March 14, 2003
Fayetteville, Ark. – South Carolina placed 13 finalists and set school records in the men’s and women’s 400m dash at day one of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Gamecocks sit in fifth place with 17 points on the women’s side and is tied for sixth place with 10 points on the men’s side heading into the final day of competition.
Jonathan Fortenberry recorded the fastest time in the United States this season in the men’s 400m dash with a mark of 45.93, advancing to Sunday’s final. The time established a new school indoor record, topping his own mark of 46.19 set earlier this season.
USC also posted a pair of blistering times in the women’s 400m dash preliminaries. Miki Barber ran a 51.92, a new school record, the fastest time in the nation this year and the seventh-best time in the world in 2003 to easily capture the first heat. Demetria Washington ran a time of 52.18, her season-best, to win heat three and join Barber in Sunday’s final. Lashinda Demus made it a Carolina trio in Sunday’s final with a preliminary time of 52.73.
In the women’s 200 meter final, USC finished 4-5-7 as Aleen Bailey ran a 23.03, Barber a 23.12, and Erica Whipple posted a 23.21. In the women’s 200m dash preliminaries, Barber ran a 23.06, finishing second in heat one to LSU’s Muna Lee who set a collegiate record of 22.49 in the race. Bailey posted a 23.22 in the second heat. Erica Whipple won heat three with a time of 23.25, her season-best, and Washington placed third in the heat with a season-best 23.55.
Antoinette Wilks finished third in the women’s long jump with a best mark of 20’11.75″. Tony Allmond jumped a season-best of 26’4.50″ in the long jump, placing fourth in the men’s event.
Corey Taylor placed 5th with a time of 7.72 and Kenneth Ferguson finished 8th with a time of 7.86 in the 60m hurdle final. To reach the finals, Taylor ran a time of 7.74 and Ferguson posted a time of 7.77 in the preliminaries.
Aleen Bailey ran a season-best time of 7.23 in the women’s 60m dash to advance to the final.
Defending NCAA Champion Otukile Lekote won his heat in the 800m to advance to Sunday’s final. His time of 1:47.70 was the fastest of the preliminary round.
Competition concludes on Saturday with event finals, six including USC athletes. Competing for championships on Sunday are Lekote in the men’s 800m, Barber, Washington and Demus in the women’s 400m, Fortenberry in the men’s 400m, Bailey in the women’s 60m, and the 2003 SEC Indoor Champion men’s and women’s 4×400 relay teams. For complete results as they happen click on the NCAA link on www.uscsports.com or visit www.ncaa.org. The meet with be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on Monday, March 17 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET on espn2.
