Five Athletes with Clemson Ties to Compete in Track & Field at Olympics

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Aug 01 10:49:55 GMT-04:00 2012

CLEMSON, SC – Two-time NCAA champion Patricia Mamona headlines a group of five current or former track & field athletes from Clemson competing in the Olympic Games over the next week in London, England. Mamona, a 2011 Clemson graduate, will be joined by former Tiger greats Cydonie Mothersill (2001) and George Kitchens (2002-05), as well as current student-athletes Warren Fraser and Marlena Wesh.

Mamona, who won national triple jump titles in 2010 and 2011, enters the Games with the 12th-best qualifying mark. Ironically, she is tied for 12th on the performance list with former Florida State rival Kimberly Williams. Mamona jumped 14.52 meters, or a Portuguese national record 47’7.75”, and was runner-up last month at the prestigious European Championships. Mamona is Clemson’s first-ever Olympian from Portugal. She begins competition in the qualifying round on Friday, August 3 at 10:25 AM local time, 5:25 AM Eastern time.

Mothersill is competing in her fourth Olympic Games for the Cayman Islands. She finished her collegiate career at Clemson in 2001 and won two NCAA Championships that season, one in the indoor 200 dash and one with the outdoor 4x400 relay. Mothersill qualified with a time of 22.82 in the 200 last summer, and owns a season-best of 23.51. Her prelims are scheduled for Monday, August 6 at 7:20 PM in London.

Kitchens is Clemson’s only representative from the United States in 2012. The former three-time ACC champion will compete in the men’s long jump qualifying round on Friday, August 3 at 7:50 PM. Kitchens advanced to the Olympics with a third-place finish at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, OR in June. He hit a personal best 8.21 meters, or 26’11.25”, to qualify. He ranks in a tie for 17th among the 42 entries in the event.

Fraser is the first Bahamian track athlete from Clemson to qualify for the Olympics. He hit the A standard qualifying time in the semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships when he ran 10.18, a personal best. He is scheduled for first and second round competition on Saturday, August 3. Fraser is a rising senior at Clemson.

Wesh owns dual citizenship with Haiti and will be the lone track athlete to represent that country at the 2012 Olympics. She will be Clemson’s first Haitian track athlete to compete in the Games. Wesh qualified in both the 200 and 400, and is scheduled to run both events. She was an indoor and outdoor All-American in the 400 this past season and was the ACC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year as well. Wesh owns a collegiate best 51.43 in the 400, but ran 51.23 in a silver medal performance at the NACAC U23 Championships last month in Mexico. Wesh is set for 400 prelims on Friday, August 3 and 200 prelims on Monday, August 6.

Clemson’s 2012 Olympic Games Guide

Friday, August 3 (all times are local)

10:25 AM Women’s triple jump qualifying (Mamona)

12:00 PM Women’s 400 dash prelims (Wesh)

7:50 PM Men’s long jump qualifying (Kitchens)

Saturday, August 4

10:00 AM Men’s 100 dash prelims (Fraser)

12:30 PM Men’s 100 dash second round (Fraser)

7:55 PM Men’s long jump final (Kitchens)

8:05 PM Women’s 400 dash semifinals (Wesh)

Sunday, August 5

7:35 PM Women’s triple jump final (Mamona)