Four Lakehawks Qualify for Outdoor Nationals at Embry-Riddle
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Track & Field) – The Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) track and field teams delivered outstanding performances at the Embry-Riddle Eagle Invite to open the outdoor season. The Lakehawk women finished fourth of 17 teams, while the mean placed eighth of 20 in a competitive field of collegiate programs from all levels.
Following the meet, the Lakehawks currently hold 10 top marks and 17 top-10 marks within National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) rankings, highlighting the depth and strength of the program early in the season.
Jameria Sutton took fourth in the 100m, running a 12.22, which tops the national rankings. She returned to the track for the 200m with a time of 25.80 for seventh place.
Alexia Benson took first in the 200m in her first collegiate race with a time of 24.73, also delivering a top mark nationally.
The 4x100 relay team of Isabella Dean, Skyler Carter, Benson, and Sutton ran a time of 48.85 to place fourth in the event while currently ranking the fastest relay time in the NJCAA.
Jaden Miller took first in the long jump with a personal best mark of 5.77m which qualified her to return to the 2026 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She took eighth place in the 100m with a time of 12.44 and won the triple jump event with a personal best mark of 11.79m.
In the 400m Hurdles, Oksanna Smith delivered a standout performance winning the event with a time of 1:03.05 to qualify for outdoor nationals.
Assistant Coach Gisele Oliveria praised the Lakehawks' performance, "Jaden really excelled today. She recorded personal bests across the events and showed great composure throughout competition."
"Oksanna also had a tremendous race in the hurdles and delivered a huge personal best. It was exciting to see both athletes performing at such a high level."
On the men's side, Spencer Palmer led the Lakehawks with a strong double performance in the 800m and the 1500m. He took seventh in the 800 with a time of 1:56.78 before returning to competition to finish third in the 1500m and joining the list of outdoor national qualifiers.
The Lakehawks also produced high numbers in the field events. Jeremiah Wiley tied for fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.95m and placed second in the long jump at 7.22m.
Judson Nichols-Webb delivered one of the top performances of the meet in the javelin, throwing 59.67m, to meet the NJCAA qualifying standard. Nichols-Webb is the fourth Lakehawk of the meet to qualify for outdoor nationals in May.
Head Coach Cristy Snellgroves also shared her thoughts, "Alexia's race was impressive. That was actually her first collegiate race and to come out, run 24.73 and win the event is an extraordinary performance."
"Judson threw well over the national qualifying mark on his very first throw of the day. He is a huge talent and we know he will throw much farther as the season progresses; he is just getting started and we are very excited about what he is capable of."
"The team is really coming together. We were missing some of our top men's performers this week and our men's relay, but we still saw a lot of strong performances across the board."
"It is exciting to see the progress everyone is making early in the season," said Coach Snellgroves.
With several athletes currently holding top spots in the national rankings and four national qualifiers, the Lakehawks have positioned themselves as one of the early leaders in the NJCAA outdoor season. The Lakehawks looks to build on that momentum as the outdoor season continues.
The Lakehawks now prepare for their next two consecutive meets at UCF. The teams will compete in the Black & Gold Invite on Mar. 20-21 and the Knights Invite on Mar. 27-28.
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