Jones re-breaks record at NAIA Championship
Sterling College's Charles Jones represented the Warriors at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 23 in Marion, Ind.
Jones competed in the triple jump where he finished in sixth place as an All-American with a mark of 15.15m (48-8.5). The mark sets a new personal best for Jones and rebreaks the school record he set earlier in the year at the Emporia State Relays.
"I was very pleased with Charles performance at nationals this past week," head coach Mason Blevins said. "He came in ready to compete, and that is exactly what he did. He had his best performance of the year at the national meet, which is always what you hope to see. In the competition, Charles jumped a personal best three times, with his last jump being two and half feet further than where he started this season. His sixth-place finish gave him All-American honors, the first for a men's track athlete at Sterling since 2013. I can't wait to see what he does next year."
Jones was not the only Warriors to break school records this year. Maurice Gray also made his presence known in the long jump breaking the record previously set by Jones earlier in the year with a jump of 7.27m (23-10.25) at the 2025 KCAC Outdoor Championships.
On the track, Daryen Jefferson set the school record in the 10,000m with a time of 34:24.69 ran at the NCCAA Outdoor Championships.
Throughout the outdoor season, Sterling has seen eight NCCAA All-Americans: Jones (long jump, high jump, triple jump), Gray (long jump and triple jump), Trey Dixon (long jump), Cedric Wilson (high jump and 110m high hurdles), Blake Robertson (discus and hammer throw) and Aliya McClanahan (discus and javelin).
"Nationals concluded an incredible year for SC Track. We are making great strides in growing the program, both in our performance and culture. Our athletes worked hard this spring semester, and many were able to see the fruit of that labor with personal bests, school records and more," Blevins said. "We have big goals of what we want to see happen within our program, and are optimistic that this year will be a springboard for continued success and growth. While we only just recently finished this year, our group is eager for what is ahead next year."
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #swordsup. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
