Clemson Men’s Track And Field To Compete At ACC Championships

April 15, 2004

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CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson men’s track and field team will compete at the 2004 ACC Championships to be held this weekend on teh Belk Track at Fetzer Field on the campus of the University of North Carolina. The men’s meet will begin on Friday morning at 11:00 AM with the decathlon and conclude on Saturday with the 4x400m relay slated for 6:00 PM.

Since 1992, Clemson has been the most successful team in the ACC in terms of winning ACC Outdoor Track and Field Team titles. Under Pollock, Clemson has never finished lower than third (1994-1996), and has posted only four runner-up finishes (1992, 1999, 2002-2003). Overall, Clemson has claimed 10 ACC outdoor championships, and is second only to Maryland in total ACC Championships won (26).

The Tigers hold an edge over the other ACC teams in individual or relay titles won since 1988, when Pollock took over the program. Clemson has won four of the last six 100m races contested at the ACC Championships, and has dominated the 200m titles, winning 10 of the last 16 races, and five of the last seven years. The Tigers have won seven consecutive titles in the 110m hurdles, and Clemson most recently won the 400m hurdles in 2000. Under Pollock, the Tigers have won five 400m titles, including the 2003 championship, and two 800m championships, five 1500m titles, three 5000m championships and four 10,000m titles. Clemson has also won two 3,000m steeplechase titles. Since 1988, Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest are the only teams in the ACC to win the 4x100m relay. The Tigers have won the last four 400m relay events, and have won 11 titles under Pollock. In the 4x400m relay, Clemson has won four titles since 1988, with the most recent championship in 1996. In the field events, Clemson has won the high jump three times, the long jump once, and has brought home three titles in the pole vault, four in the javelin, three in the decathlon and one in the shot put. A Tiger has won the decathlon two of the last three years, as Rick Hill claimed the 2003 decathlon title, and Andy Giesler was the 2001 ACC Champion in the decathlon.

Fourteen Tigers have already qualified for the 2004 East Region Championships to be held in Gainesville, FL, May 28-29. Airese Currie has a season-best time of 10.48 set at the Clemson Invitational, and ran anchor on the Tigers’ 4x100m relay team that clocked a 39.83 at the Raleigh Relays. Tye Hill is another qualifier for the Tigers in the 100m dash, running a 10.50 at the Clemson Invitational. He also qualified as a member of the 4x100m relay team, on which he runs second leg. Lydell Perry leads three Tigers who have qualified in the 110m hurdles. Perry is the top Clemson qualifier with his time of 14.03 set at the Raleigh Relays. Roy Cheney recorded a season-best 14.17 at the Spec Towns Invitational and Roy Cheney also qualified at the Clemson Invitational with a time of 52.30. Ronald Richards and Currie are the Tigers’ top 4x100m relay team. That foursome recorded a season-best time of 39.83 at the Raleigh Relays. Bolling, Cheney, Warren Eure comprise the Tigers’ 4x400m relay team that posted a season-best time of 3:09.18. Adam Linkenauger cleared 6’11” in the high jump at the Clemson Invitational to qualify for his first region meet, and George Kitchens posted a mark of 24’7″ in the long jump to qualify. Derek Gilson is a double qualifier for the Tigers. He owns a season-best mark of 57’4.25″ in the shot put and threw 170’10” in the hammer to qualify in that event.

Under Pollock, Clemson has won at least one ACC title in 19 of the 21 events currently contested. The Tigers have won 85 event titles since 1988, 30 more than any other conference school. North Carolina has claimed 55 event titles, and NC State has won 52 event titles. Georgia Tech has won 37 titles in the last 16 years, while Florida State has won 40 titles and Wake Forest has won 26 titles. Virginia has claimed 26 event titles since 1988, and Maryland has four event titles with Duke holding two titles. Clemson head coach Bob Pollock is second in ACC coaching history in championships won by coach with his eight team titles. Only Maryland’s Jim Kehoe has won more team titles, claiming 15 championships between 1954-1969.