Men’s Track & Field Wins Clemson Invitational

April 1, 2000

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson men’s track and field team scored 226 points to win the Clemson Invitational on Saturday at the Rock Norman Track Complex on Clemson’s campus. The Tigers took first place in 11 events for the victory. Kansas was second in the men’s meet with 175 points, followed by Western Carolina with 124 points and Georgia Tech with 122 points.

Tiger senior Shawn Crawford of Van Wyck, SC, led the team, recording an automatic qualifying time of 20.46 for first place in the 200m. He won the national championship in the event indoors with a time of 20.26, an American record. Crawford won the 100m in 10.56 on Saturday and was a member of the Tigers 4x100m relay team that placed first with a time of 40.56

Other first-place finishers for the Tigers included Mike Connelly at 1:51.26 in the 800m and Jason Meany with a time of 14:45.18 in the 5,000m. Junior Sultan Tucker won the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.09, while Fred Sharpe won the 400m hurdles in 51.23.

In the field events, Doug Ameigh placed first with a mark of 7′ 1/4″ in the high jump, and Ben Hess won the pole vault with a mark of 16’4 3/4″. Sophomore Kai Maull took first in the long jump (23’6″), while senior Bryan Williams won the triple jump with a mark of 50’10 1/4″.

The Tiger women’s team placed second with 179 points on Saturday. Western Carolina won the meet with 182.50 points, and Georgia Tech finished third with 140.50 points. Kansas scored 130 points for fourth place.

Sophomore KeKe Elder of Atlanta, GA, won the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.72, and junior Nyjla Littlejohn of Columbia, MD, took first in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.77. Senior Beth Ahern of Toledo, OH, won the 5,000m in 17:46.25. In the field events, senior Kammie Blount of Weston, CT, won the javelin with a throw of 151’4″, and sophomore Sheri Smith placed first in the long jump with a mark of 18’8 1/2″.

“I was really pleased with the way the team performed,” said Clemson women’s head coach Ralph White. “Even though we only had 16 athletes, compared to the other teams who had 30 or more athletes, we really gave the other teams a battle and showed what Clemson athletics is all about. With the good recruiting class that we are bringing in for next year, I expect good things down the road.”

The Tigers will compete at the Duke Invitational in Durham, NC, next weekend.