June 8, 2006

Sacramento, Calif. – On another day in the 90s, South Carolina’s Jason Richardson advanced to the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles with a personal best time and the second fastest time of the day in the second day of competition at the 86th annual NCAA Track and Field Championship. Richardson is the only athlete in the NCAA meet to run the finals of the 110m hurdles and the semis of the 400m hurdles.

Charleston’s Greig Cryer finished eighth in the long jump, hitting the sand at 24′ 11. It is his second All-American honors.

USC also advanced three to the finals and four to the semifinals. In addition, USC advanced the women’s 4×400 relay to the finals.

“We still have a shot at getting a trophy. The women are looking for a top five finish and the men are shooting for a top 15 finish,” said USC head coach Curtis Frye. “We have two women, one man in the finals of the 100m. The kids are responding and stepping up. That’s what kind of kids we have on this team. Amberly ran a great sprint race. Shalonda ran a great acceleration – she didn’t have a good finish, and she is a great finisher. Leroy Dixon made the finals and that was unexpected. Jason Richardson is running a good pattern of hurdles and not just kicking at the end. Chiquita Martin chopped big time off her race in the 400m hurdles and advanced. Thomas Hilliard had a great year and while he didn’t advance, he did big things this year.”

Florence’s Cheryl Terrio advanced to the semi-finals of the pole vault (Saturday, 11;45 am), going over the bar at 13′ 5 ¼, breaking her own school record (13′ 4, 2005). She was sixth indoors at the NCAA meet.

The 4x400m relay of Chiquita Martin, Faraign Giles, Shay Shelton and Natasha Hastings ran a season-best 3:30.46 to advance to Saturday’s final. USC was the runner-up last year. Its 4x100m relay has already qualified with the fastest time for Friday’s final.

Richardson advanced to Friday’s semi-finals of the 400m hurdles running a personal-best 49.82 to finish as the runner-up in his heat. He will run the finals of the 110m hurdles at 5:15 pm on Friday and then 1:05 later he will run the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles at 6:20. Entering the 110m hurdles with the second fastest time, Richardson is looking to win USC’s first hurdles title since two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell won the high hurdles in 1999 and 2000 after finishing as the runner-up in 1998.

Shalonda Solomon won her heat of the 100m in her quest for the 100m, 200m double with a time of 11.23 in the first heat of the prelims. Solomon later ran an 11.26 to finish as the runner-up in her heat of the semi-finals to advance to Saturday’s final (12:35 pm). Solomon will run the semi-finals of the 200m on Friday.

Greenville’s Amberly Nesbitt also advanced to the semi-finals of the 100m, running an 11.42 to finish second in her heat. Nesbitt later ran an 11.41 to finish third in her heat and advance to the finals as well.

“The last part of the race felt really good. I said ‘Amberly you have to go now because you haven’t made the finals yet’,” said Nesbitt.

On the men’s side of the 100m Leroy Dixon, also attempting the 100m-200m double, finished fourth in his heat of the 100m at 10.42 and advanced to the semi-finals. He finished fourth in the semi-finals to advance to the finals with a time of 10.36 on Saturday. The semi-finals for the 200m are on Friday.

Thomas Hilliard, who knocked six seconds off his personal best this year to qualify for the NCAAs, finished fourth in his heat at 51.37 and did not qualify for the semi-finals.

Shay Shelton ran a 2:13.44 in her semi-finals of the 800m to finish eighth and she did not advance.

The 4x400m relay of Keith Hinnant, Thomas Hilliard, Jussi Heikkila and Jamil James ran a 3:08.65 to finish sixth in its heat. It did not advance to the finals.

Following is USC’s first round/prelims schedule for the qualifiers

NCAA Championship Men’s Results – All times are local

NCAA Championship Women’s Results – All times are local

SCHOOL RECORD, PERSONAL BEST