May 3, 2005

Columbia, S.C. –

-  Named SEC Athlete of the Week (4/27)-   Totaled three titles at 111th Penn Relays- one individual and two  winning relays-   Named 2005 Penn Relays Outstanding College Athlete (4/30)-   Named United States Track Coaches Association Athlete of the Week (5/2)-   Spurs and Feathers Athlete of the Week (5/3)

Several consecutive weeks of great performances, topped by an unforgettable Gamecock dominance at the 2005 Penn Relays, lands South Carolina women’s track and field runner Tiffany Ross-Williams the United States Track Coaches Association female Athlete of the Week for NCAA Division I track and field. Ross-Williams, also named the 2005 Penn Relays Most Outstanding College Athlete, earned the honor as a result of her exceptional performances in Philadelphia last weekend, where she earned one individual title, two relay wins and a second place finish over the three days.

“We’re proud of Tiffany, as always, and I’m glad other people are recognizing what a great athlete she is,” said USC Head Coach Curtis Frye.

After sitting out last season, the red-shirt junior All-American has returned to lead the Gamecocks in every way possible, as a team captain, academically and athletically. She earned a 3.7 GPA in the fall to follow with a NCAA Indoor Championship performance in the 4x400m relay that earned her and her teammates another national title in the event. Having a tremendous outdoor season, Ross-Williams was recently named Southeastern Conference Runner of the Week after her dominating performance at the 28th Annual Spec Towns Invitational in Athens, Georgia, two weeks ago.

After putting up great numbers at the 33rd Annual Sea Ray Relays the week before, where she totaled five titles, including finishing first in the 400m hurdles, 100m hurdles, and anchoring the champion and meet record-breaking shuttle hurdle relay, Ross-Williams was back on the track in true championship form at the Spec Towns Invitational. She was the first collegiate to finish the 100m hurdles with a blazing time of 12.99. The mark, a personal best, ties for the second fastest time in Gamecock history, ties for the top-ranked time in the SEC, and was the fifth fastest time by an American woman this year.

The following week, Ross-Williams traveled to Philadelphia with the No. 2-ranked Gamecocks for the Penn Relays, where she competed in four events, the 100m hurdles championship, 400m hurdles championship, shuttle hurdle relay and the 4x400m relay.

On day one of the Penn Relays, Ross-Williams won the 400m hurdles championship with the second fastest time in Penn Relay history of 55.70. She returned on day two to run a leg of the shuttle hurdle relay that won with a time of 53.19, capturing the second pinwheel for the Gamecocks. Ross-Williams also ran in the 100m hurdles preliminary, finishing second in her heat with a time of 13.13.

However, her highlights didn’t end there. On the final day of competition, she returned to finish second in the 100m hurdles championship with a time of 13.07 and ended the day with a first place finish in the 4x400m relay, having run the third leg with a split of 50.8, televised nationally on NBC. The Gamecocks 4x400m relay time of 3:28 was the second-fastest time in Penn Relay history and the third-fastest time in school history. Of the Gamecocks’ six titles, she won three-one individual title and ran on two winning relays. Ross-Williams was named the 2005 Penn Relays Most Outstanding College Athlete as a result of her performances in the four events. Overall, the Gamecocks won four of five relays, totaling six titles at the 2005 Penn Relays.

“For Tiffany Ross-Williams to sit out a year and come back to have this kind of meet was just outstanding,” said USC Head Coach Curtis Frye.

“Before we left, Coach Frye made a statement about winning all five relays and I’m just glad that we got four out of five,” Ross-Williams said. “I would just like to thank God, our professors for allowing us to reschedule our exams and the faculty and staff for allowing us to come here, compete and represent the University of South Carolina.”

Ross-Williams will be graduating Saturday, May 7 with a degree in retail, before traveling to Nashville, Tenn. with the Gamecocks for the SEC Outdoor Championship on May 12-15.