Dwight Thomas And Ato Modibo Lead Tigers At Virginia Tech Challenge

Feb. 9, 2002

BLACKSBURG, VA – The Clemson men’s track and field team competed at the Virginia Tech Challenge held Saturday in Blacksburg. The Tigers were led by Dwight Thomas and Ato Modibo, who both provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships. Clemson also set 21 season-best marks at the meet.

Thomas provisionally qualified in two events, finishing second in the 60m dash with a time of 6.71 and recording a time of 7.84 in the preliminaries of the 60m hurdles. His time in the hurdles places him fifth on Clemson’s all-time leaders list. Ronald Richards finished 10th out of collegiate competitors with a time of 22.15. Modibo posted a season-best time in the 400m dash, provisionally qualifying with a time of 46.88 and finishing the race as the top collegiate competitor. Michael Bolling also finished in the top 10 in the 400m with a time of 48.59, good for ninth-place. Matt Gunn finished ninth in the 300m with a season-best time of 8:32.59. Clemson’s 4x400m relay team of Thompson, Richards, Eure and Copes finished third with a time of 3:17.23.

In the field events, George Kitchens placed fifth with his mark of 23’5.5″. matt Lombardi placed fifth in the shot put (47’10.75″, and Andrew Kessler set another season-best mark in the pole vault, clearing 16’0.75″ to finish tied for third. Adam Klotbach finished tied for sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 15’7″.

Complete Clemson Results 60m George Kitchens (p) – 7.13. 60m hurdles Dwight Thomas (p) – 7.84#s, Todd Matthews (3) – 7.96, Ian Potter (5) – 8.23. 200m Ronald Richards (10) – 22.15s, Michael Bolling (11) – 22.26s, Warren Eure (13) – 22.50s. 400m Ronald Richards (20) – 50.14s. 800m Derrick Wyatt (7) – 1:55.92s, Scott Shaw (11) – 1:58.20s. One Mile Mike Barton (4) – 4:17.69. 3000m Matt Gunn (9) – 8:32.95s. 5000m Matt Pimentel (3) – 15:22.42s. 4x400m relay Thompson, Richards, Eure, Copes (3) – 3:17.23, Wyatt, Barton, Shaw, Pimentel (8) – 3:36.61. Triple jump Brit Barrow (3) – 14.76m/48’5.25″s. High jump Doug Ameigh (T1) – 2.10m/6’10.75″, Bryant Howe (3) – 2.05m/6’8.75″. Long jump George Kitchens (5) – 7.15m/23’5.5″. Shot put Matt Lombardi (5) – 14.60m/47’10.75″, Colt Hodge (7) – 14.13m/46’4.25″s. Weight throw Brett Varner (4) – 17.53m/57’6.25″, Colt Hodge (5) – 17.19m/56’4.75″, Matt Lombardi (6) – 14.28m/46’10.25″. Pole vault Andrew Kessler (T3) – 4.90m/16’0.75″s, Adam Klotzbach (T6) – 4.75m/15’7″. * All places based on collegiate competitors only. # – Provisional qualifying mark. S – denotes season-best mark.