CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Big South Conference announced the Big South Men's Indoor Track and Field All-Decade Team presented by Hercules Tires Wednesday afternoon (June 10). Jesse Cherry, Carter Clasper, Pablo Romero, Jacob Smith, and Vinny Todaro were the High Point athletes selected to the All-Decade Team. These five selections signify the most Panthers to be selected to a 2010-2019 Big South All-Decade Team so far.
Jesse Cherry | Eagle River, Alaska | 2005-2010
His freshman indoor season was highlighted by two top-ten finishes at the Big South Championship. He placed fifth in the 5000m and eighth in the 3000m. His Junior year he won two Big South titles in both the 3000 (8:22.24) and the 5000 (14:45.38). At the Washington Husky Classic, he broke his own HPU record with a time of 14:02.86 t in the 5,000-meter. Cherry set this school record in 2010 and it still stands to this day. In 2010 Cherry won his third Big South title as he placed first in the 5000m in 2010.
Jacob Smith | Brockville, Ontario, Canada | 2009-2014
As a freshman, he placed ninth in the mile and 12th in the 3,000-meter at the Big South Indoor championship. His junior year he won his first Big South Indoor titles placing first in the 3,000-meter and the 5,000 meters in 2012. In his senior season, he claimed his third individual indoor Big South Title as he placed first in the 3,000 meters with a personal best time of 8:14.72.
Vinny Todaro | Newville, Pa. | 2013-2017
As a sophomore Todaro set a personal best in the mile (4:23.83) to finish 11th at the prestigious Penn State National Invite. He was also part of the HPU DMR team that placed third at the Big South Indoor Championship in 2015 (10:17.07). He secured his first individual title as he won the mile at the Big South Championships with a time of 4:20.12. he set a personal best of 8:27.52 in the 3,000-meter run to finish second at the Big South Championships. He was the 800m leg on the winning DMR team at the Big South Championships, picking up two individual Big South Championships in 2016. In his senior year, he finished third in the DMR and fifth in the 3,000 meters at the 2017 Big South Indoor Championship.
Carter Clasper | Waxhaw, N.C. | 2016-2019
Clasper Opened his collegiate career with a strong jump in the pole vault at 4.25m (13'11.35") at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational he placed 2nd at the Big South Championships in the pole vault with a jump of 4.60m (15'1"). As a sophomore, he earned all-conference honors for finishing second for the second consecutive year, in the pole vault at the Big South Championships with a height of 4.55m. In his junior season, Clasper won his first individual indoor Big South title in the pole vault with a jump of 4.95m (16' 2.75). As a senior, he set a personal best in at the Virginia Tech Challenge with a jump of 5.18m (17'0). At the 2020 Big South Indoor Championship Clasper won his second consecutive Big South title in the pole vault with a jump of 4.95m (16' 2.75).
Pablo Romero | Madrid, Spain | 2016-2019
Romero set the tone for his successful career as a freshman winning the heptathlon at the Big South Indoor championship with 4,965 points. As a sophomore, he placed second in the heptathlon with 5,008 points at Queens University Combined Events. He set a new personal record. At the 2018 Big South Indoor championship as he repeated as the heptathlon champion with 5,178 points. In 2019 the junior claimed his third individual title at the Big South Indoor championship in school record-breaking fashion. Romero placed first in the heptathlon with 5,231 points. In 2020 Romero won his fourth straight Big South indoor title in the heptathlon at the 2020 Big South indoor Championship. Romero set a new school record in the win with 5,382 points.
Men's Indoor Track & Field All-Decade Team candidates were determined based on being at least one of the following: 1) Was a multi-year All-Conference honoree in one or more event; 2) Was named an All-American; 3) Is a member of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; 4) Student-athletes must be a college graduate or in good academic standing with their respective institution; 5) Won a Conference Championship as a coach and/or was voted Conference Coach of the Year. Candidates that participated in two different decades were placed in a specific decade based on consultation from member institutions. Member institutions also had final determination in regards to the inclusion of student-athletes and coaches. Previous Men's Indoor Track & Field All-Decade Teams were recognized for the years 1997-99 and 2000-09.
A 15-person committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Team, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total.
Hercules Tires Big South All-Decade Team Announcement Schedule
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