April 12, 2008

South Carolina won two individual events, the women’s 400m and women’s pole vault, and the women’s 4x400m relay in the final day of the Spec Towns National Invitational. Qualifying with a number of NCAA regional marks/times, USC picked up or improved on 13 marks/times. USC is off next weekend before traveling to Penn Relays in two weeks (April 24-26).

Brandi Cross (53.68) and Porche Byrd (53.97) went 1-2 in the 400m, grabbing their first NCAA regional times of the outdoor season.

Sallie Gurganus won the pole vault with a season-best mark of 12’7 ½ – a regional qualifier.

Jason Richardson was the runner-up in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.58. He has a better time (13.45), a regional qualifying time. Richardson later finished third in the 400m hurdles, lowering his NCAA regional time of 50.64. Johnny Dutch finished sixth with a time of 51.54, an NCAA regional time – a season-best.

In the 100m, Shalya Mahan was second with a regional qualifying time of 11.53 to former Gamecock NCAA champion Shalonda Solomon (11.42). Mahan was third in the 200m later with a regional qualifying time of 23.70. In the 100m, Lakya Brookins was fourth at 11.59 and Gabrielle Glenn was sixth at 11.64 – both were regional qualifying times. Glenn also picked up a regional time at 23.93 in the 200m, finishing fourth.

USC’s 4x100m relay finished as the runner-up with its season-best time of 44.47 behind the run of Brookins, Glenn, Faraign Giles and Mahan. USC won the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:42.74 (Glenn, Giles, Bryd, Cross).

On the men’s side, USC was the runner-up in the 4x100m relay with a time of 40.60, a regional qualifier (they have a better mark of 40.56). The men’s 4x400m relay was also second with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 3:08.28 (they have a better time of 3:06.59).

Kayla Blake finished third in the high jump, crossing the bar at 5-5. Brittney James was third in the long jump, hitting the pits at 19′ 11 – a regional mark.

KiKi Clarke was fifth in the heptathlon with a score of 4845 points.

The men went 2-3-4 in the 400m with Keith Hinnat (47.46), Ray Miley (47.75) and Quentin Moore (47.77) going 2-3-4. Jason Cook was fourth in the shot put, tossing it 58′ 3.

Erik Heymann was fourth in the javelin with a regional mark of 211′ 10.