In 2024-25, Clayton enters her first season as an assistant track and field and cross country coach with Gardner-Webb, joining the Runnin' Bulldogs from Capital University where she previously served as the program's associate head coach from 2022 to 2024.
During her time at Capital, Clayton helped the program reach new heights as part of the 2023 Indoor Women's Coaching Staff of The Year. In three seasons, Capital completed fifty Top 20 All-Time list performances for cross country and track and field, broke six school records, named fourteen to OAC All-Conference teams, landed two USTFCCCA All-Academic team members and seven OAC All-Academic individuals.
Prior to her collegiate coaching career, Clayton competed a short stint as the assistant distance coach at Gardner High School in Kansas in the spring of 2022, while also holding jobs outside of organized sports, both as a trainer and educator. On top of a semester as a long-term substitute teacher at Gardner, Clayton also previously served as a swim coach in Winsor, Colorado and lifeguard and a performance and training intern in Franklin, Tennessee.
Along with coaching accolades, Clayton also has several high-level certifications including both a USATF Level 1 License completed in 2023 and a USATF Cross Country Specialist License completed in 2022.
Clayton graduated from Ottawa University in 2020 with a Bachelors in Physical Education before completing her Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Cumberland University in 2021.
