Track & Field Announces Additions to 2018-19 Class

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson track & field head coach Mark Elliott announced the signing of five national letters of intent Wednesday for the incoming class of 2018-19. On the men’s side, Juwan Augustin-Mayers (Barbados/Essex County College) and Zico Campbell (Old Harbour, St. Catherine, Jamaica/Kingston College) will join the Tigers in the fall of 2018, while Olivia Cooney (Statesville, N.C./South Iredell HS), Riley Coggin (Brentwood/Brentwood HS) and Josie Wirtz (Atlanta, Ga./Marist HS) join on the women’s program. Elliott also announced the additions of six incoming Tigers for the 2018-19 season.

Augustin-Mayers, who specializes in the hurdles, most recently placed second in the 100m hurdles at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational. Augustin-Mayers comes from Essex County College, where Ranee Ricketts and Kirk Lewis once competed.

“Juwan is hurdler out of Barbados, which that country has world champions in those event areas,” said Elliott. “I think he is a strong potential guy for us. With the training, I can see him being a top national competitor for us as well.”

Campbell won the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games shot put title. He also ranks 12th in the shot put and 14th in discus among the junior world ranks.

“Zico Campbell is a big-time signing for us in our throws group. Traditionally, over the years that I’ve been here, that’s a group that needed to be shored up and get some high-caliber athletes. I think with the signing of Vashon McCarthy earlier this fall and now Zico, who is a CARIFTA Games champion and ranked on the junior list, is great for that group.”

Cooney is well-rounded athlete that has shown potential in both long sprints and hurdles. She placed second at the 2017 NCHSAA (North Carolina) 3A Midwest Regional championship in both the 100m and 300m hurdles. Her PR of 1:14.20 in the 500m dash was good for No. 1 in the state entering the 2018 NCHSAA 3A Indoor State Championship meet.

“Olivia is what I would call a strong student-athlete. She’s coming here on an academic scholarship as well as an athletic scholarship. I think she’ll be a person who will emerge and help us on the conference level and hopefully on the national level at some point.”

Coggin will look to make an impact on the Tigers’ cross country team and distance unit. She PR’d on the 2017 Early Bird Endurance Invitational on the 1600m course and placed fourth at the 2017 Music City distance Carnival after running a 5:02 mile. Coggin was also the 800m runner up in at the 2017 TSSAA (Tennessee) State Track & Field Championships.

Wirtz, like Coggin, joins Clemson’s cross country and distance squads. She placed 11th in the 1600m at the 2018 Florida Relays – one of the biggest high school meets in the country. She PR’d in the mile at the 2018 Marist Mile Time Trial in which she placed second overall. In 2016, she won the girls GHSA (Georgia) State Championships title in the 3200m after achieving a PR of 10:54.72.

“Riley and Josie are going shore up the women’s cross country team to hopefully make it our strongest cross country team yet. On the track, they will improve and hopefully, at some point, be contributors for us as well on the track.”

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