Jan. 11, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina men’s and women’s track and field teams get the 2007 season underway Friday competing at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.
Competition on Friday begins at 5 p.m. with the men’s triple jump and women’s pole vault, weight throw and 55m. Other events over the Friday and Saturday meet include: 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 800m, 1,000m, mile run, 3,000m, 5,000m, 55m hurdles, 4x400m relay, 4x800m relay, distance medley relay, high jump, long jump and shot put.
Both programs enjoyed a great deal of success last season. South Carolina’s women spent a good portion of the indoor season ranked No. 1 in the nation and finished the year 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. It was the Gamecocks’ seventh consecutive year finishing in the top 10 at the national indoor meet.
The men’s team was among the top 20 in the country during the indoor campaign and placed fifth at the SEC Indoor Championships. Three Gamecocks had runner-up finishes at the conference event before helping the team to 33rd place at the NCAA Championships.
The women’s squad features nine returning All-Americans and a pair of Gamecocks who won national championships last year. Headlining the group is junior and 10-time All-American Shalonda Solomon, who took the 200-meter dash title for both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She was tabbed the SEC Indoor Runner of the Year and picked up the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Athlete of the Year award during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Junior Amberly Nesbitt took the NCAA title for the 100-meter dash last year and finished 2006 with three All-America citations. During the indoor season, she received All-America honors in the 60m and finished runner-up at the SEC indoor meet in the 55m by just one-hundredth of a second.
Other returning All-Americans for the Gamecock women include Precious Akins, Ronnetta Alexander, Faraign Giles, Natasha Hastings, Chiquita Martin, Stephanie Smith and Tawana Watkins.
On the men’s side, two All-Americans are back in 2007. Junior hurdler Jason Richardson is a two-time All-American in the 60-meter hurdles and 110m hurdles. Jonathan Fortenberry, who has fought with an Achilles’ heel injury that sidelined him during 2004 and 2005, is hoping to finish his sprinting career by adding to the six All-America certificates he already owns.
Next week, the Gamecocks head to Lexington, Ky., for the Kentucky Invitational over Jan. 19-20.
