Feb. 13, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Junior Shalonda Solomon from the South Carolina track and field team earned SEC Runner of the Week honors, the league office announced Tuesday. It marks the second time this season Solomon has captured the honor and the second week in a row a Gamecock has received the nod. Classmate Natasha Hastings took home the award a week ago.

Solomon ran the fastest time in the world this year in the 200-meter dash at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday. She crossed the tape in 22.85 to finish first in the prelims, the third-best indoor collegiate time of her career. Solomon did not race in the finals.

The day before she ran her stellar 200m time, Solomon ran the second leg of the Gamecocks’ 4x400m relay team that took first place at the Tyson meet. South Carolina posted a time of 3:31.85, edging out LSU for the second week in a row for an automatic NCAA qualifying time.

In Trackwire’s current Dandy Dozen, Solomon is rated No. 1 in the NCAA for the 200m, the same ranking the Gamecocks’ mile-relay team holds. She also is ranked 10th for the 60m.