Bellamy, Watkins to run track at Clemson

by TigerNet Staff - Fri Sep 02 16:15:19 GMT-04:00 2011

The men’s team had one of its best signing classes in recent memory. The impact of the class could particularly be felt after football season, when two-sport athletes Mike Bellamy Mike Bellamy

Fr. Running Back

#5 5-10, 187

Nocatee, FL

View Full Profile and Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins

Fr. Wide Receiver

#7 6-2, 200

Fort Myers, FL

View Full Profile join the team. Both have notified Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson they intend to compete with the track team after football season. Watkins won the 200 dash at Florida’s AA state championship meet as a senior, while Bellamy won the 100 dash as a junior and the 200 as a sophomore in the Sunshine State.

Johnson and his staff added four jumpers in Jameel Abdul-Mateen (Covington, GA), Shai Carpenter (Mauldin, SC), C.J. Davidson (Central, SC) and Torian Ware (Crawfordville, GA). Abdul-Mateen is a former New Balance Indoor All-American in the triple jump. Carpenter won the AAAA state title in the triple jump in 2011. Davidson, who attended nearby D.W. Daniel High School, finished sixth at the 2011 New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the triple jump. Ware comes to Clemson with a personal best 7-foot clearance in the high jump after winning the class A state championship in Georgia this year.

The Tigers added a pair of hurdlers to the roster as well in Elijah Britton (El Paso, TX) and Jaron Roberson (Atlanta, GA). Britton will compete in both hurdle events, while Roberson is slated for the open 400 and the 400 hurdles as well.

Three distance runners were added on the men’s side. James Dwyer (Dunwoody, GA) won the 1600 at the Georgia Olympics in 2011. Kevin Ketner (Fort Mill, SC) was a four-time all-state performer in the 1600. Tim Tyler (Mt. Pleasant, SC) was third at the 2011 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the mile.

T.J. Christy joined the team in the throwing events. A native of Wauseon, OH, he was the state’s Division II champion in the discus as a senior with a mark of 172’5”. Christy was all-state as a junior in the shot put and discus as well.