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Clemson Track & Field – 2011 Indoor Season Review

Clemson Track & Field – 2011 Indoor Season Review

March 24, 2011

Moss, Rollins Capture National Championships for ClemsonMiller Moss and Brianna Rollins reached the pinnacle of collegiate track & field at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, TX. Both Clemson athletes were NCAA individual champions, Moss in the heptathlon and Rollins in the women’s 60 hurdles.

Moss’ finish was the best-ever by a Clemson multi-event athlete. The previous best was seventh place. His championship was the 15th NCAA crown in track & field for the Clemson men’s program and its first since Jacoby Ford won the 60m dash in 2009 at the same venue. Moss established a Clemson record with the top mark of the entire season in the event with 5,986 points. It was a phenomenal feat for Moss, who began the second day 55 points behind the leader. He set personal bests in the 60m hurdles (7.94) and pole vault (16’0.75″) on day two to catapult himself into the lead.

Rollins was fastest out of the blocks and was never challenged in the final. She blazed to a personal best 7.96, making her the first female in Clemson history to go under eight seconds in the event. She was Clemson’s first champion ever in the women’s hurdles. She was Clemson’s second NCAA champion in women’s track & field under the watch of Head Coach Lawrence Johnson, and the ninth all-time in program history.

It was the first time in history Clemson had a men’s and women’s track & field NCAA champion at the same meet.

Clemson Women Repeat as ACC Champions Clemson’s women’s track & field team won its second straight ACC indoor championship on Feb. 26. It was only the third overall indoor team championship at the ACC level for the Clemson women, but the third straight track & field crown overall (counting 2010 outdoor season).

Four individuals won ACC championships, while Clemson once again captured the 4×400 meter relay to conclude the meet. The Tigers finished with 152 points, compared to 100.5 for runner-up Florida State. Tiger athletes picked up an additional 10 all-conference honors due to top-three finishes across multiple events.

Clemson’s 2011 Women’s Indoor ACC Champions
Student-Athlete(s) Event Mark/Time
Stormy Kendrick 60m Dash 7.28
Marlena Wesh 400m Dash 53.10
Jasmine Edgerson 60m Hurdles 8.17
Rollins, Kendrick, Austin, Wesh 4x400m Relay 3:37.26
Brittney Waller Weight Throw 64’8.5″
Clemson’s 2011 Women’s Indoor All-ACC Performers
Student-Athlete(s) Event Mark/Time Finish
Jasmine Edgerson 60m Dash 7.33 2nd
Stormy Kendrick 200m Dash 23.29 2nd
Marlena Wesh 200m Dash 23.47 3rd
Kim Ruck 3000m 9:21.34 3rd
Kim Ruck 5000m 16:40.78 3rd
Bridgette Owens 60m Hurdles 8.21 2nd
April Sinkler High Jump 5’10.5″ 2nd
April Sinkler Long Jump 21’1.5″ 2nd
April Sinkler Triple Jump 42’11.75″ 3rd
Whitney Fountain Pentathlon 3,798 pts 3rd

Women’s Team Finishes 11th at NCAA Championships, Men Tied for 22nd Clemson placed 11th as a team at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, the second straight season the women’s track & field team has scored a top-15 national finish. Clemson tied for seventh at the meet in 2010. This time around, Clemson had six different athletes earn All-America recognition (for a total of eight honors) on the women’s side.

The men’s team also put together a top-25 performance. Clemson tied for 22nd in the final team standings, thanks to Miller Moss’ national championship in the heptathlon. It was Clemson’s first indoor top-25 NCAA finish since the 2009 team tied for 23rd.

Clemson’s Best NCAA Indoor Women’s Team Finishes
Year Points Finish All-Americans
2001 30 T-3rd 7
2010 20 T-7th 10
1983 10 T-10th 1
2011 19 11th 8

Nine Different Tigers Earn All-America Distinction When the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released the official list of 2011 indoor All-Americans the Monday following the NCAA Championships, Clemson had nine student-athletes that combined for 11 honors. For the first time ever, the USTFCCCA recognized both first and second-team All-Americans. First-team All-America honors were awarded to finalists in each NCAA Championships event.

Garnering first-team All-America honors were Miller Moss (heptathlon), Brianna Rollins (60m hurdles), April Sinkler (triple jump) and Marlena Wesh (400m dash). It was Moss’ second career All-America honor and second straight in the heptathlon. It was also Rollins’ second straight All-America certification in the hurdles. Sinkler was also a second-team All-American in the long jump, giving her a total of six All-America honors in her brilliant career. Stormy Kendrick was the only other Clemson athlete to earn multiple All-America honors. She earned second-team recognition in both the 60m and 200m dash events.

