McClinton Competes at NCAA Championships

GENEVA, Ohio - From the moment sophomore Caliyph McClinton arrived at the Spire Institute for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Outdoor Championships, his expressions stayed relatively the same.  

With all of the hustle and bustle of participants warming up and several events moved indoors due to weather inside the indoor facility, McClinton appeared locked in as DJ Khaled played in his headphones.  

Unlike other outdoor meets where the athletes congregate in the stadium as the events progress throughout the day, the first time McClinton came outside was when it was time to stage in the waiting area as he became the first Bethany male track and field athlete to qualify for the national meet since Baboucar Sallah-Mohammed earned All-American status in 2018.   

McClinton competed in the second of three heats, placing fifth in his heat with a time of 10.73 seconds. He placed 17th overall in his first NCAA championship appearance. 

It's the third straight year Bethany had an NCAA outdoor qualifier as Grace Tice competed in the javelin the last two seasons, earning All-American honors in 2024. McClinton was one of 10 Presidents Athletic Conference student-athletes to qualify for the outdoor championships. 

He entered ranked tied for 12th with a time of 10.42 seconds at the Geneva Last Chance meet.  

This article was written by Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, Jayson Ameer Rasheed. If you believe there are mistakes in information-- or have a separate thought relating to the event in the article -- please email ameer.rasheed@bethanywv.edu for any corrections/comments.