By: Hunter McKay
KENNESAW, Ga. – 42 members of the Kennesaw State track and field programs will compete at the Florida Relays on April 3-4 in Gainesville, Fla.
The Florida Relays began in 1939, thanks to the vision and creativeness of the Gators' legendary head track and field coach Percy Beard. Since that first meet, the Pepsi Florida Relays have grown in epic proportions from the small regional competitions on April Fools' Day that featured 209 competitors, to one of the nation's premier track and field meets.
Kennesaw State returns to the Florida Relays for the first time since 2019.
Weather Report
Friday's weather forecast in Gainesville projects temperatures near 86 and lows near 62. Saturday calls for highs near 86.
Cross's Season Opener in the 100m
Senior
Chance Cross is expected to make his season debut in the 100m this weekend. The Bogar, Ga. native earned Second Team All-America honors in the 60m at the NCAA Indoor Championships last month.
Last season, Cross set the KSU school record in both 100m and 200m. He posted the top 5 performances in program history in the 100m in 2025. He won the 100m at the CUSA and earned Second Team All-American honors in Eugene last June.
Cross's school record in the 100m of 10.01 seconds could be shattered at some point this season.
Jumps Soaring High in 2026
After finding success in multiple areas during the indoor season, the KSU jumps squad is off to a very strong start in outdoors this season.
Freshman
Gage Voyles set the school record in the men's high jump at the Don McGarey Invitational with a clearance of 2.18m (7'1.75"). He broke Andre Dorsey's record of 2.17m that was set back on Mar. 26, 2016. That mark ranks No. 1 in CUSA and NCAA East Region and ranks No. 2 in the NCAA this season.
Kenyatta Bennett won the gold medal at the CUSA Indoor Championships. He opened with a mark of 2.13m (6'11.75") at the Yellow Jacket Invitational last month.
Simon Seid leads Conference USA with his clearance of 5.20m (17'0.75") at the Don McGarey.
Gavin Horton continues to improve weekly and should be to contend for a medal at CUSA Outdoor Championships.
The women's pole vault group is led by junior
Morgan Pepe. Pepe cleared the bar at 4.00m (13'1.5") and won the Don McGarey invitational. Senior
Keira Hight finished the indoor season with a top 5 mark in program history indoors and opened the outdoor season with a clearance of 3.90m (12'9.5") to secure a win at the Yellow Jacket invitational. KSU also expects senior
Lilly Chouinard to contend with Pepe and Hight.
Freshmen
Cameron Dean and
Jeremiah Madison both cleared the 7m barrier in strong headwinds in the long jump at Don McGarey Invitational.
Senior
Myesha Hall leads a deep KSU long jump crew this season. Hall has two early wins in the long jump at KSU's opening two outdoor meets. Hall landed a leap of 6.18m (20'3.5") at the Don McGarey invitational. Kaylan McConehead and freshmen
Jermiya Winston Natalie Harris have all leapt north of 5.90m this season.
The men's triple squad is ranked No. 3 in the USTFCCA Event Squad this season. Freshman
Cameron Dean leads the group with a mark of 15.49m (50'10").
Chinedum Ike has a leap of 15.27m that he registered at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. Freshman
Jeremiah Madison and Nyles-Olufemi Stuart are expected to climb in the 15m mark as the season continues.
The women's triple jump squad is led by
Victoria Joyce. The indoor school record holder will be looking to break De'Von Johnson's school record of 12.79m this season. McConehead and Madison are also expected to compete as well.
USTFCCCA Rankings
The Owls earned some very high rankings in the first set of USTFCCCA
Outdoor rankings this week.
South Region
Men: 1
Women: 5
National Rankings
Women: 41
Men: 46
Record Breakers
KSU broke three school records at the Yellow Jacket Invitational last weekend in Atlanta. Kali Teza (hammer throw),
Emma Sullivan (400m) and Joshua Jones (400m hurdles) all established new program records.
Freshman
Gage Voyles set the school record in the men's high jump at the Don McGarey Invitational with a clearance of 2.18m (7'1.75").
CUSA's Leaders
The 2026 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium, May 14-16 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The KSU men and women each have the top mark in five events this season.
Up Next
KSU will send athletes to Athens to compete in the Spec Towns Invitational on April 9-11.
Kali Terza will compete in the Throws Town Invitational in Romona, Oklahoma.
