Feb. 18, 2004
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field teams will travel to Clemson, S.C., for the indoor Atlantic Coast Conference Championships this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21. The ACC meet will be held in the Clemson Indoor Track and Field facility on the campus of Clemson University.
“The ACC Championship weekend is the most important weekend of our indoor season,” said men’s head coach Grover Hinsdale. “We are excited about heading to Clemson on Thursday and competing in this great event.”
“We’re anxious to head to Clemson this weekend for the ACC Championships,” said women’s head coach Alan Drosky. “We’re expecting a very competitive and exciting meet and know that we’re going to need to be at our best. But this is the meet we’ve been focused and we’re ready for it.”
Sophomore All-American Chaunte Howard (Riverside, Calif.) is the defending ACC champion in the high jump and currently holds the top mark in the conference. She set the Clemson Indoor facility record on Dec. 6, 2003, with a mark of 6’2.25″.
Junior Shanta Smith (Miami, Fla.) is also a defending indoor ACC champion for the Yellow Jackets, winning the triple jump in 2003. Smith holds the school record with a jump of 43’4.50″ earlier this year at the Clemson track.
Freshman Ashlee Kidd (St. Petersburg, Fla.) also tallied an ACC best time for the Jackets with a mark of 53.62 in the 400 meters.
Another returning All-ACC performer for Tech is senior Melanie Waits (Houston, Texas), finishing third in the 60-meter hurdles at last year’s indoor ACC meet. Waits currently ranks eighth in the conference with a time of 8.66.
Junior Dana Rogers (East Point, Ga.) ranks first in the league in the 55-meter hurdles and second in the 60mH with times of 7.88 and 8.37, respectively.
Senior Amandi Rhett (Willingboro, N.J.) posted two runner-up finishes for Tech in the 60- and 200-meter dashes last year at ACC’s and holds the league’s top time in the 200 meters (24.01) and ranks second in the 60m (7.45).
A trio of seniors lead the way for the Tech men. Seniors Brendon Mahoney (Cumming, Ga.), Michael Massey (Asheboro, N.C.) and Kyle Rabbitt (Red Oak, Ga.) all hold top times in the conference. Mahoney leads the league in the 800 meters (1:50.66) and mile (4:02.32), garnering all-conference honors in both events at last year’s ACC meet.
Massey has held the high jump top mark the entire indoor season, tallying a jump of 7’1.50″ at the Clemson Invitational. The outdoor All-ACC performer will be searching for his first all-conference honors at the indoor meet.
Rabbitt broke the school records in the 3000 and 5000 meters at the 2003 indoor ACC meet and holds the conference’s top time in the 3000 with a time of 8:11.00. He has not run the 5000 meters yet this season.
Junior All-American Ian Brewer (Saunderstown, R.I.) has been out for the entire indoor season and finished second in the hammer throw at last year’s ACC meet. Brewer broke the school record in hammer in both indoor and outdoor seasons.
2002 All-ACC honoree Montrell Person (Merriville, Ind.) returns to the ACC Championships this season for the Yellow Jackets. Person leads the conference in the 60mH with a time of 7.76. He currently holds the league’s top time in the 55mH too with a mark of 7.32.
Shot putter Zeb Sion (Pocatello, Idaho) garnered All-ACC honors at the outdoor meet last year and searches for his first honors at the indoor meet. Sion ranks fifth in the ACC with a season-high toss of 56’6.50″ last week at the Tiger Invitational.
