Dayton junior, a CJ grad, wins top A-10 track award

“It was really amazing, especially when I got done,” Haywood said Tuesday. “All of my family and teammates were there, so it was really nice. I cried a lot just because I’ve never won an open event by myself (at a championship meet). I won the 4x100 back in high school at state. This was a different feeling, being able to do it by myself, because I’ve been putting in the work for all these years.”

After winning the 100, Haywood won the 200 in 23.83. With the two victories, she was named the A-10 Track Performer of the Year. She’s the third Flyer to win that award, following Chante Clinkscale (2022) and Khaleelah Sneed (2004).

Haywood said her weekend got off to a rough start because she had an upset stomach following a visit to a Hibachi restaurant. She still managed to set a school record in the 200 preliminaries Saturday with a time of 23.64, breaking the mark of 23.95 set by Clinkscale in 2022.

“That kind of carried over,” Haywood said. “I got some confidence for Day 2. I felt really good. I like to have a clear mind, so when I got onto the blocks, I just said, ‘Do what you’ve been doing and run your race and you’ll be fine.’”

Haywood’s 100 time (11.52) is the second-fastest in UD history, behind Clinkscale’s 2022 record (11.41), which Haywood matched in March at the Pacesetters Sports Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.

Haywood finished second in the 100 (11.75) and second in the 200 (24.28) at the Division II state meet as a senior in 2022.

As a freshman at UD in 2023, she finished third (24.42) in the 200 at the A-10 championships.

As a sophomore in 2024, she finished second in the 100 (11.75) and second in the 200 (24.03) at the A-10 meet.

This year, Haywood found herself at the top of the podium.

“I would definitely say the first two years, I stayed consistent,” she said, “but this year, I really kind of took off.”

Haywood also ran with the 4x100-relay team that finished second. A group that included Haywood, Lianna Shakoor, Anna Kessler and Sydney Workman set a new school record (45.92).

Dayton finished fifth as a team. Casey Bogues won the javelin competition for the fourth time with a throw of 53.12 meters, breaking the facility record at George Mason. It’s the 20th-best throw in the nation this season.

Haywood is expected to qualify for the NCAA regional meet in the 100. That meet will take place from May 28-31 in Jacksonville, Fla. Her qualification status won’t be official until May 22.