Tiger Track And Field Standouts To Compete At USA Championships

June 19, 2003

Five former and one current Tiger track and field standout will compete at the USA Championships to be held June 19-22 in Palo Alto, CA. Rising junior George Kitchens, along with former Tigers’ Shawn Crawford, Andy Giesler, Todd Matthews, Duane Ross and Otto Spain, will contest six events this weekend.

Kitchens, a rising junior from Hephzibah, GA, most recently earned All-America honors in the long jump with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Clemson’s all-time leader in the long jump, Kitchens posted his career-best mark of 25’10.75″ at the Georgia Tech Invitational earlier this year. The long jump is slated to begin at 5:50 PM (PT) on June 20.

Crawford, who at one point this season held world-leading times in both events, will compete in the 100m and 200m dashes. Crawford won both events at the Engen Grand Prix meet in Pretoria, South Africa, by running 10.07 seconds in 100m, and 20.08 in the 200m. The 2002 U.S. Outdoor 200m champion bettered his previous world-leading time of 10.10 in the men’s 100m, which he ran on March 28 in Roodepoort, South Africa. Crawford was the 2001 World Indoor Champion in the 200m, and was third in the event in 2000. During his collegiate career at Clemson, Crawford was the 1998 and 2000 NCAA Champion in the 200m indoor, and the 2000 NCAA Champion in the 200m outdoor. Crawford ranks among the Tigers’ all-time leaders, holding the second-fastest 200m time in Clemson history (20.09). The 1998 and 2000 ACC Outdoor Performer of the Year was also named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team. He won 11 ACC Championships during his career, and was named All-ACC 12 times.

Giesler, a former All-American in the decathlon for the Tigers, will compete in that event beginning on June 21. He has a season-best 7,804 points, entering this weekend’s meet. While at Clemson, Giesler scored 7,619 points to become the Tigers’ all-time leader in the event. He earned All-America accolades in 2001 with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and was a two-time ACC Champion in the event, winning the titles in 2000 and 2001.

A five-time All-American in the hurdles, Matthews will compete in the 110m hurdles at this weekend’s meet. He has a season-best time of 13.36 in the event this year. Matthews was the ACC Champion in the 110m hurdles in 2000 and 2001, and earned All-ACC accolades in the event in 1999 and 2002. He was the 2002 NCAA Runner-up in the 110m hurdles, clocking a 13.53 in the finals, and ranks third on the Tigers’ all-time list in the high hurdles.

Ross was the 1995 NCAA Champion in the 110m hurdles, and will compete for NIKE in that event this weekend. He enters the meet with a season-best time of 13.25 in the high hurdles. While at Clemson, Ross earned All-America honors in the hurdles in 1993, 1994 and 1995, and was a member of the Tigers’ 4x100m relay team that placed fifth in the nation in 1995. He is Clemson’s all-time leader in the 110m hurdles.

Spain, who just completed his final year competing for the Tigers, will compete in the 400m dash. He holds a season-best time of 45.57 recorded at the Orange & Purple Classic and again at the NCAA Championships. Spain earned All-America honors as a member of the 4x100m relay team that placed second in the nation in 2002, and ranks fourth on Clemson’s all-time list in the 400m. He was the ACC Champion in the 400m in 2003, and earned All-ACC honors in the event in 2001.