Clemson University’s women’s track team staged a remarkable comeback on the final day to claim the ACC Conference title, securing 89 points to top the standings ahead of Stanford (65 points) and Louisville (62 points). The victory marked a significant milestone for the program, which had been fighting for relevance after the men’s team was initially discontinued during the pandemic but reinstated months later.
Mark Elliott, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Clemson, attributed the team’s success to a well-balanced squad that saw contributions across multiple events.
“Yeah, well, I think from just my perspective and the team we have, we had a more well-balanced team. Normally, we're a team that would be, you know, from the 800m on down, we would definitely have some big contributors,” Elliott explained.
“But this year, we do have some really good longer-distance runners, from the mile on up. Plus, we have an outstanding freshman (Aniyah Kitt) who came in and won the MVP. So those are, like, off the top of my head, really big areas that we scored in that we normally wouldn’t.”
MVP Aniyah Kitt
Elliott also pointed out that the expanded ACC, now featuring 18 teams instead of 15, contributed to a shift in how points were distributed across the competition.
The victory also serves as further justification for Clemson's track and field program remaining intact after facing discontinuation – the men’s programme - during the pandemic.
“Well, I mean, it is sweet, and it’s… yeah, I mean, back then, decisions were made. At that moment, I guess the Athletic Department saw that as the best way forward. Of course, we didn’t agree—we just kept working, kept coaching. And since then, we have won two championships—one with the men’s team, and now with the women’s team,” Elliott said.
“So, the validation to the larger public that this is a program to be reckoned with definitely makes each of our student-athletes, myself, and the staff feel really good.”
Elliott remains confident that Clemson will continue to be competitive.
Elliott hoists the ACC Trophy on Monday
“We have several athletes who are NCAA qualifiers, and if they perform like they did this past weekend, you never know,” he said. “For example, Oneka’s (Wilson) 7.95—that could easily win an NCAA title. We have a distance runner who ran 4:26 in the mile, and that could win NCAAs too. We also have a Jamaican triple jumper, Shantae Foreman, who hit 13.95m. On the right day, she could also be an NCAA champion.”
Elliott also revealed that the future of Clemson track is bright, as the women’s team will soon have double the number of scholarships available, further strengthening their talent pool.
Assistant Coach Lennox Graham, who played a significant role in preparing the athletes for the championship, credited the team’s recruiting and balance across multiple disciplines for the win.
“As you know, it all starts with recruiting. We had some good recruits coming in. Aniyah Kitt—we got her from IMG Academy, and her previous coach was Dwight Thomas, a Clemson alum. (Kitt was second in the 60m dash and won the 200m.),” Graham said.
“The biggest difference this year was our strength in the middle-to-long distances—800m, mile, DMR (Distance Medley Relay). In previous years, we didn’t score much in those events. But Judith Kosgei, out of Kenya, ran 4:26 in the mile—that was the 10th-best time in NCAA history and a new school record.”
Graham also emphasized the importance of team chemistry in the victory.
“This was a total team effort. It wasn’t one coach, it wasn’t one athlete—everybody contributed. We were loud from day one. It wasn’t a case where, ‘Oh, we’re going to win, let’s start cheering now’—No, from day one, the energy was there,” he said.
Did Oneka Wilson’s performance give the team an extra lift on the final day? Or was it just business as usual at that point?
“Oh, it definitely lifted the team—among other things,” Graham admitted. “Order of events matters. Coming into the last day, we weren’t even on the scoreboard—not because we hadn’t scored, but because only the top 10 teams were displayed, and we were just outside of that.
“But we knew we had finalists, so we just had to execute.”
“The real spark came from Kosgei—she ran 4:26 in the mile, almost won, and finished second by a fraction of a second. That set the tone for the day. At the same time, Shantae was in the triple jump, and then Oneka stepped up in the hurdles—it was like a springboard moment.”
Shantae Foreman
“Oneka didn’t get the best start—she panicked a little. She told me that someone pulled up on her going into the first hurdle, which usually doesn’t happen, and it threw her off. But by hurdle two, she woke up and started pulling away.
“Winning three straight titles is hard. It’s one thing to be the hunter, but when you’re the defending champion, everyone is coming for you. That’s a different level of pressure.”
Clemson's ability to thrive under that pressure, coupled with a well-rounded team effort, propelled them to the ACC Championship title—a testament to the program’s resilience and rising dominance in collegiate track and field.
Main photo: Assistant Coach Long Sprints and Hurdles Lennox Graham and Director of Track&Field and Cross Country at Clemson University Mark Elliott share a moment following the Clemson Women's victory at the ACC Indoor Championships on Monday.