Feb. 3, 2007
NEW YORK CITY — Junior Natasha Hastings was named Most Outstanding Competitor at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at The Armory Track in New York City on Saturday.
Hastings won the 400-meter dash in a personal-record 51.70 then anchored the women’s 4x400m relay that won in a meet and Armory record-time of 3:30.95. Her 51.70 is the top time in the United States this year and stands second on South Carolina’s all-time list behind Lashinda Demus, who ran 51.59 in 2004.
“I’m so pleased with my race,” Hastings said. “That was a lifetime best for me. Coming back home, I wanted to put on a show. My whole family is here. This is really exciting because I got my start here (at The Armory Track) when I was nine. My first two years at South Carolina, I struggled a lot with injuries, and this is the first time I’ve felt 100 percent. Everything I’ve worked for paid off.”
The Gamecocks’ mile-relay squad now has the top collegiate time in 2007 and automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Running the first leg of the relay was freshman Krystal Cantey, followed by fellow rookie Brandi Cross and junior Faraign Giles ran third.
In addition to Hastings’ win in the 400, Cross was fifth with a time 54.38 for her first NCAA provisional time of the year. Cantey was sixth at 54.50 and Giles placed 10th in a time of 55.29.
The Gamecock men’s 4x400m relay team took second-place honors. The team’s 3:09.10 time was its best of the year and its second provisional mark as well. Junior Keith Hinnant ran first, followed by freshman Quentin Moore and junior Ray Miley. Junior Jamil James anchored Carolina’s relay.
Redshirt senior Thomas Hilliard, IV, ended with another solid weekend in the hurdles. He took fourth in the finals of the 60m hurdles in a time of 7.90. Hilliard has run a provisional time in every hurdles race this year.
In the finals of the women’s 60m hurdles, senior Chiquita Martin led USC with an 8.47 to finish in seventh place. Sophomores Trier Young and Brittney James were 10th and 13th with times of 8.52 and 8.59.
In the distances, redshirt freshman Casey Gale led the Gamecocks with a time of 10:06.89 in the 3,000-meter run, good for eighth all-time on South Carolina’s performance list. Junior Rebecca Chain was 10th in the college division of the mile run with a PR of 5:06.24 that also placed ninth on South Carolina’s all-time list.
“I’m happy with how things turned out here,” head coach Curtis Frye said. “We found out what kind of a team we have when parts of it are broken. Our women did really well considering three of our top athletes, Shalonda Solomon, Ronnetta Alexander and Amberly Nesbitt, didn’t compete. Finishing in the top 10 is difficult, especially considering there were over 200 teams here. Our kids are resilient and found a way to be nationally competitive.
“On our men’s side, Thomas Hilliard and Jason Richardson are both sore and those are big points for us. Seeing our mile relay finish second to LSU without two of our best, that shows we’ll fight. We’re a little deeper and we’re tough.”
South Carolina continues the indoor season at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., over Feb. 9-10. During the same days, the Gamecocks also will send a squad to Clemson, S.C., for the Tiger Invitational.
Men’s 200-Meter Dash (Prelims)
28. Nick Lytle 22.36
Men’s 3,000-Meter Run (College Division-Finals)
17. Dan Williams 8:57.07
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
4. Thomas Hilliard, IV 7.90
Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay (Finals)
2. Hinnant, Moore, Miley, James 3:09.10
Men’s 4×800-Meter Relay (Finals)
11. Leyh, Baez, Fortenberry, Williams 7:51.24
Men’s Pole Vault (Finals)
8. Dan McKenzie 16-6 3/4
Men’s 35-Pound Weight (Finals)
6. Tyler Trout 59-11 3/4, 11. Jason Cook 56-10 1/4, 28. Anthony Faulkner 53-3 1/2
Women’s 200-Meter Dash (Prelims)
95. Reanna Townsend 28.27
Women’s 400-Meter Dash (Finals)
1. Natasha Hastings 51.70, 5. Brandi Cross 54.38, 6. Krystal Cantey 54.50, 10. Faraign Giles 55.29
Women’s Mile Run (College Division-Finals)
10. Rebecca Chain 5:06.24, 29. Kelsey Bristol 5:18.52
Women’s 3,000-Meter Run (College Division-Finals)
20. Casey Gale 10:06.89, 44. Lisa McKinney 11:09.30
Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
7. Chiquita Martin 8.47, 10. Trier Young 8.52, 13. Brittney James 8.59
Women’s 4×200-Meter Relay (Finals)
3. Martin, Young, Howze, Smith 1:39.51
Women’s 4×400-Meter Relay (Finals)
1. Cantey, Cross, Giles, Hastings 3:30.95
Women’s 4×800-Meter Relay (Finals)
12. Chain, Bristol, Watkins, Brown 9:46.95
Women’s Pole Vault (Finals)
9. Sallie Gurganus 11-9 3/4, 13. Liza Todd 11-9 3/4
Women’s 20-Pound Weight (Finals)
13. Precious Akins 54-9 1/4
