The 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships took place from June 10-13 and witnessed eight Tech athletes from men’s and women’s track and field compete. Among the Jackets that competed, senior Jerome Miller and juniors Steve Marcelle and Alphonso Jordan were ranked in the top-10 nationally in their respective events.
On the first day of the championship, both Marcelle and Miller earned a spot in the finals for their respective events. With only two jumps, Miller advanced to the final for the second time in his career with a high-jump clearance of 6’10.75”. Marcelle advanced on his third and final shot put throw with a distance of 61’5.75”, making it to his first-ever outdoor finals.
Senior Andy Powlen also placed 15th in shot put on the day. He came up just short for the finals as his mark of 59’9.25”, which was two inches short of the final qualifiers distance. This result was the second best of his career and his last in a Jacket uniform.
In the finals Marcelle hit a distance of 61’1.50”, and placed sixth to became Tech’s first-ever shot put All-American. He also competed in the discus prelims earlier in the day and placed 13th, just missing the spot for the finals. On Friday, Miller placed fourth in high jump and also earned All-American honors. Miller has earned the highest place ever by a Tech male in high jump.
Jordan, who competed in his third-straight NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, placed 11th in the triple jump on the final day of competition. Even though he missed All-America honors by just one spot, he does post his best-ever finish in the championships.
In Indoor Track & Field, nine Jackets have been named to 2009 All-ACC Academic Teams. The five men include sophomore Hunter Clasen, senior E.C. Gibbs, junior Tim Guglielmo, and junior Billy Mateker. The four women include senior Alana Clooten, junior Tiffany Grant, sophomore Erica Penk, and sophomore Joanna Wright. They were all recognized with this honor because of their impressive seasons both in and out of the classroom.