Men’s Track And Field To Compete At NCAA Indoor Championships

March 13, 2003

The Clemson men’s track and field team will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Fayetteville, AR. Six Tigers will represent Clemson in three events, the 60m dash, high jump and 4x400m relay, beginning Friday evening and continuing through Saturday evening.

Michael Bolling, Roy Cheney and Rashad Gardner will also travel with the Tigers as the alternate for the 4x400m relay. Terrance McDaniel will compete in the high jump. McDaniel was third at the ACC meet, clearing 7’1.75″ for the second time this season. He is 11th entering the 2003 NCAA Championships.

The Tigers made their first scoring appearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 1980. That year, Clemson finished tied for 37th behind Hans Koeleman’s fourth-place finish in the mile run. The Tigers placed at the championships in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985 before earning their first top-20 finish in 1987. That year, Clemson placed tied for 18th under Wade Williams at the indoor championships after claiming its first-ever ACC indoor title. The Tigers earned their first top-10 finish in 1989 under current Head Coach Bob Pollock, as they placed eighth. Clemson also won its first NCAA title in any event that year, as Wittman, Greyling, Radzwinski and Herrington combined in the 4x800m relay to post a winning time of 7:17.45, a time that still stands as the school record in the event. Clemson reached its next mile marker in 1992, as the Tigers finished as the NCAA Runner-up. The team repeated the feat in 1993, and finished third in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, Clemson placed 10th, then finished seventh last year in Fayetteville. As a team, the Tigers have six consecutive top-25 appearances, including four top-10 finishes since 1998.

The Tigers have claimed nine individual or relay NCAA Championships since 1989. As mentioned before, Clemson won its first national title with the 4x800m relay team of Wittman, Greyling, Radzwinski and Herrington in 1989. In 1992, Michael Green and James Trapp each won individual titles, claiming the 55m and 200m dashes, respectively. Green repeated as the 55m NCAA Champion in 1993, and was joined as national champion by Wesley Russell in the 400m that year. Charles Allen, Crawford and Gill to win the 4x400m relay as well. Crawford won his third national championship in 2000, setting an American record in the 200m.

Under head coach Bob Pollock, the Tigers have won 11 of their 12 ACC Indoor Championships and have claimed 65 individual or relay conference championships. Pollock has received nine ACC Indoor Coach of the Year honors, more than any other ACC coach since 1987. One of his greatest honors was bestowed in 1992 when he was named the National Indoor Coach of the Year after Clemson finished second at the NCAA Championships.

At the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Tigers have finished in the top 10 six times under Pollock, including two second-place finishes (1992, 1993) and two third-place finishes (1998, 1999). Clemson has also had 64 athletes earn NCAA All-American honors indoors during Pollock’s tenure.