Tigers Set Three Top-10 Marks, Win Four Events at Tiger Track Classic Saturday
AUBURN, Ala. – The Clemson track and field program registered three top-10 all-time marks, four event victories and 17 top-5 finishes Saturday during the final day of competition at the Tiger Track Classic. This was the Tigers’ first outdoor meet since the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
Veronica Fraley and Danielle Sloley each registered top-10 marks on Clemson’s all-time women’s outdoor shot put list Saturday afternoon. Fraley became No. 4 all-time thanks to her toss of 15.84 meters (51 feet, 11.75 inches) on her sixth attempt of the competition. Sloley used her first attempt in the opening flight to go 14.19m (46-6.75) and become No. 10 all-time. At the end of the day, Fraley finished second in the women’s discus competition by hitting a mark of 52.00m (170-7).
In the men’s edition of the shot put, Zico Campbell became the No. 9 all-time performer outdoors with his toss of 17.25m (56-7.25). Campbell’s performance comes after an outstanding indoor campaign which saw him toss the No. 5 all-time mark of 17.93m (58-10).
The men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relays started Saturday’s action on the track, as both teams convincingly captured victory following their respective times of 39.78 seconds and 44.94 seconds. The women’s relay consisted of Serena Clark, Rebekah Smith, Aliyah Mallard and Antoinette van der Merwe. Fabian Hewitt, Marcus Parker, Alex Sands and Terryon Conwell were the four athletes who came together for the men’s relay.
With her jump of 12.54m (41-1.75) in the sixth round of the women’s triple jump, Harleigh White secured a comfortable victory on Saturday. White was the only athlete to eclipse the 12-meter mark during the competition, as the second-place finisher recorded a jump of 11.69m.
Kameron Jones made his debut for Clemson by winning the men’s 400m in 46.90. Jones was the only athlete in Saturday’s field to break the 47-second barrier for the event. Ethan Binnix was the second Tiger across the line in the quarter-mile, running 49.30 to finish ninth. Carson Tillman broke the 50-second barrier for the first time in his career, running 49.96 on Saturday.
Rayan Holmes was the lone Tiger to compete in the men’s 400m hurdles this weekend, running 52.50 in the opening heat to finish fourth overall. Holmes’ time on Saturday missed his personal best in the event by one-hundredth of a second. Saturday’s effort was the first time Holmes contested the event since the 2017 NJCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where Holmes ran his personal best of 52.49 while representing South Plains CC.
Devon Brooks returned to action for Clemson by contesting the 110m hurdles and crossing the line in 13.97. Brooks’ time served as a sizable personal best and was good enough for third overall. Lafranz Campbell joined Brooks in the event’s top-5 by finishing fourth overall in 14.04. In the women’s 100m hurdles competition, Sidney Marshall ran 13.78 to finish third.
Nicolee Foster competed in the women’s 400m hurdles for the first time as a Tiger on Saturday, earning a second-place finish after crossing the line in 59.00. Foster was followed closely by Lakeisha Warner, Kori Carter and Olivia Cooney in the event’s opening heat. Carter’s time of 1:00.37 was a personal best in the event by .80 seconds.
In the women’s 100m, Smith was the Tigers’ top finisher on the day, as the senior ran 11.63 to place fifth overall. Smith enters the season as the Tigers’ fourth-fastest all-conditions performer and second-fastest wind-legal performer in the event thanks to her best of 11.22 set during the 2018 campaign.
The women’s 400m saw Kamryn McIntosh continue her streak of impressive performances by running 55.09 and finishing fourth overall. Leah Disher joined McIntosh in recording a stellar performance in the quarter-mile, as the outdoor freshman ran a personal best of 58.21 in her heat.
Aliyah Mallard recorded a fifth-place finish in the women’s 200m, running 24.12 during the first heat of competition. Mallard, Courtney Williams (24.27), and Ken’Naria Gadson (24.89) were Clemson’s three women in the 200m that ran faster on Saturday than they had during Clemson’s 2021 indoor season.
In the women’s high jump, Sofia De Coteau finished in a tie for ninth after clearing 1.66m (5-5.25) on her final attempt. Jessica Johnson joined De Coteau in the competition and eclipsed 1.60m for the first time this season, clearing 1.61m (5-3.25) on her first attempt.
In the 4x400m relays, Clemson’s two women’s teams finished fifth and sixth, while the men’s team finished third in 3:13.23.
In the men’s 200 meters, Sands led the Tigers with an eighth-place finish after his performance of 21.62 in the event’s opening heat. Before going No. 9 all-time in the men’s shot put, Campbell threw 43.24m (141-10) in the discus. Campbell holds a personal best of 43.27m in the discus from his 2019 season. In the women’s 800m, Anna Brewer was the Tigers’ fastest woman on the day, running 2:23.90 to finish sixth in her heat.
For all of the most up-to-date information regarding Clemson’s Track & Field program, be sure to reference clemsontigers.com and follow @ClemsonTrackXC on Twitter.
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Photo courtesy of Clemson Athletics.
