Tiger Track & Field Heads to Blacksburg for Virginia Tech Elite Meet

Feb. 5, 2009

Clemson, SC – The Clemson track & field teams depart Thursday for a trip to Blacksburg, VA to take part in the Virginia Tech Elite Meet. The meet will be held at Rector Field House on the Virginia Tech campus and will feature a host of rival schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The 2009 indoor season has seen both Tiger programs get off to a strong start under first-year Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson. Clemson’s new mentor will be returning to Virginia Tech this weekend, where he served as an associate head coach for four years under Dave Cianelli.

Jacoby Ford of the men’s team and Liane Weber from the women’s team have both qualified automatically for next month’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Ford owns the second-best time in the nation in the 60m dash (6.58), while Weber owns the ACC’s top point total in the pentathlon (4,135). Both will be competing this weekend for Clemson.

Ford will be one of three sprinters on the men’s team competing in both the 60m dash and 200m dash. In fact, as many as five Tigers are entered in the 200m competition this weekend. Joining Ford in the 60m heats Friday afternoon (5:35 PM) will be football teammate C.J. Spiller and sophomore Trenton Guy. The 60m final will be at 7:00 Friday evening. The 200m dash invitational section will be held Saturday at 2:40 PM.

Weber is entered for multiple events this weekend and is coming off a first-place performance at last weekend’s JRF Multi-Challenge in Clemson. She broke her own school record for the pentathlon by totaling 4,135 points. Weber is one of many for Clemson scheduled for the long jump (5:00 PM) and high jump (8:15) Friday. April Sinkler, a budding star from Stafford, VA, is an NCAA provisional qualifier in both events. Patricia Mamona is also slated to compete in both, as well as Saturday’s triple jump (12 PM), her best event.

Other field event action on Friday will include the men’s and women’s weight throw. Nikola Lomnicka, a freshman from Slovakia, already ranks among the top five in school history among the women’s 20-pound division. Alex Padgett and Stephen White lead the men’s contingent in the 35-pound throw.

Four women’s athletes are entered in the 60m hurdle prelims, which are set for 6:10 PM Friday. Mamona ranks eighth in school history in the event, and junior Michaylin Golladay continues to show steady improvement in the high hurdles as well.

Among the middle distance groups competing this weekend, Will Noble leads the men’s entries. The native of Gray Court, SC ran a 4:09 mile last weekend at home and hopes to compete for the 800m title on Friday (6:35 PM) as well.

Miller Moss qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon last weekend, and in the process boosted himself into third place in Clemson’s record books. Moss is scheduled for the 400m (6:25) and 200m (8:10) on Friday. Highlighting Saturday’s field event action will be the women’s pole vault at 11:00 AM and men’s vault at 2 PM. Chris Spear has qualified in the event for NCAAs on a provisional basis, and he looks to surpass his personal best 17’0.75″ on Saturday. Caroline Kennedy, a former All-ACC vaulter, leads the women’s group traveling to Blacksburg with a 12’3.5″ clearance so far this season.