Clemson Claims Three All-Time Top-10 Marks at Orange and Purple Elite Meet
Rhodes, Stona and D’Alessandro landed on Clemson’s Top-10 All-Time List in first meet back from break
Results

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson’s track and field program started the 2o22 year off by welcoming Georgia Tech and South Carolina to the Orange and Purple Elite meet inside the Indoor Track and Field Facility on Saturday. The Tigers boasted 10 individual first-place finishes and Program Director Mark Elliott was pleased with what he saw from the team, stating:

“For the first meet coming back from break, it’s nice to see the depth we have available. It’s the first time in a while that we have seen strong performances across the board, and there were some national level performances, which is what we are looking for. Each week we are going to get better, but I’m proud of the way they are competing right now.

We had multiple Clemson top-10 performances this meet. To get on those lists, it takes a strong effort from the athletes. To finish with three making the list in the first meet back proves that this team is prepared for the 2022 season. We hope to keep it going as the season progresses.”

Some of the top highlights of the meet included:

• Action started with a bang on the track with junior Josie Wirtz claiming the event victory in the women’s mile with a final time of 4:56.77. The time is a career personal best for Wirtz and is the eighth fastest time in the NCAA this season. Following the opening gun, Wirtz sped to the front of the pack and never slowed her pace to keep, at minimum, two meters between her and the next competitor. By the final lap, Wirtz had created a half-lap distance between her and the second-place finisher and was able to finish 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
• Senior Kenya Livingston jumped a season-best 1.74 meters to claim the first event victory for the Tigers in field events in the women’s high jump. After passing on the opening height at 1.55 meters, Livingston only needed one attempt to clear the next three heights. The rest of the field slowly began to fall away to leave Livingston and Georgia Tech’s Shanty Papakosta as the final two jumpers. Livingston cleared 1.74 in her second attempt and claimed victory as Papakosta fouled all-three attempts at that height.
• The Clemson women’s team continued to soar to new heights as senior Alison D’Alessandro cleared a new personal best in the pole vault launching herself 3.87m. During a time that no track events were happening, all eyes were on the women’s pole vault to watch D’Alessandro clear her first three heights on the first attempt. In her first two attempts at her now personal best, D’Alessandro brushed the bar causing it to fall. It wasn’t until her third and final attempt that D’Alessandro was able to soar over the bar and finish second in the event. This mark was also good enough to cement D’Alessandro’s name on Clemson’s Top-10 List at No. 8.
• Sophomore Tarees Rhoden set the world on fire is his first race of the day in the 600 meters. Rhoden became a dominating force as soon as the gun went off racing ahead of the competition. He maintained three-to-four strides between him and the second-place runner at all times, extending his lead in the final lap to 50-meters. In the final straightaway, Rhoden extended his strides to finish with a school record time of 1:17.81. This time also sits seventh in the world this competition season.
• Clemson’s men’s field events were dominated by the shot put. In their first competition of the season, juniors Roje Stona and Zico Campbell clinched the top two spots in the event with throws of 18.31 meters and 17.67 meters, respectively. Campbell got ahead of the competition early throwing an indoor PR in his opening throw. Stona made it to finals with an initial throw of 18.16m. With all eyes trained on him, Stona stepped into the ring for his fifth throw and set a new personal best while moving into third on Clemson’s All-Time list. Stona’s 18.31m throw is also No. 14 in the NCAA, while Campbell’s 17.67 sits 21st.

Clemson returns to action next week on Jan. 14-15 inside the Indoor Track and Field Facility for the Clemson Invite. For all the most up-to-date information regarding Clemson Track & Field, please visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonTrackXC on Twitter and Instagram.