Aug. 1, 2005

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina track and field athletes continued their 2005 season success earning three gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Junior Championship that wrapped up Sunday in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Freshman All-American Natasha Hastings, the 2004 World 400m gold medallist, wrapped up her junior career with another impressive performance. Advancing to the final with the fastest time in the preliminary of 52.12, Hastings returned to capture another gold for the USA in the 400m dash.

“I was very confident out there,” Hastings said. “This was a great way to close out my junior career, going out as a champion.”

Pacing her race in the first 150 meters, Hastings made a strong move on the final curve to claim the title with a time of 52.18. Finishing second was Canadian Carline Muir with a time of 52.38.

“This was my fourth national junior team and I am very happy to have won here,” Hastings added. “The crowd really helped me, even though they were cheering for the Canadian.”

Hastings’ success did not end there. A member of the 2004 record-breaking 4x400m relay, Hastings returned this year hoping to claim another title and take the record again. The quartet, anchored by Hastings’ 52.8 split, was just .12 shy of the meet record. However, they still claimed the gold with a time of 3:32.82, more than four seconds ahead of silver medallist Jamaica.

In the men’s 400m action, freshman Jamil James represented his country of Trinidad, finishing fourth in 400m final with a time of 48.16.

Freshman All-American Amberly Nesbitt also claimed her first world medal with a strong lead off performance for the USA’s 4x100m relay. Nesbitt, who finished fifth in the 100m dash earlier in the competition, led the relay to a lead that they never lost, winning the title in 43.97.

“It was a great week,” said USC Assistant Head Coach Delethea Quarles, who also served as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National Team at the Pan Am Games. “USA captured 57 medals, which is the second highest in all-time. So we’re very proud of the accomplishments of the USA team, as well as the Gamecocks who competed in Windsor.”

Hastings and James both represented their country as the flag bearers in the Pan Am opening ceremonies, an honor decided upon by the coaching staffs.