Clemson’s 2011 Indoor First-Team All-Americans
Student-Athlete(s) Event Mark/Time Finish
Miller Moss Heptathlon 5,986 pts 1st
Brianna Rollins 60m Hurdles 7.96 1st
April Sinkler Triple Jump 44’2″ 2nd
Marlena Wesh 400m Dash 1:02.89 8th
Clemson’s 2011 Indoor Second-Team All-Americans
Student-Athlete(s) Event Mark/Time Finish
Spencer Adams 60m Hurdles 7.89 15th
Jasmine Edgerson 60m Hurdles 8.65 16th
Stormy Kendrick 60m Dash 7.30 13th
Stormy Kendrick 200m Dash 23.43 11th
Justin Murdock 60m Dash 6.73 14th
April Sinkler Long Jump 20’1.75″ 10th
Brittney Waller Weight Throw 62’10.75″ 12th

Johnson Named ACC, Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year for Second Straight Indoor Season Clemson’s Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson was named 2011 ACC Coach-of-the-Year and Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year by the USTFCCCA. It marked the second straight indoor season Johnson earned both honors. He led Clemson’s women to a second consecutive championship at the ACC indoor meet, the third in program history. He then led the Tigers to an 11th-place team showing at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Johnson coached four individuals and one relay to conference championships in 2011 as well. His women’s program produced a national champion hurdler in Brianna Rollins and an NCAA runner-up in triple jumper April Sinkler.

Moss Named ACC Field Athlete-of-the-Year, Earns USTFCCCA Regional Honors Clemson graduate Miller Moss had a spectacular final indoor season in a Clemson uniform. He won the 2011 NCAA championship with 5,986 points in the heptathlon, the school’s first-ever multi-event crown. In fact, the previous best finish in the heptathlon by a Clemson athlete was seventh place. Moss also won the ACC heptathlon crown, totaling 5,881 points. By virtue of his ACC/NCAA sweep, Moss collected Field Athlete-of-the-Year honors after a vote from the league’s head coaches.

Moss was also named Southeast Region Field Athlete-of-the-Year by the USTFCCCA, the first regional honor collected by the Sumter, SC native.

Clemson Produces Three ACC Meet MVP Winners Following the ACC Indoor Championships, the conference awarded Most Valuable Performer honors for men’s and women’s athletes in track events and field events. The top point-getter in each category was awarded MVP honors from the ACC. The women’s team swept the honors, with Stormy Kendrick as Track MVP and April Sinkler named MVP for the field events. On the men’s side, Alex Padgett was named Most Valuable Field Performer after scoring a combined 11 points in the shot put and weight throw events.

Kendrick logged 28 points for the Tiger women’s team due to first-place finishes in the 60m dash and 4x400m relay, and a runner-up finish in the 200m dash. Sinkler tallied 22 points, eight apiece for the high jump and long jump and six for the triple jump.

Sinkler’s three straight indoor MVP honors matched Kim Graham’s record for Clemson women’s track & field. She was named MVP at the ACC Outdoor Championships each year from 1991-93.

Sinkler Honored by USTFCCCA, ACC for Indoor Accomplishments Clemson jumper April Sinkler continued to add to her trophy collection in 2011. The Stafford, VA native was named Most Valuable Field Performer for the ACC Championships. It was her fourth career honor and third straight indoor meet MVP award. She earned the most points among field event athletes at the ACC Championships by virtue of runner-up finishes in the high jump and long jump, and a third-place effort in the triple jump.

Sinkler was also named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Field Athlete-of-the-Year for women’s track & field for a third consecutive season. She swept the honor both indoors and outdoors in 2010.

Sinkler Breaks Through at NCAA NationalsApril Sinkler is the owner of six ACC championships, but she is still in search of her first NCAA championship. She took a major step forward at the 2011 indoor national meet. She finished runner-up in the triple jump, the second straight winter Clemson’s women’s team had produced the NCAA’s No. 2 finisher in the event. In fact, a Clemson athlete has now finished in the top two of the triple jump at three consecutive NCAA championship meets. Patricia Mamona was runner-up indoors, and then champion outdoors in 2010.

