Kitchens and Gilson Earn USA Junior All-America Honors

June 24, 2002

PALO ALTO, CA – Two members of the Clemson men’s track and field team earned USA Junior All-America honors at the 2002 USA Track and Field Junior Championships. George Kitchens and Derek Gilson finished in the top eight in their respective events to receive the accolades. Andrew Kessler also competed in the USA Track and Field Junior Championships, while Todd Matthews competed in the USA Track and Field Senior Championships.

Kitchens, a sophomore from Hephzibah, GA, placed fifth in the long jump with a mark of 23’7.25″/7.19m. The 2002 ACC Rookie of the Year and All-ACC honoree in the long jump holds a season-best mark of 24’7.75″ set at the conference meet.

Gilson, a red-shirt freshman from Red Bank, NJ, finished sixth in the 14-pound shot put with a mark of 60’4″/18.39m. His previous personal-best mark of 53’8.25″ was set at the Georgia Throws Invitational earlier this year.

Kessler, a sophomore from St. Albans, WV, no-heighted at the meet. Previously, Kessler cleared 16’2.5″ at the 2002 ACC Outdoor Championships to post his season-best mark.

Matthews, from Trenton, NJ, advanced to the semi-finals of the 110m hurdles. In the preliminaries, he recorded a time of 13.73, and posted a time of 13.76 in the semi-finals. Matthews finished second in the 110m hurdles at the 2002 NCAA Championships with his personal-best time of 13.53. He was the 2002 ACC runner-up in the event, and finished his career with five indoor and outdoor All-America honors in the hurdles. Matthews ranks third on Clemson’s all-time best list in the 110m hurdles.