NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee State track & field program turns its attention to postseason competition this week as the Tigers travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for May 14–16 at the Coleman Sports Complex on the campus of University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The championship marks the first time Little Rock has hosted the OVC Outdoor Championships since joining the league prior to the 2022–23 academic year.

Tennessee State enters the conference meet following a strong late-season stretch that included competitive performances at both the Georgia Tech Invitational and the Music City Challenge in Nashville, positioning the Tigers to compete across multiple event groups.

Building Momentum into Championship Season

The Tigers showed depth across sprint, hurdle, distance, relay, and field events during their final regular-season competitions.

On the men's side, Kylen Thorps leads Tennessee State's hurdle group after posting a 54.16 in the 400-meter hurdles. Joshua McClendon added a strong showing in the 400 meters with a 48.08, while Devin Jones paced the middle-distance squad with a 1:50.23 performance in the 800 meters. Robert Hooper, Delton White, and Aaron Davis have also contributed key depth in the event.

Sprint performances from Caleb Joshway (21.23 in the 200 meters) and Jayden Guy continue to strengthen TSU's short sprint lineup heading into championship racing.

The Tigers' 4x400-meter relay remains a major scoring opportunity, highlighted by the "A" squad of Devin Jones, Caleb Joshway, Kylen Thorps, and Joshua McClendon, which clocked 3:14.37 late in the regular season.

In field events, Christian White leads the long jump group with a 6.74-meter mark, while Kolby Jones has contributed in both horizontal jumps, including a 14.14-meter triple jump. Gabriel Deng adds additional scoring potential in the triple jump.

On the women's side, Serenity Harry leads TSU's sprint group after running 24.71 in the 200 meters. Kaymin Sales has contributed in both the 200 and 400 meters, including a season mark of 58.77 in the 400. Middle-distance performances from Sydney McGee and Haley Blades provide additional points potential in the 800 meters.

The Tigers' field event group will be led by Carolyn McRee in the shot put (12.27 meters), alongside Ayana Pugh, Kaylin White in the long jump (5.90 meters), and Emmani Roberts in the triple jump.

Championship Information

Location: Coleman Sports Complex | Little Rock, Arkansas
Dates: May 14–16, 2026
Host: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Last season, Southeast Missouri State Redhawks swept both the men's and women's conference championships, capturing the women's program's third consecutive title and the men's program's first championship since 2023.

Competition will span three days and include preliminary rounds, field event finals, and championship races culminating Saturday evening.

How to Follow

Fans can follow the championship through official conference coverage:

• Live Results available throughout the meet

• Live Stream coverage each day (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

• Event action and awards photography provided by the conference

Championship Outlook

With momentum from recent meets and improving performances across event groups, Tennessee State enters the OVC Championships focused on maximizing scoring opportunities and delivering strong postseason performances against conference competition.

The three-day meet represents the culmination of the outdoor season as the Tigers compete for podium finishes and conference titles in Little Rock.