ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. – Just over two weeks after taking part in the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships, capturing the individual title in the weight throw, ULM's Alton Clay heads to the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas, this weekend.
 
The men's weight throw event at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships is set to begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. Clay is ranked fifth nationally in the weight throw by the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association following the first seven weeks of the season. He trails only N.C. State's Josh Davis (78-2 1/4 / 23.83m), Georgia's Delzel Comenentia (77-9 1/2 / 23.71m), Michigan's Joseph Ellis (77-6 3/4 / 23.64m) and Penn State's David Lucas (76-5 3/4 / 23.31m). (Note: distances in parentheses indicate longest throws of the season.)
 
Clay qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Texas A&M, after finishing first in the conference championship weight throw with a toss of 75-5 1/4 (22.99m). That edged out Arkansas State's Christian Ravar Ladi (62-8 / 19.10m) and UL-Lafayette's Richard Delphin (62-0 1/4 / 18.90m) in the event.
 
Clay's heave established a ULM program record as well as the Sun Belt Championship and conference record for the 2017-18 season, allowing him to regain his title from two years ago.
 
The Vivian, Louisiana, native finished third in the shot put on Feb. 20 with a toss of 5-8 1/2 (16.98m). Clay was one of three Warhawks to finish in Top 15 in the event, followed by Micah Dye (54-4 / 16.56m) and Kyle Weiss (52-1 1/4 / 15.88m), who finished fourth and sixth, respectively.
 
Those performances earned Clay Men's Indoor Field Most Outstanding Performer honors from the Sun Belt Conference, as voted by the league's head coaches. He was also was named First-Team All-Sun Belt in weight throw and Third-Team in shot put.