March 1, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Georgia Tech men’s track & field team finished second at the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday afternoon in the Eddie Smith Field House/Belk Track on the University of North Carolina campus.
The Yellow Jackets finished with 85 points on their way to the programs best finish since placing second at the 1988 Indoor Championships in Johnson City, Tenn. Florida State earned its sixth straight ACC Indoor Championship with 135.50 points.
“I am proud of the way this team fought the entire weekend and how they came together to fight for each other,” head coach Grover Hinsdale said. “The guys were focused the entire weekend and it was fun to watch. They put us in position for our best finish at the ACC indoor meet in 20 years.”
E.C. Gibbs led off the day with a fourth-place finish in the men’s mile with a time of 4:11.36. In the men’s 60-meter hurdles, Alphonso Jordan and Dave Ford finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with matching times of 8.03 seconds. Also scoring for Tech was Derek Hoye, who placed seventh in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.64.
Steve Marcelle earned his first career ACC Championship with a personal-best and NCAA Championship provisional qualifying mark of 60 feet, 5 inches in the shot put. Andy Powlen placed third in the shot put with a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 58 feet, 5 ¾ inches.
In the triple jump, the Jackets took three of the top four positions as Jordan earned his first career ACC crown with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 54 feet, 4 ½ inches. James Lemons II finished third with a mark of 50 feet, 6 inches. Nigel Orr placed fourth with a mark of 49 feet, 8 ½ inches.
The Jackets closed out the championship meet with a third-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay. The team of Matt DiDia, Hoye, Hunter Clasen and Antonio McKay Jr. finished with a time of 3:15.44.
Tech will next travel to the Alex Wilson Invitational next Friday-Saturday, Mar. 7-8 in South Bend, Ind. The Jackets will have one last opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships held on Mar. 14-15 in Fayetteville, Ark.
– RamblinWreck.com –
