June 24, 2006

Columbia, SC – Sporting Gamecock garnet and black proudly, Carolina’s Jason Richardson (110m hurdles), Leroy Dixon (200m) and Shalonda Solomon (200m) advanced to Sunday’s semi-finals at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. In addition, two former Gamecocks advanced in the 400m hurdles finals 1-2, another qualified for the semi-finals of the 110m hurdles and two others were top seven in their signature event finals.

The 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships will be televised live on ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, June 25.

“The kids did a good job. They were prepared. Today was a 100 percent day for us and we are looking for some big things tomorrow and hopefully everyone can make the next round (finals),” said USC head coach Curtis Frye. “This is good for our athletes to be here and line up with the toughest athletes because America has the best track and field athletes in the world.”

Frye pointed out it was tough for Solomon after running three rounds of the 100m yesterday: “Shalonda being as young as she is and recovering (from the 100m) to win that heat against Lauryn Williams, a 100m world champion, to hold her composure and win that heat is great.

“Leroy put things back together a bit after being injured a bit this year,” said Frye. “He is going to make this his career and he did a really good job today. Running in the semi-finals tomorrow is big for us.

“Jason got bumped in the third hurdle and stayed with it. Running in the heat with Terrence Trammell for a young athlete to not fall apart when you get bumped and run into a head wind with a time of 13.62 is an excellent effort,” said Frye.

Rising senior Precious Akins, fourth at the NCAA meet, was 11th overall in the discus with a toss of 167′ 11.

Solomon won her heat of the prelims of the 200m, running a 22.86 to Olympic gold medalist Lauryn Williams’ 22.87. Solomon runs the semi-finals on Sunday at 2:20 pm. She finished eighth in Friday night’s 100m finals – the only collegiate in the finals.

After Solomon’s race she took an ice-bath – jumping in a huge tub of ice water. The ice bath will help the body recover and aid with soreness. “It’s not a reward, but I’ll take it,” said Solomon, the 2006 NCAA indoor and outdoor 200m champion. “I felt ok. I was just trying to go out there and make it to the semi-finals. I know that Lauryn Williams is a very fast young lady and I had to go fast and stick with her.

(how did she feel today after running three rounds Friday in the 100m?) “I was a little bit tired, but then Coach Frye said I had to get my mind right and get back focused. So, it’s time to get my mind right and get focused. I feel ok,” said Solomon.

Richardson finished second in his heat only to two-time Olympic silver medalist and Gamecock graduate Terrence Trammell. In lane seven Trammell ran a 13.51 to Richardson’s 13.63 in lane one. Both advance to the semi-finals on Sunday at 2:40 pm.

“Unlike nationals (NCAAs), I was extremely nervous today because you are running against real professionals and at anytime they can turn it on and completely leave you. I didn’t get out well mainly because of nerves and my leg was shaking really hard. Once you realized you are down, you have to dig down. I hit David (Oliver) at some point and I had to make a decision then and there to stop or keep going and I kept running, stayed low and got second in my heat,” said Richardson, who was third at the recent NCAA Championships. (what was it like running against Trammell) “I never saw him the race because he was at the opposing side of the track. Honestly even if he was closer, my nervousness was deafening. Hopefully in the semis I can get more in the center lanes and key off those people on the outer lanes to run a little better. Tonight I will do a lot of relaxation, hydrate and rest. And get my mental game together so I can get out here and run two good rounds tomorrow.”

Leroy Dixon was second in his prelim heat of the 200m, running a 20.88. Former Gamecock Rodney Martin also advanced to the semi-finals, finishing second in his heat to Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Warnier who ran 20.24 to Martin’s 20.34.

Former Gamecock NCAA champions Lashinda Demus (53.50) and Tiffany Ross-Williams (54.94) both won their semi-final heats of the 400m hurdles.

Former Gamecock NCAA champion Tacita Bass was eighth in the heptathlon, finishing with 5484 points.

Former Gamecock All-American Kenneth Ferguson was seventh in the 400m hurdles finals, clocking a 50.76.

Former Gamecock NCAA champion and two-time Olympic medalist Otis Harris, Jr. ran a 45.00 to finish fifth in the 400m final.

The Championships are the final stop of USATF’s 2006 Visa Championships Series, and will be contested at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of IUPUI in downtown Indianapolis. It is the selection meet for the IAAF World Cup of Athletics, which will take place later that summer (Athens, Greece). The 2006 USA Outdoor Junior Championships take place concurrently with the Outdoor Championships, as the selection meet for the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China.