March 23, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina juniors Lakya Brookins and Johnny Dutch have been named Southeastern Conference Men’s and Women’s Runner of the Week after the duo posted nation-leading times in their respective events last weekend at the Shamrock Invitational.

The weekly honor is the first career SEC honor for Dutch and second for Brookins, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week in January 2008.

Brookins began her outdoor season by posting wins and NCAA top five marks in three separate events. Brookins ran a nation-leading 11.51 in the 100-meter dash, over .08 seconds faster than the nation’s No. 2 (teammate Gabby Glenn) and done with only a 0.7 wind resistance. She then ran the first leg of the 4×100-meter relay team that ran 44.80, the top time in the SEC and No. 4 in the nation. Brookins also ran the opening leg of the 4×200-meter relay team that won the event at 1:36.18.

Dutch enjoyed a strong outdoor season opening meet by running some of the top times in the country. Dutch ran the nation’s fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles with his win at 13.73, seven-hundredths of a second faster than the next person on the descending order list. Later in the day, Dutch ran the second leg of the men’s 4×400-meter relay team that won the Shamrock Invitational at 3:09.85. That time is the third-fastest outdoor time in the NCAA this year and ahead of five other relays run by SEC teams. Dutch then ran the 800-meter run for the first time in his career and placed seventh at 1:59.36.

South Carolina returns to action next Saturday with its first home meet of the season in the Weems Baskin Relays. The meet begins at 10 a.m. with the hammer throw. Running events begin with the women’s steeplechase at 12 noon.