Prior to her triple jump finish, Sinkler’s best performance at the NCAA Championships was a seventh-place effort. Sinkler saved her best for last at the NCAA meet, as she qualified for the final with her third preliminary attempt. She then jumped to second in the overall standings on her final leap, a personal best mark of 44’2″.

Kendrick Takes ACC by Storm, Sets Clemson Record in 60m Dash Clemson has a budding superstar on its hands in sophomore Stormy Kendrick. The native of Gastonia, NC auto qualified for the NCAA Championships in the event when she clocked a Clemson record and personal best 7.22 to win at the Hokie Invitational.

Kendrick was 5-for-5 this winter in 60m finals prior to the NCAA Championships. Her only losses at all in the event the entire season were in the preliminary rounds at the Hokie Invitational and NCAA Championships.

Her most important performance was a time of 7.28 and an individual championship at the ACC meet in the 60. Kendrick was an IAAF World Junior Champion last summer in the 200m dash outdoors and clocked an indoor-best 23.29 (No. 2 in Clemson history) in a runner-up finish at ACCs. Kendrick also helped the 4x400m relay to an ACC crown. At the conclusion of the meet, she was named Most Valuable Indoor Track Performer for her efforts.

Below is a list of every short sprint winner in Clemson’s indoor ACC history. Kendrick’s victory was the seventh overall in either the 55m or 60m dash, and she was the fourth different Tiger female to claim a conference crown in the event.

Tomlinson was the only Tiger to win the event since it was extended to 60 meters, so Kendrick was Clemson’s first female short sprint ACC indoor champion since 1998.

Clemson’s Short Sprint ACC Women’s Champions
Year Athlete Event Time
1989 Lisa Dillard 55m 6.91
1990 Lisa Dillard 55m 6.88
1991 Kim Graham’s 55m 6.91
1992 Kim Graham’s 55m 6.91
1995 Simone Tomlinson 55m 6.89
1998 Simone Tomlinson 60m 7.28
2011 Stormy Kendrick 60m 7.28

Edgerson Wins First Individual ACC Title A mainstay of Clemson’s All-America, ACC Champion relays in 2010 was then freshman Jasmine Edgerson. She was anchor leg for the all-freshman 4×4 team that won the conference title and finished fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. During outdoor season, she anchored the victorious 4×1 relay at ACCs and led that group to a fourth-place effort at the NCAA national meet.

This past winter, Edgerson’s focus was improving her individual events. The plan was quite successful for Edgerson during her sophomore campaign. She recorded personal bests in both the 60m dash (7.32) and 60m hurdles (8.17).

Her crowning achievement as an individual thus far in her collegiate career occurred on Feb. 26 when she crossed the finish line first in the 60 hurdles with a lifetime best 8.17 and ACC championship. She then finished runner-up in the 60m dash to close friend Stormy Kendrick. Edgerson also scored in the 200, so her versatility in the sprints and hurdles was a major reason for Clemson’s success as a team.

Moss’ Heptathlon Total Among Top 5 All-Time in NCAA HistoryMiller Moss not only set an ACC record with 5,986 points in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships, but he also recorded one of the top five point totals in collegiate track & field history. The NCAA record is 6,499 points, set by Oregon’s Ashton Eaton last season. Trey Hardee of Texas is second all-time, having compiled 6,208 in 2006.

The other collegiate athletes ahead of Moss on the all-time heptathlon performance list are Donovan Kilmartin of Texas, who had 6,136 in 2004 and Maurice Smith of Auburn, who totaled 6,035 in the 2005 season.

NCAA Top-Five All-Time Performance List, Men’s Heptathlon(according to Track & Field News)
Student-Athlete School Year Time
Ashton Eaton Oregon 2010 6,499
Trey Hardee Texas 2006 6,208
Donovan Kilmartin Texas 2004 6,136
Maurice Smith Auburn 2005 6,035
Miller Moss Clemson 2011 5,986

Rollins’ 60 Hurdles Time Among Top 10 All-Time in NCAA History Over the course of women’s collegiate track & field history, only a handful of student-athletes have gone sub-eight seconds in the 60m hurdles. One of those athletes, Clemson’s Brianna Rollins, accomplished the feat in 2011. According to data available from the Track & Field News web page, only nine collegiate athletes in NCAA history rank ahead of Rollins’ time of 7.96 from this year’s NCAA Indoor Championships.

The collegiate record, 7.84, was set in 2006 by Ginnie Powell of the University of Southern California. Only two additional athletes have run 7.90 or faster: Priscilla Lopes of Nebraska ran a 7.87 in 2006, while Perdita Felicien of Illinois clocked a 7.90 in 2002. The entire top-10 performance list is below.

