Clemson’s Jason Meany Wins Southeast Region Cross Country Championship

Nov. 16, 2002

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Clemson men’s cross country team posted a fifth-place team finish at the 2002 Southeast Region Championships at Lake Kristi. Individually, senior Jason Meany and junior Scott Shaw automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships to be held Monday, Nov. 25 at Indiana State University, finishing first and third, respectively. NC State won the region meet with 66 points, followed by William & Mary (77 points). Duke was third (115 points), Virginia was fourth with 135 points, and Clemson rounded out the top five teams with 149 points.

Meany, a native of Liverpool, NY, won the individual title as he covered the 10K course with a time of 29:50.3, edging William and Mary’s Ed Moran who was the runner-up in 29:50.7. Shaw, from East Syracuse, NY, finished third overall with a time of 29:52.3 to also earn all-region honors. This is the first all-region honor for Meany and the second all-region accolade for Shaw. Meany’s time was a personal-record for him, and his first individual title this season. Shaw previously earned all-region honors in 2001, as he finished 20th at least year’s Southeast Region meet. At the 2002 ACC Championships, Meany earned all-conference honors with a third-place finish, his season-best performance prior to the regional meet. He is just the second Tiger harrier to win the region meet, and the first Clemson cross country region champion under current head coach Bob Pollock. Hans Koeleman won the region individual title in 1980, 1982 and 1983, and earned All-America honors each of those years. Shaw’s time was also a personal-best, and the regional meet was the third time this season he has placed in the top three.

Meany and Shaw will compete to earn Clemson’s first All-America honors in cross country since the 1988 season in which Yehezkel Halifa and Dov Kremer earned the accolade with second and sixth-place finishes, respectively. The duo from New York are the first two Tigers to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 1988 when the Tigers finished fourth as a team. Since that year, only only one other Clemson harrier has automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship meet. Cormac Finnerty competed in the NCAA Championships in 1991 and 1992 after finishing second and seventh in the region meet.

Also competing for the Tigers, Clay Pendleton were 71st and 72nd with times of 32:10 and 32:10.2, respectively.

Clemson ResultsJason Meany (1) – 29:50.3Scott Shaw (3) – 29:52.3Derrick Wyatt (23) – 30:52.9 David Adams (60) – 32:00.6 Ryan Fenton (62) – 32:10.0 Clay Pendleton (63) – 32:10.2

Team Results 1. NC State – 66 pts. 2. William & Mary – 77 pts. 3. Duke – 115 pts. 4. Virginia – 135 pts. 5. Clemson – 149 pts.