ORANGEBURG, SC – The South Carolina State track and field teams hope to continue a strong start to the 2024 outdoor campaign Thursday (Mar. 28) at the three-day Embry-Riddle Classic at Daytona Beach, FL.

Thursday's competition gets underway at 12:30, Friday's events start at 9:30 a.m., and Saturday's finals are set to begin at 8:30 a.m.

In two previous events – The Buccaneer Classic at Charleston Southern and the Weems Baskins Invite at the University of South Carolina – Coach Donald Cooper's teams have established three school records, set several personal records and are ranked number one in seven events in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings.

Senior Dexter Ratliff ranks number one in the MEAC in both the hammer throw (53.53m, 175-7ft.) and discus (52.28m, 171-6ft.), both personal and school records; Areyanna Scott leads the MEAC in the javelin throw (43.33m, 142-2ft.), a school record toss; Jacob Alexander is first in the MEAC in both the 800 meters (1:51.94) and the 400 meters (47.98); Kennedy Spears is first in the MEAC in the high jump (1.65m, 5-5ft.), and the men's 4x400m relay team of Jaden Barker, Isaiah Vertus, Jacob Alexander and Javon Brooks) is first in the MEAC (3:09.34).

The strong start of the outdoor season comes on the heels of a solid indoor campaign in which both teams showed improvement and two school records fell. Angelica Frederick set a new standard in the 200 meters with a clocking of 24.15, erasing the mark of 24.39 set by Emma Wade in 2004; and Ratliff erased his own mark in the weight throw with a toss of 18.29m (60-0.25 ft.) The previous mark of 16.19, (53-1.25 ft.) was set by the Beaufort senior in 2022.