Men’s Track Adds Three Signees

Dec. 17, 1999

CLEMSON, SC – .Clemson head men’s track and field coach Bob Pollock announced today the signing of three individuals to national letters of intent. Sprinter Jacey Harper of Edinburgh, Trinidad, will compete for the Tigers beginning in January of 2000, while David Adams, a cross country and distance runner from Hilton Head, SC, and Derrick Wyatt, a cross country and distance athlete from Liberty, SC, will join the team in August of 2000.

“These individuals are among the top athletes in the country and will contribute tremendously toward the Tigers’ rise to national contention,” said Pollock. “We are extremely proud to have these outstanding student-athletes in our program.”

Harper recently graduated from Couva Government School in Edinburgh, Trinidad. The Trinidad & Tobago National Junior and Senior Champion in the 100 meters and 200 meters, he has recorded personal-best times of 10.45 in the 100m and 20.87 in the 200m. Harper is a member of the Trinidad & Tobago World Junior team, where he competes in the 100m and 200m and is a member of the 4x100m relay team. He was also a team member on the Pan-American Junior and Senior teams. “Harper is an outstanding sprinter and relay runner who will add quality and depth in our successful Tiger sprinting squad,” said Pollock.

Adams, a senior at Hilton Head High School, established a state record at the South Carolina High School Cross Country Championships after finishing the 5000m course in 14:37. The previous record of 14:45 was set in 1985. Adams became only the second individual ever to finish the state course in under 15 minutes. He has won three state cross country titles: two titles in the Class 4-A Division and one in the Class 3-A Division. Adams also excels on the track, where he won the state 3200m title as a freshman (Class 3-A), sophomore (Class 3-A), and junior (Class 4-A). During his junior season he posted a career-best time of 9:20.26 in the event at the state championships.

“Adams is an outstanding distance runner who currently owns six state titles in two different classifications combined,” said Pollock. “His latest performance may be the most impressive of all his title accomplishments.”

Wyatt, a senior at Liberty High School in Liberty, SC, won the state Class 1A – 2A Division Cross Country title as a junior and a senior. He ran a career-best time of 15:00 on the 5000m course last fall. Wyatt holds the 1A and 2A State record and has the third-best time on the course for all divisions. As a junior last spring he won the Triple Crown of distance runners, capturing state titles in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m to lead Liberty to a third-place finish at the state championships. At the meet, Wyatt posted personal-bests of 1:55.68 in the 800m and 4:16.77 in the 1600m.

“Wyatt has had an outstanding track and cross country career at Liberty High School and in the state, re-establishing every record in the books,” said Pollock. “He enters his senior season ranked eighth as one of the top middle distance runners in the country.”