Kennesaw State University Athletics

Jaymes Talkington joined the Kennesaw State Track and Field program as Associate Head Coach in February of 2019. 
 
Since taking over the Jumping Events in 2019, Talkington’s group has seen:
 
4x Second Team All-Americans: Long Jump, Pole Vault, and 2x High Jump
2x All-American Honorable Mentions: Triple Jump and Long Jump
6x NCAA National Championship Qualifiers: 2x Long Jump, 2x High Jump, 1x Triple Jump, and 1xPole Vault
34x NCAA East Preliminary Qualifiers
1x USA Olympic Trails Qualifier: Triple Jump
2x USA Championships Qualifier: Triple Jump and High Jump
1x USATF U20 Champion: High Jump (2.24m)
9x CUSA Conference Champions
 
Notable Athletes Coach by Talkington at KSU:  
 
                -Men’s High Jump
                Gage Voyles | 2.27m | 2026
                Kenyatta Bennett | 2.18m | 2026
                Sultan Simms |  2.15m | 2023
                Juan Cavazos | 2.15m | 2023
 
                -Men’s Triple Jump
                 Kelvin Campbell | 16.06m | 2023
                 Justin Campbell | 15.79m |  2021
                 Qwazon Al-Khaliq | 15.78m | 2025
                 Nedum Ike |15.69m | 2026
 
                -Men’s Pole Vault
                 Simon Seid | 5.37m | 2023
                 Jack Rhea | 5.35m |  2021
                  AJ Johnson | 5.25m | 2023
                 Gavin Horton |  5.15m | 2026
 
                -Men’s Long Jump
                 Kaelen Mitchell | 7.90m | 2025
                 Jeremiah Sims | 7.64m | 2025
                 LJ Hill | 7.49m | 2025
                Kelvin Campbell | 7.45m | 2022
 
                -Women’s High Jump
                 Julija Tarvide | 1.76m | 2019
                 Kaylee Brown 1.75m | 2025
                 Mollie Speights | 1.71m |  2024
 
                -Women’s Triple Jump
                Jermiya Winston | 13.03m | 2026
                 Victoria Joyce | 12.77m | 2026
                 Tayla Moreland | 12.62m |2024
                Jasmine Akins | 12.45m | 2022
                               
 
                -Women’s Pole Vault
                Erica Sergeant | 4.15m | 2019
                Morgan Pepe | 4.06m | 2026
                Keira Hight | 4.00m | 2026
               Jada Smith | 3.97m | 2022
 
                -Women’s Long Jump
                Jasmine Akins | 6.37m | 2022
                Myesha Hall | 6.18m | 2026
                Rachel Swain |  6.14m | 2025
               Tayla Moreland  6.09m | 2023
                                                 
                                                               

 
Talkington comes to KSU after spending two years as an assistant coach at Western Carolina working with jumps and multi-event athletes. While at WCU, he coached nine Southern Conference Champions, four NCAA Regional Qualifiers and five Southern Conference Championship teams. Off the track, he oversaw recruiting and acted as a liaison to multiple groups across campus.

He spent 2014-16 at Marshall University while he completed his Master’s degree in Sport Administration. During his first year, he served as a graduate assistant coach working with the Jump, Multi and Sprint events. He helped develop a pair of All-Conference USA Multi-Event student-athletes and one Second Team All-American Triple Jumper who still holds the school record with a jump of 13.56meters (44’6). His final season saw him take over the director of operations role that allowed him to manage the day-to-day operations of the Marshall Track & Field program.

Talkington holds a USA Track & Field Level 1 coaching certificate, a USTFCCCA Jumps and Multi-Events Specialist Certification, and a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Certification.

He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and was a jumper for the Cowboys Track and Field Team.