Hinton leads M. Track by example

When Clarence Hinton threw the 35-pound weight 60 feet, 2 inches last week, he once again confirmed his status as a great athlete. He is regarded as one of the top collegiate throwers in the country. Yet many people might not know Hinton is a scholar as well. "When we recruit people, we tell them that they can receive a good education and also become a great athlete," coach Charlie Powell said. "Clarence is the epitome of the student-athlete and is an example to others." Hinton and the rest of the Penn men's indoor track team will compete tomorrow at Cornell. Although Hinton now competes on the track field, he was originally recruited to play football for the Quakers. A lingering wrist injury that limited his playing time caused him to turn to track, a sport he had first picked up in high school. Track was actually Hinton's third sport, after football and basketball. He was drawn to track because of the direct competition and the fact he could control his own success. "It's easy to tell whether you have a good day in track," Hinton said. "In track, you have a certain time or distance that shows you performed well." The turning point in Hinton's throwing career occurred during his sophomore year in high school. After a year in which he was consistently the underdog, Hinton found himself seeded second in the state meet. He had one of his worst days of the season and did not advance to the next round. Instead of dwelling on this poor performance, Hinton used it to become a stronger competitor. Now when he's faced with challenges, he refuses to panic. At the Penn Relays, even when he fouled on his first two throws, he was able to come through with the winning throw on his final attempt. Hinton's college career has been filled with accomplishments. Last year during the outdoor season, he qualified for nationals in the discus with a throw of 183 feet, 6 inches. That throw placed him 34th nationally for all throwers and 11th among college athletes. Hinton's accomplishments are not limited to athletics. He has been on the all-Ivy academic team and was the representative athlete for the Ivy League for the Black Issues in Higher Education team, which honors the top minority student-athletes in the country.