2006 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Season Review

June 12, 2006

Three Tigers Earn All-America Honors Clemson finished in a tie for 26th place at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, CA after tallying 10 points. Three Tiger track & field athletes earned their first All-America honors for Clemson. Leading the way for Clemson with a fourth-place finish in the 100m was freshman phenom Travis Padgett, who ran a 10.24 in the finals. Padgett had the top time in the semifinals with a 10.13. It was Clemson’s highest individual finish at the national meet since 2002. Jason Bell became Clemson’s first-ever All-American in the triple jump after he placed sixth with a school-record leap of 51’11.75″. It was his second straight trip to the national outdoor meet. Ryan Koontz earned All-America honors by finishing seventh with 7,284 points in the decathlon. He is the second decathlete from Clemson ever to earn All-America distinction. Andy Giesler first did so in 2001.

Clemson Fourth At NCAA East Regional The Tiger track & field team finished fourth with 42.5 points at the NCAA East Region Championships, which were held in Greensboro, NC on May 26-27. Leading the way for Clemson was Travis Padgett, who won the 100m dash. He also ran third leg with the 4x100m relay team that finished runner-up and earned a berth at the NCAA Championships. Adam Linkenauger and Itay Magidi also earned All-Region honors for Clemson. Linkenauger tied for fourth in the high jump, while Magidi was runner-up in the 3000m steeplechase. Other highlights from the weekend were Jason Bell (triple jump) and George Fields (long jump) both finished sixth, just missing automatic berths for the NCAA Championships.

Padgett Sets Clemson, ACC, & East Region Record in 100m Dash Clemson freshman sprinter Michael Green in 1993. The previous ACC and East Region best had been 10.06, set by Walter Dix of Florida State in 2005.

Koontz Earns First All-America Honor Ryan Koontz, a junior, earned All-America honors in 2006 after finishing seventh in the decathlon standings in Sacramento. Koontz became just the second decathlete from Clemson to earn such an honor. Koontz did so by setting personal bests in the 100m, discus, and javelin throw. He also was the ACC Champion in the decathlon in 2006.

Magidi Earns Third All-Region Honor Itay Magidi earned his third All-Region honor in 2006 after finishing runner-up at the East Region Championships in the 3000m steeplechase. Magidi likely would have earned his third All-America honor in the steeplechase, but his shoe was knocked off during the finals at the NCAA Championships. Magidi turned in one of the gutsiest performances in the program’s history by completing the final five and a half laps with just one shoe.

Bell Breaks School Record in Triple Jump Jason Bell, who earned his first All-America certificate in 2006, set the Clemson outdoor record in the triple jump with a mark of 51’10” at the East Region Championships. The Warner Robins, GA native then followed that with a mark of 51’11.75″ in the finals at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento. Bell broke the 14-year school record, which had been held by Larry Armstead.

Clemson Second at ACC Championships The Tigers finished second at the 2006 ACC Outdoor Championships in Winston-Salem, NC after tallying 119 points. Florida State won the championship with 161 points. Clemson had three individual event champions in Jason Bell (triple jump), Brent Hobbs (decathlon)..

Padgett ACC Outdoor Freshman of the Year Clemson freshman sprinter Tye Hill captured the crown in 2004.

Padgett Wins 100m at Penn Relays Travis Padgett ran a 10.42 in the finals of the 100m to claim the collegiate championship at the 2006 Penn Relays. Padgett became the first athlete from Clemson to win an individual event at the prestigious outdoor track & field competition. After the victory, the freshman sensation received quite an ovation from Clemson’s most decorated sprinter, Shawn Crawford, who was also competing that weekend in Philadelphia.

4x100m Relay Team Competes at Nationals The Tigers’ 4x100m relay team earned a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships thanks to a runner-up finish at the NCAA East Region Championships in Greensboro, NC on May 27. Corey Brown and Cowin Mills, two first-time performers at the outdoor national championships, were instrumental in the success of the team. Brown, who fought nagging injuries throughout the outdoor season, ran second leg. In addition, he was the Tigers’ top performer and a regional qualifier in the 200m last season. Mills, the anchor leg, recorded the team’s top times in the 400m last year. Roy Cheney, an NCAA participant with the 4x400m relay team in 2003, led the young squad to a season-best time of 39.67 at the NCAA Championships. Padgett ran third leg with the team.

Greeley Sets Outdoor Pole Vault Record Mitch Greeley, a sophomore from Rock Hill, SC, made his first-ever NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance in 2006. Greeley cleared 16’10.75″ at the national meet. Greeley, who ranks first all-time in school history in the indoor pole vault, also topped the outdoor performance list in the event in 2006 after clearing 17’5″ at the Orange & Purple Classic in May. The ACC Indoor Champion also earned All-ACC honors in the outdoor event.

Alge Earns ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Honor Clemson men’s track & field athlete Danny Alge was named to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District team in June of 2006. Alge was a first-team selection by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Alge, who graduated magna cum laude from Clemson with a degree in biosystems engineering (emphasis in applied biotechnology) on May 12, 2006, was also a standout field event athlete last season with the Tiger track & field squad. He competed at the NCAA East Region Championships and recorded his best-ever mark in the hammer throw at 201’7″. That mark ranks second in school history in that event.