Feb. 22, 2007
USC Track & Field Notes in PDF Format
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ON TAP THIS WEEK: The Gamecock men’s and women’s track and field teams head to Lexington, Ky., for the second time this season to compete in the SEC Indoor Championships over Feb. 23-25 at Nutter Field House. A total of 22 athletes from the men’s team are set to make the trip and 25 women will travel as well. A complete schedule of events and USC’s athletes competing at the meet can be found on page 5 of this week’s notes. Carolina’s women have placed in the top five at SECs 11 straight years and tied for third last year. The men’s team finished fifth in 2006 and owns one second-place finish (1999) and a third (2003).
LAST WEEK’S MEN’S RECAP: South Carolina’s men’s track and field team competed at the Gamecock Invitational last weekend at the USC Field House. USC dominated the men’s throwing events, taking first through fourth in the shot put and second to sixth in the 35-pound weight. Jim Mitchell won the shot with a 54-4 mark, followed by Jason Cook (53-8 1/4), David Zaycek (53-3, unattached) and Michael Zajac (49-1, unattached). Tyler Trout was the top finisher in the weight with a throw of 59-0 3/4, followed by Zajac (58-1 1/4, unattached), Zaycek (55-11 1/4, unattached), Cook (54-8 1/4) and Anthony Faulkner with a PR 53-7 3/4. The Gamecocks’ top male sprinters found success Saturday as well. Nick Lytle was second in the prelims and semis with times of 6.47 and 6.42 before taking fourth overall with a final run of 6.47. Johnathan Hancock improved his initial time of 6.53 to 6.45 in both the semis and finals for a third-place finish. Eddie Stoudemire took third in three races of the 55m hurdles, with his best time coming in the semis with a 7.73 clocking. Dan McKenzie tied for first in the pole vault clearing 16-0.
LAST WEEK’S WOMEN’S RECAP: South Carolina’s women’s track and field team competed at the Gamecock Invitational last weekend at the USC Field House. USC’s Shalonda Solomon and Kya Brookins, an unattached sprinter, each broke the facility record of 6.82 in the 55-meter dash by former Gamecock Miki Barber in the prelims, semifinals and finals. Solomon finished second in each race with times of 6.80, 6.78 and 6.80. All three of Solomon’s times were NCAA provisionals, and her 6.78 in the semis was just three-hundredths of a second from an automatic time and the second-fastest time by an American this year. In the women’s 55m hurdles, Ronnetta Alexander finished first in the prelims, semis and finals in times of 8.01, 7.89 and 7.91. Her teammate Trier Young placed third overall with an 8.08 that came after she ran a PR 7.96 in the semifinals. Precious Akins won the shot put for the Gamecocks with a toss of 49-3 1/2, the top mark of her career. Freshman thrower Aimee Kodat competed unattached in the event and recorded a 39-10 1/2 throw. Akins took second in the 20-pound weight at 58-6 1/2, and Kodat was fifth reaching a distance of 41-3 3/4.
ON THE SEC PERFORMANCE LISTS: Looking at the current SEC performance lists, junior Jason Richardson is third in the 60-meter hurdles and redshirt senior Thomas Hilliard, IV, is right behind him at fourth. The Gamecocks’ 4x400m relay team is in third place, while senior Dan McKenzie is tied for second in the pole vault. Redshirt senior Tyler Trout has the sixth-best throw this year in the 35-pound weight. For the women, juniors Shalonda Solomon and Natasha Hastings are first in the 200m and 400m and fifth and seventh in the 60m and 200m. Senior Stephanie Smith is second for the 400, and Carolina’s 4x400m team is currently first. Sophomore Kettiany Clarke has the best total in the pentathlon and senior Reanna Townsend is fifth. Senior Precious Akins is fifth and fourth for the shot put and 20-pound weight.
WORLD-CLASS SPEED: Junior Shalonda Solomon recorded the fastest time in the world this year in the 200-meter dash during the prelims of the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 10. Solomon sped to a 22.85 finish, the third-best indoor time of her collegiate career. Her top time is 22.57, which came in the finals of the NCAA Indoor Championships last year. One of Solomon’s goals this year is to break the collegiate record in the 200, which is currently 22.43 by Veronica Campbell of Arkansas set at the 2004 NCAA Championships. The American record was established in 2003 by Michelle Collins (22.18) and the world record held by Merlene Ottey of Jamaica was set in 1993 at 21.87. Solomon also has the second-fastest time by an American in the 55m with a 6.78 clocking that came at the Gamecock Invitational on Feb. 17.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS FOR THE MEN: The Gamecock men have a pair of All-Americans on the roster this season with redshirt senior Jonathan Fortenberry and junior Jason Richardson. Fortenberry has been hampered by an Achilles’ heel injury each of the past three seasons but is hoping to finish his career on a high note. He owns six All-America citations and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won the 2002 NCAA outdoor championship. Richardson’s four All-America awards have come as a result of his work in the hurdles.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS FOR THE WOMEN: Nine women return for 2007 with All-America credentials. Headlining the group is junior Shalonda Solomon, who owns 10 citations in just two years running the sprints and relays. She is the defending NCAA champion in the 200m both indoors and outdoors. Senior Stephanie Smith has eight to her credit and junior Natasha Hastings is a seven-time All-American. Junior Amberly Nesbitt, the 2006 NCAA 100m champion, is a four-time honoree, and senior Chiquita Martin has three to her credit. Redshirt junior Ronnetta Alexander, junior Faraign Giles and redshirt senior Tawana Watkins all have two. Senior Precious Akins earned an All-America award last year in the discus.
PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR THE HOMETOWN CROWD: Junior Natasha Hastings, a native of New York, dazzled the hometown crowd at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational with a 52.12 time in the prelims of the 400-meter dash and then eclipsed that time a day later by running 51.70 to win the event. Her 51.70 time is the fastest time by an American this year, a personal record and the second-fastest time in Gamecock history. The time also stands No. 6 in the world this year. To conclude the meet, Hastings anchored the 4×400-meter relay to a meet and Armory track-record time of 3:30.95. She ran 51.2 on the final leg to edge out LSU. For her efforts, she was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Competitor. The following week, she picked up SEC Runner of the Week honors.
DANDY DOZEN RANKINGS: Trackwire’s Dandy Dozen rankings currently have junior Jason Richardson listed at No. 6 in the nation for the 60m hurdles. The Gamecock men’s 4x400m relay is ranked fifth as well. On the women’s side, junior Shalonda Solomon is ranked eighth in the 60 and No. 1 in the 200. Junior Natasha Hastings is No. 1 in the 400 and USC’s 4×400 team holds down the No. 1 position as well. Hastings also is rated eighth in the 200. Senior Stephanie Smith is holding strong at No. 7 in the 400 after a strong run of 53.58 at the Tyson Invitational.
CLEANING UP WITH THE SEC WEEKLY AWARDS: South Carolina’s women’s program has claimed three of the six SEC Runner of the Week awards so far in 2007. Junior Shalonda Solomon won it after running an automatic NCAA time in the 200 at the Rod McCravy Memorial and then again after clocking the world’s fastest time this year in the 200 with a 22.85 at the Tyson Invitational. She also ran the second leg of Carolina’s 4×400 team that won first with its second automatic time of the year to remain undefeated. Hastings won the honor in week three after winning the 400 at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational with a 51.70 time and anchoring the 4×400 squad to a victory in a time of 3:30.95. She was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Competitor. A week after Solomon won her second award, senior thrower Precious Akins took home SEC Field Athlete of the Week. Akins won the shot put at the Gamecock Invitational with a PR 49-3 1/2 and finished second in the 20-pound weight with a throw of 58-6 1/2.
IN THE POLLS: South Carolina’s women are currently ranked fourth in the latest Trackwire 25. The No. 4 ranking is Carolina’s best of the year and the Gamecocks have not dropped below seventh. Carolina’s men are not among the Trackwire 25, although, USC has been as high as 11th in the nation. In the USTFCCCA polls, the women sit at No. 3 and the men are ranked 16th.
NCAA CHAMPS ON THIS YEAR’S TEAM: The Gamecocks have three women on this year’s squad who have won NCAA championships. Junior Shalonda Solomon is the defending champ in the 200m for both indoors and outdoors. Classmate Amberly Nesbitt won the 100m last year at the outdoor meet, and senior Stephanie Smith was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won gold at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. Solomon was a member of the relay as well. On the men’s team, redshirt senior Jonathan Fortenberry won an NCAA title his freshman year in 2002 as the anchor runner of the 4x400m team at the national outdoor meet.
WOMEN LOOK TO EXTEND NCAA STREAKS IN 2007: South Carolina’s women’s track and field program looks to extend its streak of top-10 finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships to eight this year. The Gamecocks have earned three runner-up trophies at the national indoors (2000, 2001, 2003) and placed 10th last season. Outdoors, the women hope to make it 12 straight top-10 finishes. Carolina won the school’s first and only NCAA team championship in 2002, and the women placed second once. In 2006, South Carolina recorded a third-place finish and was just a half-point shy of tying for second. The Gamecocks were third one other time in 2003.
QUEEN SOLOMON: Junior Shalonda Solomon has earned numerous awards during her two years with the Gamecocks. She owns 10 All-America citations and three NCAA titles. The following is a look at her career highlights.
