Ware, Women’s 4×400 Relay Claim NCAA Outdoor Bids at East Prelims

CLEMSON, S.C. – Men’s high jumper Torian Ware and the women’s 4×400 relay claimed bids to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday, the final day of action at the East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla. The Tigers qualified four individuals and the relay for the upcoming NCAA outdoor meet set for June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore. Tevin Hester, Reggie Lewis and Whitney Fountain earned bids earlier this week.

Ware came up big in the clutch. Needing one height to solidify his berth in the NCAA field, the Crawfordville, Ga., native cleared the bar at 7-1.5 on his third and final attempt. It marks his second national championship qualification. He previously competed at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships in the event. He is Clemson’s first men’s high jumper to make the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Adam Linkenauger in 2007.In the final event of the meet, the Tiger women came through in the 4×400 relay. Clemson finished fourth in its heat with a time of 3:33.12, but the Tigers were fifth-fastest out of 24 relays to earn a spot in the upcoming national championship meet. Clemson’s lineup consisted of Fountain, Nia Fluker, Olivia James and Marlena Wesh.

Mimi Land and Fountain both made the finals of Saturday’s triple jump, but the two finished 14th and 16th, respectively. Land jumped 42-6.75 on her first attempt, while Fountain posted a mark of 42-4 on the third attempt of the opening round. Anasterasia Terrell, a freshman, took 29th place (41-1.75).