Clemson’s Travis Padgett Named ACC’s Most Valuable Indoor Track Performer

March 6, 2008

Greensboro, NC – Clemson junior Travis Padgett was named the men’s Indoor Track Performer-of-the-Year on Thursday, as determined by a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. The 2008 season marks the second year the conference has named a Performer-of-the-Year among both track and field event athletes.

It marked the first time a Clemson men’s track & field athlete was named Performer-of-the-Year in any capacity since Jacey Harper in 2003. Overall, the Tiger program has now produced seven ACC Performer-of-the-Year honorees, including multiple winners Shawn Crawford (1998-99) and Harper (2001, 2003).

Padgett is one of Clemson’s most decorated sprinters in recent memory. The native of Shelby, NC won his first ACC indoor championship last weekend after running a 6.63 in the 60m dash final. He held off teammate C.J. Spiller, who was second with a 6.70. Padgett then finished a career-best fourth place in the 200m after crossing the finish line with a time of 22.01. It is the second league honor in Padgett’s career, as he was named outdoor Freshman-of-the-Year in 2006 after winning the 100m dash crown.

Padgett is an automatic qualifier for next week’s NCAA Indoor Championships. He will be defending the national championship in the 60m dash at Fayetteville, AR, where he turned heads in last year’s final with a personal best time of 6.56 seconds. Padgett will be joined by Spiller in the 60m field.