Two Tigers Earn All-America Honors at NCAA Track & Field Championships

June 10, 2006

Sacramento, CA – The Clemson men’s track & field team concluded competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with two All-America performances Saturday at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex. Jason Bell and Itay Magidi not lost a shoe during the steeplechase.

In the 100m final, Padgett again got off to a good start and finished fourth with a time of 10.24. Xavier Carter of LSU was first with a time of 10.09. That puts the cap on a great season for the freshman from Shelby, NC. Padgett won the 100m title at the ACC Championships, East Region Championships, and Penn Relays. In the process, he set the Clemson and ACC record in the 100m dash at 10.00. It marked the second straight All-America honor for a Tiger sprinter in the 100m, as Ronald Richards achieved the distinction at the 2005 meet.

In the triple jump, Bell placed sixth overall with a school-record mark of 51’11.75″. It eclipsed his Clemson outdoor record, which was 51’10” set two weeks ago at regionals. Bell, who made his second appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earned his first-ever All-America honor as a Tiger. He also became Clemson’s first-ever All-American in the triple jump.

Itay Magidi also competed on Saturday, as he finished 14th with a time of 8:56.17 in the 3000m steeplechase. The junior from Israel actually led the race midway through, but was unable to earn his third All-America certificate in the event. He lost a shoe while in the lead pack and ran the final two laps of the race without it. Magidi was runner-up in the East Region in the steeplechase.