Page 27 - Laker Connection Fall 2013

worked extremely hard, paid close attention to details and did the extra things that took his talents to a national competitive level.”
His performance on the track placed him among the all-time bests in Clayton State’s track field program, becoming only the second two-time All-America in men’s track and field along with Carlos Guyton in 2004 and 2005.
“Part of his success was listening to his coaches,” said Mead. “Coach Clive (Caesar) and myself were telling him for a few seasons that he needed to change his racing strategy. Until late in 2012, Ayrton wanted to sit and kick, but he learned that he needed to run up near the front to be in the race at the end and that strategy resulted in consistently faster times and an NCAA runner-up finish.”
In addition to success on the track, Azcue also excelled in the classroom, graduating in the spring of 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in management with over a 3.0 grade point average. He will continue his education in the spring of 2014, pursuing his masters in health administration at Clayton State.
As a result of his success both on the track and in the class- room, Azcue received the 2012-13 Laker Award, bestowed an- nually to the top male athlete in the Clayton State Athletics program. He also received the 2012-13 H. Mason Barfield Ac- ademic Award given to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average.
Azcue credits a number of supporters for his success at Clay- ton State, “I attribute both my successes in academics and ath- letics to the people who are around me all the time. I credit my parents and family members, my coaches and teammates, my friends, especially those who are next to me when things are tough, and all the Clayton State professors and staff who were there helping every day.”
In deciding to attend the University, Azcue says Coach Mead and Coach (Hugh) Toro were the two main reasons he chose Clayton State, citing their welcoming nature throughout the process.
“Both my parents, especially my mother, encouraged me to study in America, so I got in contact with a number of coaches from all around the country,” said Azcue. “However, it was the close attention that Coach Mead and Coach Toro showed that was the difference. They made the whole process easy, and they made me feel wanted. That’s what made me decide to attend Clayton State.”
When describing the University and his experiences at Clayton State, Azcue says the beautiful campus, small class sizes and the opportunity to engage and interact with supportive faculty are just a few things that make this place special to him.
“The first thing you notice is the size, newness and beauty of campus,” said Azcue. “But aside from that, Clayton State is really special to me because the number of students per class is small, the professors are always willing to help, and every- one on campus is so really supportive. The relationships that I have built with all the people at Clayton State have helped me grow as a person.”
Along with pursuing his master’s degree in 2014, Azcue will also serve as a graduate assistant coach in the spring for the track and field program.
“Coach Mead has given me a tremendous opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant coach,” said Azcue. “I will be coaching and training with all these students who are motivated and ex- cited for college and athletics. I hope that I can share some of my experiences and help them achieve their goals.”
Ayrton Azcue received multiple awards at the last Athletics Banquet, including the H. Mason Barfield Academic Award, Most Valuable Athlete Men’s Track & Field, and a Laker Award.
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