MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Clayton State men's track & field delivered an impressive Day 1 Performance at the 2017 Peach Belt Conference Championships, picking up a pair of All-Conference honors on Thursday, April 20.
 
It would take just one event for the Lakers to pick up that hardware and make it five straight years (every year the league has sponsored the sport) with at least one All-PBC performer. Senior Marcus Lafleur (Douglasville, Ga.) delivered a runner-up finish in the 1,500-meters with a personal best of 3:55.66 while senior Cale Pirtle (Athens, Ga.) was third in that event with a mark of 3:57.67, also a PR.
 
It is the first All-Conference honor for Lafleur while Pirtle accomplishes the feat for the second straight year in the 1,500. Overall, Clayton State has now earned 19 All-Conference honors by 10 different individuals since the inaugural PBC Championship in 2013.
 
"A strong showing by our 400- and 1500-meter runners today!," said head coach Mike Mead. "I'm proud of Marcus and Cale earning All-Conference. With the exception of the 100-meters, the majority who competed today hit career-bests. A year ago we scored 28 points as a team. This year we've already scored 21 points with two days to go!"
 
The Lakers other top performances on the day came in the 400-meters as freshmen Chris Florence (Newnan, Ga.) and Tyler Askew (Columbus, Ga.) and junior Eric Williams (Fayetteville, Ga.) all advanced to the finals. Askew would pace that group with a finals finish of 5-of-21 (49.43) while Williams was seventh (49.67) and Florence in eighth (49.82).
 
Clayton State returns to action tomorrow, Friday, April 21 as four men will compete over the course of two events. Those will include the 200-meter prelims and the high jump with those going at 10:45 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
 
CLAYTON STATE MEN'S COMPETITORS (11) – Thursday, April 20
Tyler Askew – 400-meters – Prelim (6-of-21, 49.59), 400-meters – Final (5-of-21, 49.43)
Melvin Ezeokonkwo – 400-meters (16-of-21, 50.43)
Chris Florence – 400-meters – Prelim (5-of-21, 49.48), 400-meters – Final (8-of-21, 49.82)
Marcus Lafleur – 1,500-meters (2-of-24, 3:55.66)*
Andrew Omoregbe – Long Jump (10-of-13, 6.19m)
Cale Pirtle – 1,500-meters (3-of-24, 3:57.67)*
Ryan Polk – 1,500-meters (15-of-24, 4:06.58)
Clifford Russell, Jr. – 100-meters (14-of-19, 10.97)
Adarion Watson – 100-meters (17-of-19, 11.27)
Eric Williams – 400-meters – Prelim (7-of-21, 49.68), 400-meters – Final (7-of-21, 49.67)
T.J. Witherspoon – 1,500-meters (18-of-24, 4:10.07)
*Indicates All-Peach Belt Conference (Top Three)
 
All-PBC Conference Selections - All-Time (19 selections/10 different individuals)
2017 (2)
Marcus Lafleur, 1,500-meters (Second)
Cale Pirtle, 1,500-meters (Third)
 
2016 (1)
Cale Pirtle, 1,500-meter (Second)
 
2015 (7)
Job Kemboi, 5,000-meters (First)%
Rafael Salis, 800-meters (Second)
Ciaran Lane, 10,000-meters (Third)
4x400-meter Relay – Kenneth Clark, Geo Mortimer-Green, Rafael Salis, Eric Williams (Third)!
 
2014 (4)
Job Kemboi, 5,000-meters (First)%
Job Kemboi, 10,000-meters (First)%
Bryce Rauhof, Shot Put (First)%
Bryce Rauhof, Hammer (First)%
 
2013 (5)
Ayrton Azcue, 800-meters (First)%
Bryce Rauhof, Shot Put (First)%
Ayrton Azcue, 1,500-meters (Second)
Bryce Rauhof, Hammer (Second)
Job Kemboi, 5,000-meters (Third)
*All-Conference is Determined by Top Three Finish By Event
!Each Member of Relay Team Earns All-Conference
%PBC Individual Champion