Track & Field Adds Four To 2025-26 Roster

MACON – Mercer track & field head coach Roosevelt Lofton added a slew of talent to his 2025-26 roster on Tuesday morning with the announcement that hurdler Laila Stowe, as well as sprinters TaLaya Broaders, Shanise Newton and Carmen Pollard, will continue their academic and athletic careers with the Bears.

Broaders treks to Middle Georgia from central Indiana, while Newton, Pollard and Stowe are all in-state products. The quartet is expected to make an immediate impact with the Orange & Black.

A product of Mt. Vernon High School in McCordsville, Ind., Broaders qualified for the state finals in two events as a junior at Lawrence North High School, finishing 13^th in the 100m Dash and 22^nd in the 200m Dash. The academic all-state honoree transferred to Mt. Vernon High School and competed for coach Lydgia Palmer.

A member of the National Honor Society, Broaders was also an academic all-state honoree while lettering four times in soccer for the Marauders. The daughter of Lakysha and Timothy Broaders has two older brothers, Timothy and Tylin, and is expecting to major in environmental engineering at Mercer.

Newton, a native of Gainesville, qualified for the Georgia state finals in the 200m Dash, as well as three relay events, while leading Gainesville High School to the 5A Region 7 title. Three of her relay squads – the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m teams – finished among the top 8 at the state championships where she was a member of a quartet of school record-breaking showings.

The treasurer of Gainesville High School's chapter of the National Honor Society, Newton is also a member of the Science National Honor Society and volunteers her time with the Sunshine Seniors Food Ministry. The daughter of LaWannika and Marlon Newton has two older brothers, Tony and William, and will major in biomedical engineering at Mercer.

Pollard was a standout in both the 200m and 400m Dash at Lakeside High School in Atlanta, where she also lettered in cross country for the Vikings. A member of the National Honor Society, she was also active in the Beta Club, the Reading Bowl, the French Honor Society and the French Club.

The daughter of Nova and John Pollard, she has an older brother, Evan. She is expecting to major in biochemistry at Mercer.

Stowe, a native of McDonough, finished in the runner-up position in the 100m Hurdles at the 5A state championships as a senior and wrapped up her career at Union Grove High School by shattering six school records in her final prep campaign. A three time region champion in the 100m Hurdles, she also claimed top honors at the sectional meet.

A member of HOSA, the Environmental Conservation Club and Skills USA at Union Grove High School, Stowe also graduated summa cum laude. The daughter of Latrice and Dwayne Stowe has a younger brother, DJ, and is expecting to major in biology at Mercer.

Mercer University Athletics

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