OTE: Calm In The Storm

Calm In The Storm

Written by: William Warren & Ryan Sauline

Orange: The Experience Magazine | V17 , Issue 4

The rain that had delayed the competition earlier in the afternoon had finally moved through Louisville, but the tension around Cardinal Park remained. Three days of competition, dozens of events, and countless points had narrowed the ACC title race to four final laps around the track. When Gladys Chepngetich crossed the finish line in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, Clemson’s athletes turned their eyes toward the scoreboard. Moments later, the numbers became official: Clemson 99, Duke 96. The Tigers were Outdoor ACC Champions for the first time in 11 years.

In 2025, following Clemson’s ACC Indoor Championship victory, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Mark Elliott credited the program’s depth as the foundation of its success. “I think our depth this year on the women’s side is pretty deep, so points were coming from many different areas,” Elliott said. “That’s what a team championship should be about.” A little over one year later, the Tigers proved that philosophy once again, building toward a program-defining weekend in Louisville, Ky.

The women’s team accumulated 99 points over three days, edging Duke by three points in a championship race that remained undecided until the meet’s final event. Along the way, Clemson produced individual ACC champions, school records, all-time program marks, and one of the fastest 4×100-meter relay performances in NCAA history. The men’s team added to the weekend’s success with a fourth-place finish, totaling 84 points and producing conference champions of its own.

The foundation for Clemson’s championship weekend was built on Thursday under clear skies. As temperatures cooled and the opening day of competition unfolded, Clemson’s sprinters established themselves among the meet’s top performers. The men’s 200-meter preliminaries belonged to the Tigers with Ian Johnson powering around the curve in 20.27 seconds, a season-best that moved him into a tie for fourth on Clemson’s all-conditions list. His twin brother, Jalen Johnson, followed in 20.48 seconds. Kevin Collins and Daniel Kidd also secured spots in the final with season-best performances. The result placed four Tigers among the top seven qualifiers and set the tone for the weekend.

The women’s sprint group matched that with Briana Campbell advancing to the 200-meter final in 23.07 seconds and Aniyah Kitt joining her in 23.24. Shanque Williams added a personal-best performance while McKenzie Calloway and Sadè Gray continued Clemson’s strong showing across the sprint events.

Clemson’s distance group began quietly stacking points. Nancy Cherop delivered one of the day’s defining performances, running a personal-best 4:11.81 in the women’s 1,500-meter to rank fourth in program history, while Garrett Brown climbed to fifth on Clemson’s all-time list in the men’s 1,500 with a 3:43.22 effort. For throws, Mary Ella Brooks recorded a personal-best hammer throw of 58.88 meters to remain sixth on Clemson’s all-time list. By the end of Thursday, Clemson had advanced nine athletes to finals and produced four all-time program marks.

Friday brought continued sunshine and rising stakes as Clemson strengthened its position in the team race. The breakthrough came in the men’s high jump, where Brandon Pottinger cleared 2.15 meters to match his personal best and secure Clemson’s first ACC title of the meet. His win sparked a strong showing for Clemson’s field as Jacob Carruthers cleared 2.09 meters for third and Shyhiem Scotland matched the mark for fifth. In total, the three combined for 20 points in the high jump.

In the women’s long jump, Shantae Foreman delivered one of the weekend’s signature performances, soaring 6.59 meters to finish second and set a new Clemson all-conditions record. The momentum carried onto the track, where I. Johnson ran ten seconds flat in the 100-meter prelims, right behind Tevin Hester – his sprints coach – for the second-fastest all-conditions mark in school history. J. Johnson and Collins also advanced, giving Clemson three finalists in the event.

On the women’s side, Kitt qualified third in the 100 meters, while Foreman added an 11.30 personal best to move into a tie for seventh in program history. Oneka Wilson and Campbell advanced in the 100-meter hurdles, while Chepngetich and Judy Kosgei secured places in the 800-meter final. In the shot put, Kimeka Smith delivered a personal-best 16.91 meters to set a new freshman record and climb to No. 2 on Clemson’s all-time list. By Friday night, Clemson had positioned itself squarely in contention for the championship. Saturday would decide everything.

Saturday opened under gray skies, and by midafternoon, the weather had become an integral part of the story. A steady line of storms moved across Louisville, forcing a temporary delay that halted competition and shifted momentum as athletes waited through uncertain conditions. When action resumed, Clemson responded immediately. The defining moment came in the women’s 4×100-meter relay, where Stoilova, Kitt, Calloway, and Campbell executed clean exchanges to perfection. Campbell powered down the anchor leg as the clock stopped at 42.48 seconds, a new ACC record, meet record, school record, and No. 11 all-time in NCAA history. In under 43 seconds, Clemson delivered one of the greatest relay performances in program history.

The relay win swung the standings but the title was still undecided. Foreman added another championship in the triple jump at 13.37 meters, while Cherop, Kosgei, and Chepngetich combined for critical points across the 800, 1,500, and 5,000-meters. What makes Foreman’s championship more impressive is the fact that she balanced competing in the women’s 100-meter final and the triple jump. Foreman took her first two jumps, hurried for 100-meter check-ins and warmups, competed in the 100-meter and then hustling back to the other side of the track to jump her third attempt. Following that, Wilson finished second in the 100-meter hurdles, Kitt and Campbell added sprint points, and Williams placed fourth in the 400-meters. Every finish tightened the margin. Every point mattered. The championship was still in reach but not yet secured.

The deciding factor naturally came down to the final event – the women’s 4×400-meter relay. Williams, Kitt, Calloway, and Chepngetich stepped onto the track knowing the title would be decided in four laps. Williams opened strongly before handing to Kitt, who surged through the backstretch to keep Clemson in contention. Calloway held position on the third leg, setting up Chepngetich to bring it home. Chepngetich crossed the line in second place and the waiting began. Moments later, the scoreboard confirmed it: Clemson was an ACC Champion once again, marking back-to-back championships, between the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons, and Clemson taking home three of the last four ACC titles (2025 indoor, 2026 indoor, and 2026 outdoor).

While the women secured the title, the men delivered one of their strongest conference finishes in recent years, placing fourth with 84 points. The 4×100-meter relay of Kidd, I. Johnson, Collins, and J. Johnson won the ACC title in 38.90 seconds, the fourth-fastest mark in program history. J. Johnson also earned the ACC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field MVP, claimed gold in the 200-meters, edging I. Johnson in a photo finish after both ran 20.43 seconds. “It’s like a dream come true,” said Johnson of his victory. “I really came a long way, and I really wanted to make a statement,” the sophomore standout added after clinching the 200-meter honors. “It came down to the lean and whoever had the best lean was gonna win…so that’s what it came down to,” Johnson said of his technique in the three thousandths of a second win. Twin brother I. Johnson added runner-up honors in the 100-meters with a 10.01 personal best. Clemson consistently scored across sprints, hurdles, jumps, and relays.

By the end of the weekend, Clemson had produced conference champions, school records, NCAA top-15 marks and personal bests across nearly every discipline. More importantly, the Tigers demonstrated the depth and balance that Coach Elliott preached is required to compete at the national level.