Sept. 20, 2004

Columbia, SC –
USC women’s cross country defeated Clemson for the fourth consecutive year with a win against the Tigers at the Clemson Invitational held Saturday.

The Gamecocks, who were hoping to avenge the loss they suffered when the Tigers defeated them on their home course earlier this season, finished runner up with 54 points to meet winner Emory, who totaled 39 points. Clemson finished third with 58 points.

Leading the Gamecocks in Saturday’s 5K were senior Jenny Lake, who finished second with a time of 18:16.70, and freshman Amy Wike, who earned her second career top ten finish and a personal record, placed fourth with a time of 18:41.10.

Sophomore Tristan Rackow finished 14th, just two seconds off her PR, with a time of 19:17.50. Freshman Rebecca Chain, who just started practicing last week after coming off a hip injury, also had a PR finishing 17th with a time of 19:24.90. Junior Shay Shelton finihsed 19th with a PR of 19:47.30.

“I was really impressed with how the freshman responded to being at our state rival school for the first time,” USC Coach Stan Rosenthal said. “Going up there and coming up with a win was very important to them.”

Also competing in the meet were Western Carolina, who placed fourth with 115 points, UNC Greensboro, who totaled 154 points for a fifth place finish, and Georgia Southern tallied 167 points for sixth place.

Gardner-Webb, who finished seventh, totaled 183 points, Southern Wesleyan finished eighth with 223 points, Charleston Southern finished ninth with 238 points and Piedmont and South Carolina State tied for 10th with 286 points each.

USC cross country will be back in action Saturday, September 25 at Winthrop.