July 18, 2004

On the final day of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials, four hurdlers with ties to the University of South Carolina will be featured live on NBC national television in the finals of the 110m hurdles and the 100m hurdles tonight – Sunday, July 18 – at 8:13 and 8:25 pm (EST), respectively.

Allen Johnson, Terrence Trammell and Ron Bramlett will run in the finals of the 110m hurdles and Melissa Morrison will run in the finals of the 100m hurdles. Johnson, Bramlett and Morrison currently call USC Head Coach Curtis Frye COACH, while Trammell trained under Frye until last fall when he returned to his hometown of Atlanta.

Reigning world champion Allen Johnson, a USC volunteer coach, ran a 13.17 to win his heat in the semi-finals and advance to the finals. Johnson has run 13.05 for the fastest time in the world this year. Johnson has trained in USC, living in Irmo, for the past eight years.

Six-time NCAA champion Terrence Trammell ran a 13.14 – a personal best – in win his heat of the semi-finals. Trammell, who graduated from USC in 2003, now trains in Atlanta.

Ron Bramlett ran a 13.28 to finish third in the same semi-finals as Johnson, his training partner. Bramlett, an Alabama alum and a former NCAA champion, came to Columbia to train with Johnson under Coach Frye.

USC volunteer coach Melissa Morrison ran a 12.67 to win her heat in the semi-finals. She enters the finals with the second best time. Morrison won the bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has trained in Columbia the past six years.