May 1, 2002

Houston, Texas-- - - University of Houston head track and field coach Leroy Burrell announced that Vincent Marshall, Preston Perry, Donnell Diggs, Clayton Creters, Renee Clarke and Keisha Howard have signed to compete with the Cougars in 2002-03.

Vincent Marshall of Ennis High School finished second in the triple jump, fourth in the long jump and sixth in the 400-meter dash at the 2002 Texas Class 4A State Championships. He posted marks of a wind-aided 51' 8.25" in the triple jump and 23' 0.75" in the long jump. He also had a time of 48.24 seconds in the 400 meters. He was the 2001 Class 4A state champion in the triple jump with a leap of 49', 6.50".

Marshall also won the Region II-4A championships in the long and triple jumps as a senior. His winning leaps were 24 feet, 1 inch in the long jump and 48 feet, 6 inches in the triple jump. He also finished second in the 400 meters with a time of 48.06 seconds and fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.94 seconds at the Region II meet.

In addition to his track exploits, Marshall was an all-state receiver for Ennis' 2001 state championship football team and was selected as one of the state's Top 100 players by the Dallas Morning News. He chose Houston over Arkansas, Texas, Oregon, Baylor, TCU and Nebraska.

A&M Consolidate High School's Preston Perry is a sprinter who finished seventh at the Region III-5A Championships after winning the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the District 16-5A Championships. Perry had a winning time of 10.36 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.17 seconds in the 200 meters. He also was on A&M Consolidated's 4x100-meter relay district championship team that won the race in 41.60 seconds.

Donnell Diggs of Alief Elsik High School was a Nike All-American sprinter in the 60 and 200 meters during the 2002 Indoor season. Diggs finished sixth in the boy's 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Nike Indoor Classic. He also was earned most valuable athlete award honors at Houston's Carl Lewis Invitational during the 2002 indoor campaign. He won the 60 meters in 6.89 seconds and the 200 meters in 22.31 seconds at the Carl Lewis Invitational.

During the 2002 outdoor season, Diggs ran the anchor leg on Elsik's 4x100-meter relay team that finished third at the Texas Class 5A State Championships with a time of 41.000 after winning the Region III-5A Championships in 40.87 seconds.

Diggs also finished fourth in the 200 meters at the Region III-5A Championships with a time of 22.20 seconds after winning the 100 meters in 10.88 seconds and 200 meters in 22.13 seconds at the District 19-5A Championships. Elsik also was the district 4x100-meter relay champions with a time of 41.46 seconds.

Harlingen's Clayton Creeters was the District 32-5A champion in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 110-meter high hurdles. His winning marks were 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump, 21 feet, 6.50 inches in the long jump; 44 feet, 6.50 inches in the triple jump and a time of 14.57 seconds in the hurdles.

Renee Clarke also earned Nike All-American honors in the 400 meters, 4x200-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay during the 2002 indoor season. Clarke, who runs for Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., finished third in the 400-meter run at the Nike Indoor championships with a time of 57.02 seconds. She also ran on Roosevelt's championship 4x200-meter relay team that won the Nike championships in 1:41.000 and the 4x400-meter relay team that finished second with a time of 3:50.67.

Keisha Howard of DeSoto High School finished third in the 800 meters at the Region I-5A Championships with a time 2:15.95. She also ran the first leg on DeSoto's 4x400-meter relay team that finished sixth at the Texas Class 5A State Championships after winning the Region 1-5A championship in 3:52.26. She won the 800 meters at the District 8-5A Championships with a time of 2:22.06.