May 3, 2002
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men and women’s track and field teams head to Ohio State’s 17th annual Jesse Owens Track Classic Sunday with hopes of securing several qualifiers for the upcoming NCAA Championships, which open May 29 in Baton Rouge, La.
Junior Bryan Swarn, the ACC champion at 400 meters, headlines the men’s group. He is provisionally qualified with a time of 45.68. Teammates Sharif Azim and Brian Ford will also compete in that event.
Tech’s field event personnel round out the men’s squad making the trip to Columbus. Freshman throwers Zeb Sion (shot put, discus), Jonathan Spillman (shot put, discus), Ian Brewer (discus, hammer), and Anthony Hoover (javelin) are expected to perform well. Brewer has already set a school record in the hammer (185’10.00″) earlier this season.
Leading the jumpers is junior Chris Crawley, who will compete in the long and triple jumps. He is joined the long jump by classmate Brian Fraser, while sophomore Spencer Irvine is entered in the triple jump. Sophomore Michael Massey will go in the high jump, while freshman Alex Berardi will compete in pole vault.
Leading the way for the women will be senior Alisha McClinton, who will compete in both the 100-meter hurdles and 200 meters. She is already provisionally qualified in the hurdles with a time of 13.45 and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the event at the Penn Relays.
All-ACC sophomore Amandi Rhett, who is provisionally qualified in the 100 meters (11.48), will run both the 100 and 200 meters. She will be joined in the 100 by junior Jessica DeFreitas, who will also compete in the long jump.
Senior Mishanta Reyes will tackle the long jump, as well as the 100 hurdles, while freshman Shanta Smith will run the 400 meters.
Rounding out the field event competitors will be senior high jumper Jennifer Ledbetter, who recently claimed the ACC title in that event, as well as senior throwers Dana Hall and Angela Levens.
Following this meet, the Jackets have several options for competition next weekend, including Orange & Purple Classic and the Modesto Relays. Tech hosts its next home meet, the Georgia Tech Invitational, May 16-18.
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