Feb. 14, 2004
New York, N.Y. – South Carolina compiled nine NCAA qualifying marks, including six automatic times, three victories and three meet records on its way to a second place women’s finish and a fifth place men’s finish at the second day of the Armory Collegiate Invitation in New York City.
Rodney Martin, Jr. equaled the meet and venue record with an automatic qualifying time of 20.84, a season-best, to win the men’s 200m. While Lashinda Demus broke the meet record in the women’s 400m for an NCAA automatic time of 52.22 to place second while freshman Stephanie Smith finished third with an automatic time of 52.86.
The USC women’s 4x400m relay team of Smith, Shevon Stoddart, Tawana Watkins and Demus was victorious with an automatic time of 3:32.83, also a meet record and season-best. India Odum collected a Gamecock victory in the shot put with a distance of 50’8.75”.
In the women’s 200m Erica Whipple finished second with an automatic time of 23.40 and was followed by teammate Khalilah Carpenter who placed third with a provisional time of 23.72.
The USC men’s 4x400m relay of Martin, Aaron Luster, Derron Flood and Adrian Durant finished second by running an automatic time of 3:09.15.
Stodurt also recorded a provisional time in the 400m finishing fifth with a time of 53.25, a season-best. Ronnetta Alexander recorded a provisional time of 8.35, the top preliminary time in the 60m Hurdles.
Women’s Highlights
Carpenter finished second in the 60m with a season-best time of 7.45 while Whipple placed fourth at 7.50 … Stodurt placed seventh in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.68 … Watkins finished eighth in the 400m with a time of 55.93 … Jenny Lake finished eighth in the 3000m with a time of 9:57.05 … Cheryl Terrio cleared 12’3.5” for a third place finish in the pole vault … Chelsea Hammond finished fourth in the high jump with a height of 5’8.5” … In the triple jump, Kemesha Whitmire finished fourth (39’11.25”) and Reanna Townsend was sixth (35’5.75”) … Precious Akins finished eighth in the shot put with a mark of 40’9.75”.
Men’s Highlights
Fred Townsend finished third in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.99 … Luster placed fifth in the 400m with a time of 48.21 … Durant finished eighth in the 60m with a time of 6.92 … Greg Royster placed fifth in the pole vault with a height of 15’9” … In the triple jump Jason Jackamonis placed sixth (46’10”) and Greig Cryer was seventh (46’00”).
