Track Hosts Orange & Purple Classic

May 12, 2000

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson men’s and women’s track and field teams will host the Orange & Purple Classic Saturday and Sunday at the Rock Norman Track Complex.

Though it is technically a two-day meet, almost all of the events will be held Sunday. Only the first five events of the decathlon will be held on Saturday because of Clemson commencement exercises.

The meet is the first of two remaining opportunities for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships that will be held May 31-June 3 at Duke University.

A total of 11 male and seven female athletes competing at the Orange & Purple Classic have already qualified for the NCAA meet. Three men’s relay teams and one women’s relay team have also qualified for the championships.

Clemson’s Shawn Crawford leads the list of men’s competitors that have gained a pass to Durham, NC. Crawford is qualified in both the 100m and 200m. He could be challenged in the 100m by Wake Forest’s John Stone, who has also qualified for the NCAA meet. Crawford has the nation’s third best time in the 200m at 20.29 seconds. His time of 10.18 in the 100m is the 11th best among collegians.

Other Clemson qualifiers include Jason Meany in the 5,000m, Todd Matthews and Sultan Tucker in the 110m high hurdles, Fred Sharpe in the 400m hurdles, and Andy Giesler in the decathlon. East Carolina’s Lynn Stewart (400m hurdles). Georgia Tech’s Malcolm Leason (triple jump) and Coastal Carolina’s Tyler McCart (hammer) have also qualified and will compete at Clemson on Sunday. The 4x100m relay teams from Clemson and South Carolina State and the 4x400m relay team from East Carolina also have qualified.

Four women from Clemson have recorded provisional marks. LaShonda Cutchin is qualified in the 400m. Keke Elder in the 100m hurdles, Nyjla Littlejohn in the 400m hurdles and Joana Costa in the pole vault. The four will be joined Sunday at the Orange & Purple by Western Carolina’s Valerie Jalajas in the pole vault, South Carolina State’s Elisa Funchess in the triple jump and Gwen Knorr in the javelin, all who have qualified for the NCAA Championships. Pittsburgh is the lone women’s relay that has already qualified.

Athletes will take aim at bettering the qualifying standards and athletes that have already topped the marks will try to improve their seeding for the championships.

Clemson will also compete at the Reebok Invitational at Georgia Tech May 19-20 in Atlanta, GA.

MEET SCHEDULESATURDAY1:00 PM Decathlon (100m)        Men

SUNDAY 12 Noon Pole Vault Women Javelin Women 1:00 PM Decathlon (110mH) Men 1:20 PM 3000m SC Men 1:30 PM Javelin Men 1:35 PM 5,000m Women 2:00 PM 4x100m Relay Men Hammer Men & Women Long Jump Men & Women 2:05 PM 4x100m Relay Women 2:10 PM 1500m Men 2:20 PM 1500m Women 2:30 PM 110m HH Men Pole Vault Men 2:40 PM 100m H Women 2:50 PM 8x75y Relay 3rd Graders 3:00 PM 400m Men High Jump Men 3:10 PM 400m Women 3:20 PM 100m Men 3:30 PM 100m Women Shot Put Men & Women 3:50 PM 8x75y Relay 4th Graders 4:00 PM 800m Men Triple Jump Men & Women High Jump Women 4:10 PM 800m Women 4:20 PM 400m H Men 4:30 PM 400m H Women 4:40 PM 8x75y Relay 5th Graders 4:50 PM 200m Men 5:00 PM 200m Women Discus Men & Women 5:10 PM 5000m Men 5:30 PM 3000m Women 5:45 PM 4x400m Relay Men 5:55 PM 4x400m Relay Women