June 22, 2003
Head Coach Curtis Frye
On the junior titles won by Kenneth Ferguson and Tawana Watkins??Kenneth Ferguson had a big run in 110m hurdles race and could have set a personal record. He was running into a headwind and had he had the wind at his back I think he would have posted his best time every. I am glad to see him on the U.S. team for the second time. He ran a great 400m race as well and is the only athlete to win multiple events in the junior championships. Both he and Tawana had outstanding performances and I am proud of them both.?
On the USATF Championships??Overall it was a great meet for us. Some of our collegians were a bit tired after a long season, but they were able to gain great experience for next season and the Olympic Trials. This is something they can take into next year. The USATF meet was a great finish to an excellent season for the Gamecocks. Both the men?s and women?s teams finished in the top ten and we have a number of athletes with USC ties advancing to the World Championships.?
Kenneth Ferguson (110m and 400m Hurdles-Junior Men)
On his 110m hurdles championship??I felt good during the race. I have been battling injuries the past few weeks and am starting to get my confidence back. I was disappointed in the way I performed at the NCAA?s so my goal here was to forget about the injuries and make the team. My speed feels like it is coming back and through this I have learned how to stay healthy. That is something I will take into next year.?
On his 400m hurdles championship??I was unable to warm up for the race because of drug testing. Because of that I kind of studder-stepped during the race and was afraid to push it too much early on. It took it easy during the first part of the race to conserve energy. That let me make my move at the end and get the win.?
On winning two titles??It is nice to win two gold medals at this meet. I will put them up on my award stand in front of the silver medals I won last year.?
Tawana Watkins (400m Hurdles-Junior Women)
On winning the 400m hurdles championship–?It means a lot to win the U.S. Junior Championship. I am excited about winning the final race. I switched legs on every other hurdle during the race so I feel like I could have run better. Overall I am pleased with the result.?
