Men’s Track & Field Finishes Third at ACC Indoor Championships

March 1, 2008

Chapel Hill, NC – Travis Padgett and Mitch Greeley won event titles Saturday to lead the Clemson men’s track & field team to a third-place finish at the ACC Indoor Championships. Padgett won his first 60m dash crown at the conference level, while Greeley took home his second career ACC title in the pole vault.

Florida State captured its sixth consecutive ACC championship after scoring a total of 135.5 points at the meet. Georgia Tech edged the Tigers for second place, scoring 85 to Clemson’s 83-point total. It marked the first time since the 1996 meet that Clemson did not finish in the top two at the league indoor meet, and just the second time in Bob Pollock’s 20-year tenure the Tigers were not first or second.

Padgett won the 60m dash with relative ease, as the junior posted a time of 6.63 to earn his first-ever ACC indoor championship. He is a two-time champion in the 100m outdoors. Padgett is the defending NCAA champion in the 60m dash, and is an automatic qualifier for the event this season as well.

C.J. Spiller earned his first-ever indoor All-ACC honor after a runner-up performance in the 60m dash. He had a solid time of 6.70 to finish behind teammate Padgett. Both student-athletes scored in the 200m dash, with Padgett placing fourth (22.01) and Spiller (22.04) fifth. Corey Brown (22.13) was sixth.

Travis Swaggard finished seventh in the quarter mile, as the junior posted a time of 49.86 in the final. Matt Clark fell just short of his bid for back-to-back years with multiple All-ACC honors. The senior from Hyannis, MA was fourth in the 3000m run Saturday, posting a time of 8:16.44. He was third in Friday’s 5000m run. Bryce Iverson (8:42.62) finished 26th overall Saturday in the 3K race.

The 4x400m relay team of Cowin Mills, Andrew Porter, Travis Swaggard, and Corey Brown posted a time of 3:18.50 and finished sixth.

Mitch Greeley was the highlight of the Tigers’ field event athletes this week, as he claimed the second ACC pole vault championship of his decorated career. The senior cleared 17’8.5″ and did not miss on his first three attempts of the day to win the outright title. He tried to break the ACC record at 18’1.75″ but fell short on three attempts. Greeley has been All-ACC each of his four years at Clemson in the indoor pole vault. He is an automatic NCAA qualifier this season.

Greeley’s win gives the men’s track & field program multiple ACC champions for the 17th straight indoor season.

Chris Spear finished third to garner his first all-conference accolade. The sophomore from Montgomery, AL had a personal best clearance Saturday, as he went over 17’0.75″ on his first attempt. Spear’s performance was good enough to meet the NCAA provisional qualifying status in the vault.

Josh Fowler scored in the triple jump in his first-ever ACC indoor meet. The red-shirt freshman was seventh overall after recording a mark of 47’9″ on his first jump in the final round.

Alex Padgett, a scorer in the weight throw Thursday, competed in Saturday’s shot put and finished 10th with a mark of 51’11.75″.

Selected student-athletes will return to action next weekend in last chance qualifiers at various locations to try and improve upon marks this season to gain entrance into the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Clemson’s 2008 ACC Indoor Champions

Travis Padgett – 60m Dash

Mitch Greeley – Pole Vault

Clemson’s 2008 All-ACC Performers

C.J. Spiller – 60m Dash

Matt Clark – 5000m

Chris Spear – Pole Vault

Zach Berg – Weight Throw