Feb. 16, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Senior Dondre Echols of the South Carolina track and field program was named the SEC Co-Runner of the Week Tuesday, after winning the 60m hurdles at the Tyson Invitational. He set a new personal best and ran the nation’s fastest time in the event this year, at 7.69 seconds.

He is the first member of the men’s team to earn Runner of the Week honors since Damiere Byrd in 2012. This now makes three Gamecocks who have earned weekly awards from the conference, joining Josh Awotunde (Jan. 12) and Aliyah Abrams (Jan. 19).

It was a busy day hurdlers, with the prelims, semifinal and final rounds packed into a span of just over two and a half hours, but Echols’ fitness proved to be the difference in earning the win. He improved his time over the three hurdle rounds, winding up with a time of 7.69 seconds to win the final.

It was the fastest time nationally for the weekend, and moves him into a tie for the fastest time in the country this season. In the world rankings, his time puts him 25th according to the latest IAAF list. This new personal best moves him up to seventh in program history, with the fastest time for the team since 2010.

Up next, the team will have a weekend to rest up, as the regular season will come to a close at the Gamecock Invitational at home on Saturday. The one-day meet will give the team a chance to test its depth while giving valuable time off to the majority of the team ahead of the SEC Championships. A selection of athletes will also travel up to the Virginia Tech Invitational, aiming to improve their national rankings ahead of the conference meet. More information on the weekend will be available Thursday.