As the outdoor season gets underway, the Clemson track and field team enters the spring with rising momentum and expectations following a historic indoor campaign.
With a blend of experienced upperclassmen and emerging young talent, the Tigers are poised to make noise and draw national attention across multiple event groups as the competition shifts outdoors.
Clemson heads into the outdoor season following a productive indoor slate that featured school records, ACC honors and multiple top-10 program marks. Most notably, the women’s team capped the season by securing its second consecutive ACC indoor championship, marking the program’s eighth title and finishing with 82 points to edge Duke for the top spot.
Highlighting that national success, junior standout Gladys Chepngetich emerged as one of the brightest stars in the country, becoming the 2026 NCAA champion in the women’s indoor 800 meters. Her breakthrough performance not only underscored Clemson’s rising talent but also set the tone for what the program hopes to carry into the outdoor season.
The outdoor season will run through the spring, culminating in the ACC Outdoor Championships and the NCAA Championships in June. Clemson opened competition March 20 in Orlando, Florida, at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge.
The Tigers wasted no time carrying their indoor momentum into the outdoor season, delivering an impressive showing with multiple event wins, all-time program marks and six top-10 performances across the two-day meet. On the track, Clemson’s sprint group made an immediate statement as Aniyah Kitt captured the women’s 200 meters in 22.85 seconds, moving to No. 4 all-time in program history, while Ian Johnson won the men’s 200 in 20.62 seconds. The Tigers also dominated the relays, sweeping both 4×100-meter events and reinforcing their reputation as one of the program’s strongest units.
The success extended across event groups, highlighting Clemson’s depth and balance. In the distance events, Nancy Cherop delivered one of the weekend’s standout performances, breaking a facility record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:12.89, followed closely by Judy Kosgei to secure a 1-2 finish. In the field events, Danielle Noble made an immediate impact in her outdoor debut in the high jump, winning with a clearance of 1.75 meters to move into Clemson’s all-time top 10.
The Tigers also saw strong performances in the throws, with Ella Brooks and Kendra Dye both posting personal bests in the hammer throw while climbing the program record list.
With contributions across sprints, distance, jumps and throws, Clemson’s opening weekend underscored the team’s potential to sustain its championship-level success throughout the outdoor season.
