Women’s Track & Field Adds 11 Newcomers

Sept. 9, 1999

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson head women’s track and field coach Ralph White announced the eleven newcomers to the Tiger team. “We’re very excited about the 1999-2000 recruiting class, especially considering the time constraints that we encountered,” said White. “We have some outstanding student-athletes that I’m sure will make an impact on Clemson Cross Country, Track and Field. I am proud to include these women into our family here at Clemson.”

Michelle Burger, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, is transferring to Clemson from George Mason. She will run the sprint and intermediate events for the Tigers. She was a member of the 4x400m relay team that placed fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships last season and ran on the Sprint Medley relay team that won the gold medal at the 1997 Penn Relays. Burger has competed in the Pan Am Junior Games, where she won a gold medal in 1995 as a 4x400m competitor, and the World Junior Games, where she was a finalist in the 4x400m.

Laura Cartlidge from Anderson, SC, will compete in the high jump and intermediate events. A 1999 graduate of T.L. Hanna High, Cartlidge holds the school record of 1:07.4 in the 400m hurdles. She was chosen “Athlete of the Year” and team MVP as a senior last year after placing fifth in the 400m hurdles at the state championships. Cartlidge earned all-region honors for both the 400m and the 4x400m relay.

Sarah Ellis of Florence, SC, will compete in the pole vault. A three-time all region selection, Ellis holds the state pole vault record of 9’6″ and set a region record of 10″. She placed seventh in the pole vault at the national high school meet last summer. Ellis was also a member of the volleyball team at South Florence High, where she was named team MVP and earned all-region honors.

Perry Ellis of Columbia, SC, is transferring to Clemson from Appalachian State. She will compete in cross country and the middle distance events. As a student at Ridge View High, she was chosen team MVP three consecutive seasons. An all-state and all-region selection, Ellis won the state title in the 800m and 1600m as a senior.

Nyjla Littlejohn of Columbia, MD, is transferring to Clemson from George Mason. She will compete in the sprint and hurdle events. Littlejohn, who set the Maryland state record of 14.12 in the 100m hurdles as a student at Wilde Lake High, placed fourth with a time of 59.89 in the 400m hurdles at Junior Nationals in 1998. Last year she placed fifth with a time of 59.13 in the event at the ECAC Championships.

Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands is also transferring to Clemson from George Mason. She will compete in the sprint events for the Tigers. Mothersill recently returned from the Pan Am Games, where she was a finalist in the 200m. One of the top sprinters in the country, Mothersill was an All-American at George Mason.

Shannon Murray of Decatur, GA, will compete in the sprints and relays. Murray was a three-time state, region and county champion in the 100m and 200m at Columbia High. During the 1997 season she was named team MVP for both the basketball and softball teams, and she was chosen track MVP in 1998.

Lauren Nicholson of Marietta, GA, will compete in the high jump and intermediate events. She earned all-county and all-state honors as a student at Marietta High. The region MVP, Nicholson set school records of 5’6″ in the high jump and 43.86 in the 300 hurdles. She also lettered four years in basketball.

Diane Schillow of Landsdale, PA, will compete in cross country and the distance events for the Tigers. Schillow was captain of the cross country team and chosen Most Valuable Distance Runner as a senior. As a junior she was MVP of the cross country team. A first-team all-league selection for both cross country and track., Schillow won the league championship in the 3200m last year.

Marcia Smith of Decatur, GA, will compete in the sprint events. Smith won the state championship in the 400m two consecutive seasons at Stephenson High. She set the state record of 54.84 in the 400m and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that set the state record of 3:49.66. The region and state MVP, Smith helped her team to consecutive state championships.

Stephanie Zabel of Simpsonville, SC, will compete on the cross country team and in the distance events for the Tigers. She helped S.F. Austin High to a cross country region title.