Utica native Tavon Davis wins national title, shatters NJCAA record
Published 8:40 pm Saturday, March 8, 2025
- Hinds Community College sprinter Tavon Davis, a Utica native and Raymond High School alum, won the NJCAA Indoor Championship in the 600 meter dash on Saturday, with a time of 1:15.61. (Graphic courtesy of Hinds Community College Athletics)
LUBBOCK, Texas — Hinds Community College sprinter Tavon Davis delivered a record-setting performance at the NJCAA Indoor National Championships on Saturday.
The Utica native and Raymond High School alum won the national title in the men’s 600 meter dash, with an NJCAA-record time of 1 minute, 15.61 seconds. He won by a full second over Iowa Western’s Charmar Smith, who crossed the line in 1:16.63.
Davis shattered the record of 1:16.22, set by Jaymes Dennision of ASA College in Miami, Florida, that had stood since 2015.
Davis was also part of Hinds’ men’s 4×400 meter relay team — along with Shadane Smith, Craig Carson and Antoine Spillman — that finished fifth, with a time of 3:10.81.
Davis was joined as a national champion by his Hinds teammate Queen Usunobon, a native of Nigeria who won the women’s 400 meters in 52.89 seconds.
Hinds’ women’s team secured a seventh-place finish, while the men’s team finished 12th overall.
In addition to the national titles, 17 Hinds athletes earned All-America honors. La’Nica Locker had two top-eight finishes, coming in third in the women’s 200 meters in 23.35 seconds, and seventh in the 60 meter dash.
Caydence Brewer had a sixth-place finish in the women’s 400 meters, and was part of the 4×400 meter relay team that finished fifth. Usunobon was also on the relay, as were Twyshanna Huie and T’kyla Bennett.
On the men’s side, Matthew Sullivan was fourth in the men’s 60 meter hurdles, and Jayval Wright finished seventh in the 60 meter dash.