Gamecocks begin competition today at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

June 2, 2004

The University of South Carolina will begin competition today at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas running through June 12. In addition, USC also qualified its women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays at last weekend’s NCAA East Regional. The 14 will compete in 10 events.

Those competing today in prelims/semifinals include the following:

Precious Akins – women’s discus

USC’s 4x100m relay – women’s

Chelsea Hammond – women’s long jump

Erica Whipple, Khalilah Carpenter, Stephanie Smith – women’s 200m

Tony Allmond – men’s long jump

Fred Townsend – men’s 110m hurdles

USC finished third on the women’s side in 2003 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and 10th on the men’s side. USC’s women will be looking for its ninth straight top 10 outdoor finish nationally at the NCAA meet. One of thee elite programs nationally, USC, Texas and UCLA are the only three schools to accomplish eight straight years in the top 10. USC’s women were 10th indoors and 14th on the men’s side in 2004. The men have finished in the top 20 the past six years, with a highwater mark of sixth plce in both 1999 and 2002.

The two teams are led by the Southeast Region Athletes of the Year – Lashinda Demus and Tony Allmond. Demus was also named the NCAA East Regional Athlete of the Meet and Allmond set an NCAA region record with his win in the long jump.

The list also features Summerville freshman Precious Akins, who was the runner-up in the discus at the NCAA East Regional last weekend.

The lists are as follows:

USC Women’s NCAA Championship Qualifiers

Name Best Mark/Time Date

200m

Erica Whipple 23.11 5/29/04

Khalilah Carpenter 23.49 5/29/04

Stephanie Smith 23.54 4/03/04

400m

Stephanie Smith 51.96 4/03/04

100m Hurdles

Ronnetta Alexander 13.25 5/9/04