Men’s Track & Field Tied for First Place After Day Two of ACC Championships

Feb. 24, 2006

Complete Results

Blacksburg, VA – Clemson won two event titles on Friday and is tied for first place with Florida State in the men’s track & field standings at the ACC Indoor Championships. The Tigers’ Adam Linkenauger headlined Friday action by winning his third straight indoor high jump crown, while Ryan Koontz was Clemson’s other event winner after taking first place in the heptathlon.

Linkenauger’s victory was his third straight indoor title and fifth consecutive high jump title in the ACC, spanning both indoor and outdoor seasons. The junior from Fincastle, VA cleared 7’2.5″, holding off a pair of Georgia Tech athletes.

Ryan Koontz, a junior from Statesboro, GA, won his event with an NCAA provisional mark of 5,515 points. That also elevated him into second place behind Brent Hobbs finished second with a provisional mark of 5,413 points, while Mike Feathers was fifth overall with a career-best 5,131 points. Hobbs earned All-ACC honors for the third straight year. The Tiger team scored 22 points alone in the heptathlon.

Hobbs won the 60m hurdles in the heptathlon with a time of 8.07, topping Koontz’ time of 8.24 and Feathers’ time of 8.59. In the pole vault, Koontz was second overall with a clearance of 14’9″. Feathers and Hobbs both cleared 14’1.25″. It was a personal best in that event for Feathers. In the 1000m run, Feathers was fifth at 2:49.93, Koontz finished eighth in 2:55.06. Hobbs finished the event in 3:03.51.

Lydell Perry was Clemson’s top performer in the 200m with a season-best 21.93, while Brown was close behind at 21.95. Roy Cheney also competed in the 200m.

In the 400m dash, freshman Andy Porter had the Tigers’ top time at 48.68, which was a season-best for him. Mills finished in 49.22 seconds, while Rashad Gardner ran a 50.71. Brian Knapp was Clemson’s top performer in the 800m with a time of 1:55.25, while Darrian Hodges clocked a time of 1:58.86 in that event. Itay Magidi scored for the Tigers in the 5000m, clocking a fifth-place time of 14:29.13. Greg Isaacs finished 20th overall in 15:25.04.

In the 60m hurdles, Perry, Cheney, and Koontz all advanced to Saturday’s final by virtue of top-eight finishes in the prelims on Friday. Perry was third overall at 8.09, while Cheney ran an 8.12 and Koontz an 8.18. In the mile prelims, Clay Pendleton competed for the Tigers and was 13th overall with a personal-best time of 4:13.98. The distance medley relay team of Noble, Porter, Knapp, and Pendleton scored for the Tigers after posting a time of 10:13.42.

Jason Bell scored for Clemson with a fourth-place finish in the long jump, posting a career-best mark of 23’10.75″. Freshman George Fields finished fifth and also scored for the Tigers. He leaped 23’10”, also a season-best. Hobbs, Koontz, and Perry also competed in the long jump on Friday. Fields also scored for the Tigers in the high jump, as he cleared a personal best 6’6.75″. Bell just missed scoring in that event for Clemson as well.

Danny Alge scored for the Tigers in the weight throw. He was sixth overall with a career-best toss of 61’0.75″.

The men’s championship will conclude on Saturday, beginning with the finals of the mile run at 12:00 PM.

Team Standings (After Six Events Scored) 1. Clemson 50 points Florida State 50 points 3. Virginia Tech 30 points 4. N.C. State 25 points 5. North Carolina 19 points 6. Georgia Tech 14 points Wake Forest 14 points 8. Virginia 13 points 9. Miami 10 points 10. Duke 5 points 11. Maryland 4 points