Carson Blackwelder

Biography

Carson Blackwelder is in his 14th year with the USC Upstate cross country and track & field programs. He is in his seventh season as the head coach after spending five years as associate head coach and assistant coach for two years. Since joining the Spartans in 2009, Blackwelder has taken Upstate to new heights by leading the men’s program to its first two Atlantic Sun Conference championships. He was named A-Sun Coach of the Year in 2011 after the men earned the program’s first conference championship while Gilbert Kemboi took home individual champion honors. Blackwelder received A-Sun Coach of the Year honors again in 2012 as the men recorded its second straight conference championship and Kemboi was the individual champion for the third straight year. Kemboi would later picked up All-Southeast Region accolades with a sixth-place finish and would go on to the NCAA National meet and place 42nd as an individual. In 2011, the Upstate women had its best finish at the A-Sun Championships with a fourth-place showing and sweeping the top three positions led by Jemeli Sang as she picked up individual champion honors. She was followed by Joan Tangwar and Carolyne Chelulei. On the men’s side, both Davey Dennison and Christian Ritacco received All-Conference accolades. The Spartans also had their best showing at the NCAA Southeast Regional as the women finished 17th out of 32 schools and the men 22nd out of 34. Tangwar, Sang and Kemboi each took home All-Southeast Region honors. Kemb