Jan. 25, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s men’s and women’s track and field teams have two meets on the docket this weekend. The multi-event athletes will compete in Lynchburg, Va., in Liberty’s On Track Open over Friday and Saturday while the remainder of the squad heads to Gainesville, Fla., for the one-day Diet Pepsi Invitational on Saturday.

The Gamecock women’s team is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation according to the Trackwire 25, slipping one spot from last week. Carolina’s men’s squad is rated in a tie for 14th with Tennessee.

Individually for the women, Trackwire has Shalonda Solomon rated as the No. 1 collegiate runner in the 200-meter dash, and she is seventh in the 60m. Natasha Hastings is No. 2 in the 400, while Stephanie Smith is 12th. For the 60m hurdles, Ronnetta Alexander is seventh, and the Gamecocks are ranked second in the 4x400m relay.

Jason Richardson leads the men’s program with a No. 2 ranking in the 60m hurdles, followed by Thomas Hilliard at sixth. The Gamecocks also have the No. 5-ranked 4x400m relay team.

Several Gamecocks have logged provisional NCAA qualifying times during the first two weeks of competition. Solomon notched an automatic time in the 200 in Lexington, Ky., last week with a clocking of 23.16. The reigning SEC Runner of the Week also had a provisional time in the 60, breaking the tape in 7.37 to finish second in the event.

Hastings owns provisional times in the 200 and 400. She ran 23.63 in the 200 in Kentucky to finish second behind Solomon and won the 400 in 52.85, which was 0.45 seconds from an automatic time.

Krystal Cantey and Stephanie Smith both ran provisionals for the 400 a week ago, recording times of 54.28 and 54.36. South Carolina’s strong performances in the 400 this year also have made for a productive 4×400 team that owns two provisional times thus far.

Hilliard and Richardson have faired well through two meets. The former of the two has run a provisional time in the 60mH in each of his five races. Richardson has run twice and posted qualifying times in both instances. Hilliard also has been a major contributor to a 4×400 team that dropped almost three seconds off its time from the first to second week.

Dan McKenzie shined in the pole vault at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington. The senior cleared 17-0 3/4 to mark a provisional figure for NCAAs. He became just the fourth Gamecock in school history to reach 17 feet in the pole vault at an indoor facility. McKenzie also is one of just four to do likewise outdoors.