EUGENE, Ore. – Clemson senior Grace Barnett took home Second Team All-American honors Saturday after placing ninth in the women’s 1500-meter finals on the last day of the 2018 NCAA Track & Field Championships. Barnett crossed the finish line in 4:13.01 at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, which is set to be remodeled beginning this summer and completed in 2020. Barnett goes down as one of the most decorated track & field student-athletes of all time in Clemson history and is the 1500m program record holder.
“She had a great career at Clemson,” said Clemson head coach Mark Elliott after the race. “We wish she had gotten to the scoring podium for us, but given where she started and where she ended, you could never ask for anything better. I’m really proud of what she’s accomplished.
In addition to holding the 1500m program record of 4:11.07, which she set in Thursday’s semifinals, Barnett is now a seven-time All-American between cross country (1), indoor (5) and outdoor (1) competition. She also garnered 13 All-ACC distinctions between cross country (1) and track & field (10 indoor, 2 outdoor), six of which were First Team distinctions. The Pawleys Island, South Carolina native is also a 10-time All-ACC Academic selection and will most likely add to her collection for the 2018 outdoor season, which has yet to be announced. In 2016, she was the ACC Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was also a recipient of the Weaver-James-Corrigan scholarship in 2018. Barnett is currently enrolled in graduate school pursuing a master’s degree in Youth Leadership Development.
“While it’s a slow-climbing process, we were definitely well represented here. Now we have to have our performances turn into points. Our hope – for both men and women based on our signings – I think we will be back here and better next season. Overall, mostly everyone competed up to their ability. We may have lost a little bit here and there, but overall I think it was a very good season and a season I think we can build on for the upcoming year.”
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