Jan. 16, 2008

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Facing his first collegiate track meet at the Clemson Indoor Opener last December, USC Upstate freshman men's track athlete Perrish Goggins approached it with a cool and calm demeanor. Goggins was one of the Spartans that excelled in the first-ever meet for the USC Upstate track and field program, finishing tied for fourth in the high jump with a jump of 6' 6.25".

Goggins also competed in the 1600 meter relay and just missed qualifying the finals of the triple jump at the Clemson Opener. He will look to build off his success in December this weekend when USC Upstate returns to Clemson for the Clemson Invitational January 18-19.

Recently, Goggins sat down with Adam Walker of upstatespartans.com to talk about his first college meet, being a cheerleader in high school and his favorite movie.

US.com: What was your mindset going into your first meet at Clemson?
Perrish Goggins: I was thinking about going out there, doing my best and try to represent my school the best I can. I always want to do those things whenever I'm competing.

US.com: Were you surprised at how well you finished in the high jump?
PG: I was very surprised because I did what I wanted to do. I wanted to break my personal record in the high jump and I broke it by two inches. It was a great feeling to do that in my first college meet.

US.com: Did you feel any intimidation going up against some athletes from schools such as Clemson, Georgia Tech and Tennessee?
PG: I try not to get intimidated and I wasn't going against those guys. I didn't pay attention to which school each jumper was from, I just went out there to do my job and focused on doing that.

US.com: You were born in South Carolina, moved to Georgia at a young age and returned to South Carolina later on. Why did you move back?
PG: It was a family issue. I moved back to South Carolina, built a foundation here and stayed with my grandmother in Columbia.

US.com: Not only were you a track athlete at C.A. Johnson Prep Academy in Columbia, but you played football, was a member of the bowling team and a cheerleader. Why did you become a cheerleader?
PG: I liked to engage in every sport and cheerleading was one that I had not been involved in at the time. So, I became a cheerleader. That's also the reason why I decided to be on the bowling team.

US.com: How many people do you think can say that they were involved in those four things when they were in high school?
PG: I don't think too many people can say they've done those things in high school. I know it would be hard to find someone who has.

US.com: Was there any other sport that you wanted to play in high school you did not get the opportunity to play?
PG: If I could have, I wanted to play every sport, but some of them conflicted with track, which is my main sport, and I wasn't able to do every thing. I always wanted to play baseball and tennis, but they were in season the same time as track.

US.com: What are your goals for yourself and for the track team this season?
PG: For myself, I want to go to nationals and qualify for the Junior Olympics. I also want to do my best, set more personal records and get better every week. I think our team can succeed this season and place well in meets if we work hard in practice and competitions to get the job done.

US.com: What is your favorite movie and why?
PG: My favorite is Money Talks because it is hilarious. Chris Tucker is very funny and he and Charlie Sheen make a very good team in the movie.

US.com: What do you like about USC Upstate?
PG: When I came to orientation, I found that there were good people here. I felt I could develop a family with people that I've met and that's has stuck ever since.