Feb. 24, 2004

Fred Townsend was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week by the SEC on Tuesday. His honor is the first weekly award claimed by a Gamecock this season.

Townsend set a USC Indoor Facility record on Saturday, Feb. 21.

The senior from Baton Rouge, La., established a new USC Indoor Facility record at Saturday’s Gamecock Indoor Open by running a winning time of 7.39 seconds. Townsend’s time was an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, his best of the year and a Carolina season-best in the event. He had held the team’s best 55m hurdles time of 7.41, set on Jan. 25.

Townsend, a 2004 captain for USC, is currently ranked seventh in the nation in the heptathlon by Trackwire’s “Dandy Dozen” individual rankings. He has competed in the 55m hurdles, 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump and pole vault during the indoor season. Last season, Townsend earned his first All-America honor by finishing ninth in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

USC’s men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete at the SEC Indoor Championships beginning Friday, Feb. 27 in Lexington, Ky.