Jan. 29, 2003

COLUMBIA, S.C. – With three runners posting top world times in the young 2003 indoor season, the third ranked South Carolina Gamecocks track and field team will send split squads to two track meets this weekend. USC will be represented at the Carolina Fast Times Meet Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. and at the East Tennessee State Invitational in Johnson City, Tenn.

Leading the men this weekend is current SEC Track and Field Athlete of the Week Otukile Lekote, who posted the world’s fastest time at the SEC Challenge in the 800m run last weekend with a time of 1:46.88. Leading the women will be Aleen Bailey, who posted the fastest time in the world this year in the 200m dash with a time of 23.59. Also leading the women will be Demetria Washington, who posted a NCAA Automatic Qualifying time of 52.36 last weekend in the 400m dash. That mark is also the fastest time in the world this year.

At Chapel Hill, N.C., USC will face Campbell, Coastal Carolina, Davidson, Duke, Florida (women only), Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, South Florida, UNC Wilmington and Virginia Tech.

At Johnson City, Tenn., Carolina will face athletes from 59 separate teams and groups. Results can be found at www.cfpitiming.com or www.tarheelblue.com for the North Carolina meet and at www.etsubucs.com for the ETSU meet.