Jan. 11, 2006

The Carolina track and field teams will kick off their 2006 indoor season by traveling to Blacksburg, Va. for the Virginia Tech Invitational on Fri., Jan. 13 and Sat. Jan 14. It is a non-scored meet.

Last weekend the Gamecock track and field teams competed in an exhibition with Denison College (Division III, from Denison, Ohio). While the meet was held outdoors at the Walt Disney Complex, indoor distances were run including the 60m and 60m hurdles on the 400m track.

USC Head Coach Curtis Frye, who enters his 10th year at the helm of the Gamecock program, sat down with USC today and talked about the trip to Orlando, his expectations and a few reasons why he believes both the men and the women could finish in the top 20 this indoor season.

Q: The team went down to Orlando last Wednesday and trained through the exhibition with Denison. What kind of experience was this for your team?

Frye: We got a lot of good work in. We practiced twice a day and had a chance to bond and become a team – which was the major objective. We worked hard to get better. We took them to MGM Studios one afternoon. It was a lot of fun. It was good family entertainment where they could break up into different groups and see different things at the amusement park.

We also took them to an outlet mall another day. They all have fun shopping at a mall. They also organized card games and generally had a chance to get to know each other in a non-pressure situation.

The captains established curfews and also talked to the team about season goals. They set pretty high goals – higher than I’d want to say right now. I’m sure they said they would like to win the SEC and the NCAA titles on both sides. But I am happy they set those goals because I would rather have them setting high goals than not.

The trip to Orlando was about rewarding the team for a good fall training and good work in the classroom.

Q: How did your teams do in the classroom last semester (Fall, 2005)?

Frye: We had an excellent fall. Of the 35 men on the team, 13 finished made the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA or better) and four made the President’s List (4.0 GPA): All-American Jason Richardson, Curt McGill, Dan McKenzie and Alan Houck. The men’s team finished with a 3.15 GPA.

The women finished with a 3.2 GPA. Twenty-six women were on the Dean’s List and three made the President’s List: Lauren Regensberg, Karen Wigal and Monica King. I am so proud of them all.

Q: What are you looking for this weekend at Virginia Tech?

Frye: We will run what each person specializes in. Tennessee and Clemson will be there and a host of ACC schools. There will be over 35 schools there – many fine schools. The Virginia Tech track is on the top five tracks in the country indoors. Very fast.

This is our first meet and it’s a fast way to start. We are looking for good openers, a way to get over the jitters. It’s a huge meet as far as number of teams and quality of competition. WE want to make finals and get the year started off right. We are very talented. A little dinged up on the men’s side, but we’ve had a really fine year indoors.

Q: Whom are you expecting to shine for the men’s team this year?

Frye: We are well rounded this year. I look for big things from the following: Brook Antonio (thrower), Jason Richardson (hurdles), Greg Crier (jumps), Greg Royster (pole vault) and Leroy Dixon (sprinter).

The men should finish in the top five at the SEC meet and could break the top 10 at the NCAA Championships.

Q: What about on the women’s team?

Frye: I could on and on the women’s side. We are very tough – Cheryl Terrio in the pole vault, Amberly Nesbit coming off her medal at the Pan Am Juniors. Natasha Hastings, Shalonda Solomon, Stephanie Smith, Ronnetta Alexander, Chelsea Hammond, Kemesha Whitmore, Precious Akins, Monica Bozenki, Keri Groover – I could go on and on and I know I’ve forgotten someone.

Team wise, I look for us to finish in the top five at the SECs and be in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships.

Q: One last question – Trackwire.com rankings come out next week. If you had to rank the teams right now where would you put the Gamecocks?

Frye: I think the men should be ranked about No. 20. The women should be in the top five. I would put our women up there with Texas, Tennessee, Miami, Stanford and LSU. It’s gonna be a great year. I can’t wait to get started.