June 7, 2001
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s track and field team has signed nine student-athletes to the class of 2005 Yellow Jacket head track and field coach Grover Hinsdale announced today. The class features three throwers who rank among the top 15 prep athletes in the nation in their respective events, including the Idaho state record holder in the shot put in the person of Zebulon Sion. Also among the signees are two high school valedictorians and a Georgia Tech President’s Scholar.
Sion, a 6-4, 300-pound product of Pocatello, Idaho, and Highland High School, ranks fifth in the nation in the shot put with a throw of 64-3, which set the state record and won him the state championship in 2001. He also was the state champion in the discus with a toss of 169-9. Along with his impressive athletic accomplishments, Sion also carries a 4.0 high school grade point average and was the valedictorian of his high school class.
Joining Sion in the shot put event for the Yellow Jackets will be Jonathan Spillman, a 6-2, 290-pound thrower from Austin, Texas, and McNeil High School. Spillman is currently the 12th-ranked shot put performer in the country with his throw of 63-1 earlier in the year. The third member of the class, who will also compete in the weight events at Tech, is Ian Brewer of Sanderstown, R.I. Brewer was a standout at North Kingston High School as he won the 2001 Rhode Island state championship in both the discus and the hammer throw. He recorded a throw of 207-1 in the hammer, which ranks fourth in the nation this spring, and had a toss of 180-3 in the discus. During the indoor season, Brewer recorded a personal-best throw of 65-0 in the 25-lb weight throw event.
“This is my 22nd year here at Georgia Tech and from top to bottom, I think this is the most accomplished class of signees that we have had,” said Hinsdale. “I am proud not only of their athletic accomplishments, but also of what they have accomplished academically. Along with the top marks on the track, the average high school GPA of this class is 3.8, with an average SAT score of 1230, both of which are outstanding. Also we have a President’s Scholar in the group, which is the highest academic scholarship awarded here at Georgia Tech.”
The Jackets will also welcome a pair of multi-event athletes to the Flats in the fall of 2001, as both Scott Carlton and Gregory McCormick will compete in those areas for Tech next spring. McCormick, a native of Middletown, Md., will bring an impressive list of both athletic and academic credentials with him to Tech, as he is a six-time Maryland state champion in the high jump and was named a President’s Scholar at Tech. He holds a lifetime best jump of 7-0 in the high jump and has a pole vault mark 15-0 in his career, along with recording a 153-0 throw in the discus and a 22-2 long jump mark. McCormick also carries a high school GPA of 4.0 and was valedictorian of his high school class.
Carlton was the California Junior College state champion in the decathlon as he recorded a point total of 6455 in that event while at Mt. Sac Junior College. The LaVerne, Calif., native also holds personal bests of 188-1 in the javelin and times of 48.74 seconds in the 400 meters and 1:53.64 in the 800 meters.
The final field event performer of the class will be Anthony Hoover, who will compete in the javelin at Tech. Hoover, a native of Chambersburg, Pa., comes to Tech with a personal-best throw of 195-10.
Along with the outstanding field and multi-event performers in the class, the Jackets will welcome some top sprinters this fall. Heading up that group will be 100- and 200-meter specialist Donald Beamer. Beamer, a native of Charlotte, N.C., and an Independence High School product, currently ranks 10th in the nation in the 100 meters with his time of 10.64 seconds, and is a two-time state champion in the 200 meters, including a personal-best time of 21.17 seconds in that event. Joining Beamer in the 200 meters, along with competing in the 400, will be Brian Ford of Ashland, Va. The Atlee High School product holds personals bests of 22.35 in the 200 meters and 47.54 seconds in the 400, and during the 2001 indoor season, he won the 300-meter state championship with a time of 34.05 seconds.
Rounding out the class, and competing in the 200 and 400 meters will be David Franklin. Franklin, a native of Decatur, Ga., holds personal-best times of 21.79 in the 200 and 48.90 seconds in the 400 meters.
“We are very excited about this class and can’t wait to get them here this fall and get started,” said Hinsdale. “I have to give our coaching staff credit for the work they did in recruiting this year, especially Chris Huffins, who did an outstanding job bringing in a number of these student-athletes. I’m very proud of the job he did this year.”
