Jan. 4, 2013

The Southeastern Conference 2013 Class of Women’s Legends showcases former student-athletes from all 14 SEC member institutions. Former Gamecock Lashinda Demus has been selected as South Carolina’s representative.

The conference is announcing the legends from its Eastern Division schools today while the Western Division schools will be announced on January 10. Each legend will then be celebrated individually on each Sunday and Thursday between January 13 and February 28.

The class will be honored at the 2013 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 6-10 in Duluth, Ga. Each legend will be honored during half-time of their teams first game of the tournament, all 14 individuals will also be honored as a group during the half-time of the first semifinal games on March 9. The Greats will then participate in an autograph session on the concourse between the two games. Complimentary posters of the Greats will be available at the session.

As a freshman, Demus was an integral part of the first-ever NCAA Championship at the University of South Carolina when the women’s track and field team earned the title in 2002. In the same year, the 11-time All-American was named the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year as well as the SEC Outdoor Female Athlete of the Year. At the NCAA championship meet, Demus also collected two of her four individual NCAA titles in the 4x400m relay and in her specialty event, the 400m hurdles. Competing professionally since her time as a Gamecock, Demus won the 400m hurdles gold at the 2011 World Championships with the third fastest time recorded to break the 16-year-old American Record. After earning a spot on her second US Olympic team, Demus captured the silver medal in London this past summer. Demus currently lives in Toluca Lake, Calif., where she cares for her twin sons Duaine and Dontay while training for the 2016 Olympics.

Below is the list of the 2013 SEC Women’s Legends representing Eastern Division institutions:

FLORIDA – Sophia Witherspoon, Basketball, 1988-91

GEORGIA – Kiesha Brown, Basketball, 1996-97; 1998-2001

KENTUCKY – Jenny Hansen, Gymnastics, 1993-96

MISSOURI – Joni Davis, Basketball, 1982-85

SOUTH CAROLINA – Lashinda Demus, Track & Field, 2002-04

TENNESSEE – Kyra Elzy, Basketball, 1996-2001

TEXAS A&M – Kelly Krauskopf, Basketball, 1980-83

VANDERBILT – Ashley McElhiney, Basketball, 1999-2003