Clemson Men’s Track and Field Team In Third Place After Day One Of ACC Indoor Championships

Feb. 20, 2004

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson men’s track and field team is in third place after day one of the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships held at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Facility on Friday. Entering the final day of competition, Florida State leads the field with 49 points, followed by NC State’s 41-point performance. Clemson tallied 33 points on day one, North Carolina has 21 points for fourth place and Georgia Tech is in fifth place with 19 points. Duke ranks sixth with 15 points, Virginia tallied nine points for seventh place, Maryland has five points and Wake Forest rounds out the field with three points. The ACC Championships will continue on Saturday beginning at 11:00 AM, and conclude with the awards ceremony at 4:30 PM.

In Friday finals, Derek Gilson turned in a personal-best and provisional qualifying throw of 59’11” to win the shot put, becoming Clemson’s first shot put champion since Scott Erbach won the honor in 1992. Nick Caramanico threw 51’6.25″ to finish ninth. In the long jump, George Kitchens was the runner-up with a mark of 24’2.5″ and Ryan Hunter finished tied for fifth with a mark of 15’5″. The Tigers distance medley relay team of Ahmad Rutherford and Matt Clark finished seventh in the event with a time of 10:20.88.

Tye Hill was the top qualifier in the 60m dash, running a time of 6.73, while Ronald Richards clocked a season-best time of 6.80. Airese Currie also qualified for the finals, crossing the line with his season-best time of 6.85. Richards led the Tigers in the 200m preliminaries, qualifying for the finals with a time of 21.61. Hill clocked a 21.63 to advance to the finals, Currie crossed the line in 21.89 to also advance. Michael Bolling was the top qualifier for the finals of the 400m dash with a time of 48.16. In the preliminaries of the mile run, Roy Cheney was the top qualifier in the 60m hurdles, posting a season-best and provisional qualifying time of 7.94. Lydell Perry ran an 8.00 and Rick Hill also qualified for the finals with a time of 8.10.

Ryan Hunter has accumulated 2,822 points for sixth place. Hill clocked a 7.05 in the 60m dash to open the event, while Hobbs and Hunter each ran 7.22. Koontz ran a 7.28 in the initial event. Hobbs posted a mark of 22’10.5″ to win the long jump, and Hunter took third in the event with his mark of 22’3.5″. Hill recorded a leap of 20’11.75″ to place eighth and Koontz was ninth with a mark of 20’10.5″. In the third event of the heptathlon, Hill won the shot put with a personal-record mark of 47’0.75″, and Hobbs was second with his throw of 45’8″. Hunter took third place with a mark of 42’2.75″ and Koontz posted a throw of 39’0.5″. Koontz claimed the high jump with a clearance of 6’8″, and Hobbs posted a mark of 6’6.75″. Hill posted a mark of 6’0.75″ and Hunter recorded a mark of 5’9.25″.

Clemson Results 60m – George Kitchens (p) – 6.89 200m – Tye Hill (q) -21.68; Airese Currie (q) – 21.89; Michael Bolling (p) – 21.96; Marquis Andrews (p) – 22.44; Darius Acker (p) – 22.52 400m – Michael Bolling (q) – 48.16; Roy Cheney (p) – 48.99; Lydell Perry (p) – 49.55; Marquis Andrews (p) – 50.49 800m – Ahmad Rutherford (p) – 2:00.57 Mile – Derrick Wyatt (p) – 4:15.03; Matt Clark (p) – 4:20.37 60m Hurdles – Roy Cheney (q) – 7.94; Lydell Perry (q) – 8.00; Brent Hobbs (p) – 8.19; Ryan Koontz (p) – 8.35 Distance Medley Relay – Wyatt, Acker, Rutherford, Clark (7) – 10:20.88 Long Jump – George Kitchens (2) – 24’2.5″; Jason Bell (15) – 21’0.75″ Pole Vault – Ryan Hunter (T5) – 15’5″ Shot Put – Derek Gilson (1) – 59’11”; Nick Caramanico (9) – 51’6.25″ Heptathlon Day One – Ryan Hunter (6) – 2,822 points.