary in shot put tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

Bacon broke 10.00 seconds in the 100-meter dash to win his heat and punch his ticket to Eugene. He clocked a time of 9.97 seconds to break his own school record. His time ranked second among his peers that will advance to Eugene.

Bacon also ran in the first round of the 200-meter dash on Friday and had an impressive run. He posted the top time among the 48 competitors clocking in at 20.18 seconds to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal. His time of 20.18 seconds is just shy of Ed Preston’s school record of 20.14 set in 1976.

Shemiah Brooks narrowly missed out on advancing to the quarterfinal in the 100-meter hurdles. She finished 24th overall with a time of 13.51 seconds, but broken out to thousandths of a second, she was just behind the final at-large qualifier by a time of 13.503 to 13.507 seconds.

Michael Carr had his sophomore season come to a close with a tied for 18th place finish in the pole vault, finishing with a clearance of 5.15m (16-10.75). Junior Darragh May closed her season by finishing tied for 32nd with a mark of 1.69m (5-06.50).

Heading into the third and final day of the regional, A-State has three student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene. Joining Carr and Bacon is Cristian Ravar Ladislau who finished fifth in the hammer throw. The Red Wolves have five student-athletes competing in four events Saturday.

Athletes who rank among the top 48 in their respective event earned berths into the NCAA West Preliminary Round. Athletes with the top 12 times/marks and the best 12 relay teams at both the East and West prelims will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 7-10.

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