Date Posted: 7/15/2008

ROCK HILL, S.C. - USC Upstate track and field star Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C./C.A. Johnson Prep) finished fourth in the young men's high jump on Saturday morning at the USATF Region III Junior Olympics at South Pointe High School, just one slot away from qualifying for the USATF Junior Olympics National Meet.

Goggins, who cleared the same 6-4 height that the second- and third-place finishers did, dropped into fourth due to a tiebreaker. Both Isaiah Thompson and Randarius Harris cleared 6-4 in their first try and Goggins cleared the bar in his second effort. Carmetrick Ross won the event with a leap of 6-6.

"He's really fatigued from the decathlon," Upstate track and field head coach Jimmy Stephens said. "He was jumping well, but his legs were dead and he couldn't get up to where he usually does."

Goggins posted a personal-best leap of 6-10.25 during the South Carolina USATF Junior Meet, winning the meet and advancing to the regional meet against the finest athletes from Georgia, North Carolina, the Potomac Valley, South Carolina and Virginia USATF associations.

One day earlier, Goggins finished fifth in the young male decathlon, two slots away from qualifying for the USATF Junior Olympics National meet.

"It was a good learning experience for him and he was going up against some really good athletes," Upstate head track and field coach Jimmy Stephens said. "He's still really fresh and new to the decathlon. We saw the areas we have to work on for next year. In the fall, we are really going to have him work to be the better in all areas. I am happy with his effort, though. He went out and tried hard and that's all you can ask for."

Goggins, who held a 69-point lead in the event after the first day, was bothered by tendonitis in his left knee and turf toe during the event. Still, he was able to set a personal-best in the pole vault on the second day, clearing 10-4. He also posted a personal-best in javelin with a throw of 122-6. Running the event for just the second time, Goggins finished with 5,250 points, behind Jerry Blanton (6,221), Kenneth Rowland (5,759), Jermol Dix (5,543) and John Morris (5,345).

Thompson, Harris and Ross qualify for the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships July 22-27 at Burke Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

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