Cheney on fast track at Clemson
Former Evans High School track star Roy Cheney hasn't broken his stride while making the transition from prep competition to big-time college track and field.
Cheney is a freshmen at Clemson University, and he and his Tiger teammates just wrapped up the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, and the squad has just two more meets before the NCAA Indoor Championships at the University of Arkansas.
Last week at the ACC Indoor meet, Cheney finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, and Clemson placed second in the team standings behind Florida State University.
Clemson had won six straight ACC Indoor championships, so losing to FSU was a disappointment, but Cheney has been solid all season for the Tigers.
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In his first collegiate meet at the Appalachian State Indoor Championships, he recorded a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. Cheney followed that up with a third in the 60-meter hurdles at the Kentucky Invitational.
Cheney also notched third-place finishes at the Maryland Invitational and the Nebraska Addidas Classic. Earlier this month at the Virginia Tech Invitational, he added another strong showing in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing fifth.
Next up for Clemson is the Virginia Tech Last Chance Meet this Saturday, then the Iowa State Invitational on March 8. On March 14-15 in Fayetteville, Ark. the team competes in the NCAA Indoor Championships.
There is no break for Cheney and the Tigers after the NCAA's, because the outdoor season starts March 22 with the Clemson Classic. The outdoor track and field season will run through June 22.
To put Cheney's performance so far in perspective , his impact in track is the equivalent of a true freshman averaging double figures in ACC basketball games.
Cheney hasn't exactly burst on the college track scene. He won two state high school hurdling titles during his senior season at Evans, but his debut at Clemson certainly has opened some eyes.
The bottom line is simple - Cheney can fly. His future in track and field is extremely bright.