Rollins’ time of 7.96 was the No. 2 time in ACC history for the women’s 60m hurdles. The only athlete ahead of her, Harrison, was also coached by Clemson Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson.

NCAA Top-10 All-Time Performance List, Women’s 60m Hurdles(according to Track & Field News)
Student-Athlete School Year Time
Ginnie Powell Southern Cal 2006 7.84
Priscilla Lopes Nebraska 2006 7.87
Perdita Felicien Illinois 2002 7.90
Danielle Carruthers Indiana 2002 7.92
Vonette Dixon Auburn 2000 7.94
Tiffany Ofili Michigan 2008 7.94
Queen Harrison Virginia Tech 2010 7.94
Donica Merriman Ohio State 2001 7.95
Raasin McIntosh Texas 2004 7.95
Brianna Rollins Clemson 2011 7.96

Wesh Breaks Clemson Record in 400m Dash Clemson’s lone newcomer to make the trip to the NCAA Championships in March was sophomore transfer Marlena Wesh, who competed for the University of Oklahoma in 2010.

Wesh put together an outstanding ACC meet for the Tigers. She won the 400m dash, Clemson’s first champion in the event since 2001, with a time of 53.10. Her time was a school record and good enough for an at-large bid. For good measure, Wesh placed third in the 200 to earn an all-conference nod.

Wesh improved upon her personal best with a sizzling 52.88 in the prelims, but she fell during the final and was relegated to an eighth-place finish. Still, she scored a point for the team and was named a first-team All-American as a result of her performance.

Waller Earns ACC Title in Weight Throw, Advances to NCAA Championships Della Clark.

Waller did not throw as far at the ACC Championships on Feb. 25, but she did manage a throw of 64’8.5″ to claim the league title in the event. Clemson’s only female ACC champion in the weight throw prior to Waller’s victory was Jamine Moton, who won in 2001 and 2002.

She earned a trip to the NCAA Championships as an at-large competitor and was solid, turning in a throw of 62’10.75″ and finishing 12th overall in the preliminary round.

4x400m Relays Provide Exclamation Points at ACC Indoor Championships With the women’s championship well in hand, the Tigers went out and put an exclamation point on their 2011 ACC indoor title by winning the final event, the 4×400 meter relay. It was Clemson’s second straight win on the women’s side. The team consisted of Rollins, Kendrick, Sonni Austin and Wesh.

For good measure, the men’s team went out and duplicated the winning effort. It was Clemson’s first indoor 4×4 crown since the 2001 season. Clemson’s team was comprised of Murdock, Moss, La’Mont Jackson and Jordan Rispress.

Ruck Doubles Up All-ACC Honors in the Distance Events Clemson junior Kim Ruck was a major contributor to the women’s team ACC championship again in 2011. She followed up her brilliant sophomore season, in which she won the conference crown in the 5K, with a pair of all-conference accolades. Ruck finished third in both the 3000 and 5000-meter competitions. Less than 18 hours after a time of 16:40.78 in the 5K, Ruck was on the track again despite Clemson’s large lead in the team standings. She put forth everything she had and what resulted was a personal best time in the 3K. She crossed the finish line in 9:21.34, No. 2 in Clemson history for the event.

Slate Earns First Career All-Conference Accolade Red-shirt junior Chris Slate has turned himself into a formidable middle distance runner at the collegiate level. He came to Clemson with state championships in the 800m and 1600m events as a high school star in Delaware. The transition to success in the middle distance events in college has taken a few years, but Slate may have found a breakthrough at the 2011 indoor ACC meet. He was runner-up in the 800m to Anthony Kostelac of Virginia. Slate crossed the finish line with a time of 1:51.01, the ninth-best time in Clemson history for the event.

Terstappen Breaks Clemson Pole Vault Record as a Freshman Clemson’s freshman class was outstanding during the 2011 indoor season, and one of the main contributors among the first-year competitors was Lauren Terstappen. A pole vaulter from Phoenixville, PA, she ascended atop the Clemson record books after just one indoor season with a clearance of 13’0.25″ at the Tiger Paw Invitational in February. She is one of only two females in Clemson history to surpass the 13-foot barrier, as Caroline Kennedy became the first do accomplish the feat last season outdoors. Terstappen placed sixth at the ACC Championships in the vault, as she cleared 12’11.5″ in her first conference meet.

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