Collegiate debuts, plus indoor openers for reigning NCAA champs and talented professionals at Clemson

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor champions Grant Holloway and KeAndre Bates of Florida, along with Mady Fagan and Keturah Orji of Georgia headline a talented field of competitors Saturday at the Orange and Purple Winter Classic at Clemson's Indoor Track and Field Complex.

Professionals Natoya Goule, Kyra Jefferson, Kristi Castlin, Joanna Atkins, Robin Reynolds, Arman Hall and Najee Glass are also scheduled to compete.

Freshmen Tara Davis, Lynna Irby and Justes Nance of Georgia, in addition to Cory Poole of Florida are scheduled to make their collegiate debuts, along with Florida State's Trey Cunningham and Jayla Kirkland.

Bates set the facility record last year with a long jump of 25-8 (7.82m) on his way to winning the NCAA title at 26-4.50 (8.04m). He produced a leap of 26-5 (8.05m) to add the Division 1 outdoor championship, along with the triple jump crown.

Holloway captured the 60-meter hurdles championship as a freshman in 7.58 and is entered in the event, along with the 300, looking to improve on his facility record of 32.80 last year. He is expected to race former Florida stars Glass and Hall, along with junior teammate Kunle Fasasi in the 300.

Fagan, the reigning Division 1 indoor and outdoor high jump champion, cleared 6-4 (1.93m) at last year's indoor final.

Orji is the American and collegiate record holder in the indoor and outdoor triple jump. The Bowerman finalist is only entered in the 60-meter dash and long jump, along with teammate Kate Hall, who captured the NCAA outdoor long jump title in June.

Joining Hall and Orji in the long jump is Davis, an Agoura CA graduate, who set the national high school indoor record last year with a mark of 21-11 (6.68m). Davis is also entered in the 60-meter hurdles, winning New Balance Nationals Indoor titles in both events in her final prep season.

Irby, a star at Pike IN, is entered in the 300 and Nance, a Blair Academy NJ graduate, is scheduled to compete in the long jump and 60-meter dash for the Bulldogs. Poole, an East Orange NJ graduate, is entered in the 60 hurdles and 400 for the Gators, with former Alabama prep stars Cunningham of Winfield High and Kirkland of Woodlawn High only racing in the 4x400 relays for the Seminoles.

A showdown involving three of last year's Division 1 indoor high jump finalists will take place with Georgia's Keenon Laine and Darius Carbin squaring off against Florida's Clayton Brown.

Georgia's Kendal Williams, an NCAA indoor All-American in the men's 60, is scheduled to compete, along with fellow Division 1 finalist Lloydricia Cameron of Florida in the women's shot put.

Goule, who elevated to the No. 12 all-time indoor performer in the 600 by running a facility record 1:25.76 last year, will look to improve on her own Jamaican record. Clemson freshman Kamryn McIntosh, who once held the national high school record in 2015 after clocking 1:28.78 at Suffern NY, is entered and competing unattached.

Castlin, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 hurdles, is entered in the 60 and 200. Atkins, the No. 3 all-time U.S. performer in the indoor 300, is scheduled to race in the 200 and 400.

Jefferson, the reigning Division 1 outdoor champion in the 200, will race the 300 and former Florida teammate Reynolds, a 16-time All-American, is entered in the 60.