Jan. 29, 2004
BY SCOTT MacDONALD
SPORTS INFORMATION ASSISTANT
It takes most athletes some time to get back to top-level form. For most competitors, tallying top times three or four meets into a season would be the norm. Don’t tell that to Georgia Tech junior sprinter Montrell Person. Person has gotten off to one of the best starts in school history. He has tallied top times in the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash events and has broken his own school record in the 60 hurdles, a record he set back as a freshman.
Person’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. The Atlantic Coast Conference has selected Person as the ACC Indoor Performer of the Week in consecutive weeks (1/17 and 1/24). He owns the top mark in the conference in the 60mH with a NCAA provisional time of 7.76.
“It’s been my training,” said Person. “Once you train as much as we do, with the quality of athletes that I’m competing with on a day-to-day basis, you can’t help but to excel. That’s what drives me, I’m a competitor.”
Person is one of the more versatile competitors on the men’s track and field team. Along with competing in the 60 hurdles, Person runs the 60 meters and anchors the final leg of the 4×400 meter relay team. He posted a season-best time of 6.87 in the 60 meters and helped the 4×400 relay team finish fifth with a time of 3:20.82. Person helped guide Tech to a fifth-place at the Clemson Invitational.
Person will be the first to tell you that his success derives from his teammate’s effort and enthusiasm at meets and during practice. “My teammates are great. It definitely would not be as fun without them.”
The Merriville, Ind., native has only scratched the surface thus far. After earning All-ACC honors at the 2001 Outdoor ACC Championship as a freshman, Person wants to move to the next level and become an ACC champion at both the indoor and outdoor ACC meets.
“I want to become an ACC champion in a couple different events,” said Person. “The ones I’m shooting for our the 60m, 60mH and 200m and maybe even the 4x400m relay. I also would like to earn All-America honors in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.”
All-American honors might not be far off. Person’s 60 hurdle time of 7.76 currently ranks tied for third in the nation with Arkansas’ Mike Thomas, according to Trackshark.com. Antwon Hicks of Mississippi holds the nation’s top time at 7.71, while Florida’s Josh Walker ranks second with a time of 7.73. Person and Walker will go head-to-head this weekend at the Gator Invitational, Sunday, Feb. 1.
“Montrell has come a long way in the last three years,” said men’s track head coach Grover Hinsdale. “I am so proud of Montrell and assistant coach Nat Page for all their hard work in getting him headed down this path to greatness.”
Accompanying individual goals are team goals. Person has not lost sight of his number one goal since coming to Tech in the fall of 2000, to help guide the Jackets to their first ever ACC Championship.
“It’s always been a top priority to win an ACC Championship. This year you can feel the buzz, the guys are working hard and we all feel that we have a shot this year.”
