Tigers Complete 2016 Signing Class

CLEMSON, S.C. — Head Coach Mark Elliott and his track & field staff announced the signing of seven student-athletes to national letters of intent Tuesday, bringing Clemson’s class of 2016 to a close. With the newest additions of Trevious Frazier, Jenna Gearing, Majayla Holland, Alex Sands, Rebekah Smith, Lakeisha Warner and Andre Wright, the Tigers signed 15 athletes across both sports to begin competition in 2016-17.

“This is our best recruiting efforts related to scholarship numbers and flexibility across multiple event areas,” Elliott said. “We had some injuries this season, and we didn’t have the numbers to replace key people. We’ve signed some top athletes, of course, but at the same time we’ve put some athletes in the pipeline that will give us more depth as we continue to pursue championships.”

Spring signee profiles 

Trevious Frazier (Grayson HS • Loganville, Ga.)

• AAAAAA state champion in the 4×400 relay in 2016

• Region 8-AAAAAA champion in the 200 (21.26) in 2016

• Posted 10.50 wind-aided best in the 100 to win Gwinnett County Championship

• Ran 10.58 in a silver medal performance at Taco Bell Classic

Elliott’s take: “We’ve been relying on one short sprinter, Tevin Hester, since we’ve been here. To put a solid sprint relay together, you need two main guys. We’ve had 400 runners step up and help cover the event for us. Coupled with fall signee Nate Huggins, Trevious is a big signee for us. I can tell he’s a coachable athlete, because when I first met him he wasn’t running at the level we wanted. He became one of the best in Georgia, with many schools after him.”

Jenna Gearing (White County HS • Cleveland, Ga.)

• AAAA runner-up in the mile and two-mile in 2016

Elliott’s take: “Jenna is very talented in the cross country and long distance areas. We think over time she will develop to be a major contributor in both cross country and track for us.”

Majayla Holland (Elon University • Seneca, S.C.)

• Spent two seasons (2015,16) at Elon, where she scored in the Colonial Championships in both the shot put and discus

• Four-time all-state selection for Seneca High School and three-time team MVP

Elliott’s take: “We recruited Majayla out of high school, but she signed with Elon. She thinks coming back home and joining our program will help her reach her goals. We were happy she contacted us. It’s always good to have local talent on the roster.” 

Alex Sands (Newton County HS • Covington, Ga.)

• AAAAAA all-state in both short sprints, finishing fifth in the 100 and 200 in 2016

• Posted top times in both events (10.62 in the 100, 21.15 in the 200) at the NewRock Championship

• Earned runner-up finish with 4×400 relay at AAAAAA state championship meet

Elliott’s take: “Alex is along the same lines as Trevious. It won’t be a stretch trying to put a solid 4×100 relay together. We wanted more than one person to replace Tevin, so we’re happy to be able to do that.”

Rebekah Smith (Dutch Fork HS • Irmo, S.C.)

• 2016 AAAA state champion in the triple jump (39-4)

• 2016 AAAA state runner-up in the 100 (11.68) and 200 (24.24)

Elliott’s take: “Rebekah is a 100 and 200 sprinter. She’s one of the best athletes in this state, which makes her a great addition.”

Lakeisha Warner (Sprint Tech Track Club • British Virgin Islands)

• Six-time medalist at the CARIFTA Games

• Earned two bronze medals in the youth division 800 meters, a silver and bronze with the youth 4×400 relay, and a pair of silvers in the U20 division

• 2016 CARIFTA silver medalist in the 400 hurdles (58.14); her time qualified her for a spot in the IAAF World U20 Championships in July

• National youth record-holder in the 800, she also helped Sprint Tech’s 4×100 and 4×400 to junior national records

• Competed at Cary High School in North Carolina, earning AAAA state championship silver medals in the 800 (2014) and 300 hurdles (2015)

• Helped Cary’s 4×200 relay to fourth-place finish at the 2014 New Balance Nationals

Elliott’s take: “Lakeisha’s primary event will be the 400 hurdles. But indoors, she’ll run the 800 and be a major player for us in the 4×400 relay. While her primary event is outdoors, she’ll help us flow between sprints and mid-distance. She’s a good fit for us.” 

Andre Wright (Seneca HS • Seneca, S.C.)

• 2016 AAA state champion in the triple jump (49-1)

• Produced personal best in the triple jump (50-6) at the Tri-County Championship in April 2016

• All-state performer after finishing fifth in the long jump

Elliott’s take: “We lost Shai Carpenter this past season, and Ishmael Kamara is a rising senior. It’s good to have Andre come in as a freshman triple jumper, especially since he’s practically going to school in his hometown. He’ll be a major addition down the road.”