MONTEVALLO, Ala. – On the final day of the 2017 Peach Belt Conference Championships, and the final event of the meet, Clayton State men's track & field came through again with a third All-Conference performance on Saturday, April 22.
 
Following a pair of honors in the 1,500-meters on Day 1, the Lakers 4x400-meter relay of junior Melvin Ezeokonkwo (Riverdale, Ga.), freshmen Tyler Askew (Columbus, Ga.) and Chris Florence (Newnan, Ga.) and junior Eric Williams (Fayetteville, Ga.) made it three with a strong performance against the league field.
 
In that event they ran a time of 3:16.71 to finish 3-of-7 and joined seniors Marcus Lafleur (Douglasville, Ga.) and Cale Pirtle (Athens, Ga.). Those two individuals earned their All-Conference honors by finishing second and third, respectively, in the 1,500 on the opening day.
 
Sophomore T.J. Witherspoon (Thomasville, Ga.) delivered Clayton State's next best performance as he finished 4-of-25 in the 800-meters (1:55.48) and was followed in fifth by Pirtle with a mark of 1:55.63.
 
Following the 2017 Peach Belt Conference Championships, just the fifth in league history, Clayton State has now earned 23 All-PBC honors by 13 different individuals. That includes six this year with each member of the 4x400-meter relay earning that recognition along with Lafleur and Pirtle.
 
That total is second only to 2015 when they had seven All-Conference performers, including the only other relay team to accomplish the feat in either the men's or women's program.
 
The Lakers have now closed out the main portion of their schedule and will move on to a pair of "last chance meets". These will feature individuals with a chance to qualify for the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championships and will include the Tennessee Challenge (May 6) and the Aggie Last Chance Meet (May 14).
 
CLAYTON STATE MEN'S COMPETITORS (9) – Saturday, April 22
Tyler Askew – 4x100-meter relay (DNF), 4x400-meter relay (3-of-7, 3:16.71)*
Melvin Ezeokonkwo – 4x100-meter relay (DNF), 4x400-meter relay (3-of-7, 3:16.71)*
Chris Florence – 4x100-meter relay (DNF), 4x400-meter relay (3-of-7, 3:16.71)*
Marcus Lafleur – 800-meters (20-of-25, 2:00.55)
Cale Pirtle – 800-meters (5-of-25, 1:55.63)
Ryan Polk – 800-meters (18-of-25, 2:00.09)
Keldren Reddick – 800-meters (15-of-25, 1:58.87)
Clifford Russell, Jr. – 4x100-meter relay (DNF), 4x400-meter relay (3-of-7, 3:16.71)*
T.J. Witherspoon – 800-meters (4-of-25, 1:55.48)
*Indicates All-Peach Belt Conference
 
All-PBC Conference Selections - All-Time (23 selections/13 different individuals)
2017 (6)
Marcus Lafleur, 1,500-meters (Second)
Cale Pirtle, 1,500-meters (Third)
4x400-meter Relay – Melvin Ezeokonkwo, Tyler Askew, Chris Florence, Eric Williams!
 
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