• 10 All-America citations
• 2006 NCAA indoor and outdoor 200m dash champion
• 2006 Southeastern Conference Indoor Runner of the Year
• 2006 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year
• 2006 USTFCCCA Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year
• 2006 CoSIDA Academic All-District III Second Team
• 2006 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
• Had the fifth-fastest time in the 100m in 2006 among American women and was ranked eighth in the world
• Rated fourth in the USA for the 200m outdoors and was seventh in the world
• Top time in the 200m indoors is 22.57, set when she won the 2006 NCAA title
• Her top outdoor time in the 200m is 22.30, which was wind-aided; Best unaided time is 22.36
• Was the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year her final two years of high school in California
• Never finished lower than third in the 200m at a collegiate outdoor meet
• Undefeated in the 200m outdoors in 2006 at collegiate meets
• In the 200m indoors and outdoors in 2006, never placed below second in a collegiate meet
• Silver medalist at the 2006 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 200m
• Named SEC Runner of the Week three times during the 2006 indoor season and did likewise outdoors
• Earned SEC Runner of the Week twice in 2007
• Her 22.85 time in the 200m this season ranks first in the world
• 2005 and 2006 SEC outdoor 200m champion
• Anchored the 2005 and 2006 SEC 4x100m relay champion teams
• Has the second-fastest time by an American in the 55m this year at 6.78
RICHARDSON LOOKS FOR GOLD: Junior Jason Richardson is looking for his first gold medal in the 60m hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships this year. As a freshman in 2005, Richardson finished third and he did likewise in the 110m hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Richardson was unlucky at last year’s indoor meet, clipping a hurdle late in the finals, then falling and not finishing the race. He took third in the short hurdles for the outdoor campaign as well.
NCAA MEN’S CHAMPIONS: A total of 15 Gamecocks have earned NCAA individual championships, with the first coming in 1948 when Norman “Scooter” Rucks won the 400-meter dash. South Carolina’s next championship was in 1974 when Don Brown, John Brown, Mike Sheley and Jim Schaper won the 4x800m relay at the NCAA Indoor Championships and helped USC earn a third-place finish. Terrence Trammell owns the most titles with six, five of which were individual and one as a member of the 1999 4x100m team. Below is a list of Carolina’s champions:
• Don Brown – 1974 4x800m (I)
• John Brown – 1974 4x800m (I)
• Clint Crenshaw – 1999 4x100m (O)
• Jonathan Fortenberry – 2002 4x400m (O)
• Otis Harris – 2002 4x400m (O)
• James Law – 2002 4x400m (O)
• Otukile Lekote – 2001 and 2002 800m (O); 2002 800m (I); 2002 4x400m (O)
• Shah Mays – 1999 4x100m (O)
• Jamie Price – 1999 4x100m (O)
• Norman Rucks – 1948 400m (O)
• Jim Schaper – 1974 4x800m (I)
• Mike Sheley – 1974 4x800m (I)
• Brad Snyder – 1998 and 1999 Shot Put (I); 1998 shot put (O)
• Terrence Trammell – 1999 and 2000 60mH (I); 1999 and 2000 110mH (O); 2000 60m (I); 1999 4x100m (O)
• Ron Willis – 1994 35lb Weight (I)
NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS: On the women’s side of Gamecock track and field, 16 current or former student-athletes have captured NCAA individual championships. Dawn Ellerbe was the program’s first in 1996 at the NCAA Indoor Championships when she took gold in the 20-pound weight throw. At the outdoor meet that same year, she was crowned champion in the hammer throw. She repeated the feat again in 1997 before Lisa Misipeka followed suit in 1998. Demetria Washington owns the school record for the most individual titles with six, and Miki Barber is second with five. A list of Carolina’s champions follows:
• Aleen Bailey – 2003 100m (O); 2003 200m (O); 2002 4x100m (O)
• Lisa Barber – 2000 4x400m (O)
• Miki Barber – 2000 200m (I); 2000 400m (O); 2001 4x400m (I); 2002 4x100m (O); 2000 4x400m (O)
• Tacita Bass – 2001 and 2002 4x400m (I); 2002 4x400m (O)
• Lashinda Demus – 2003 400m (I); 2002 400mH (O); 2002 4x400m (I and O)
• Dawn Ellerbe – 1996 and 1997 20lb Weight (I); 1996 and 1997 Hammer (O)
• Sheneka Griffin – 2001 4x400m (I)
• Lisa Misipeka – 1998 20lb Weight (I); 1998 Hammer (O)
• Amberly Nesbitt – 2006 100m (O)
• Tiffany Ross-Williams – 2005 4x400m (I); 2002 4x400m (O)
• Stephanie Smith – 2005 4x400m (I)
• Shalonda Solomon – 2006 200m (I and O); 2005 4x400m (I)
• Shevon Stoddart – 2002 and 2005 4x400m (I)
• Demetria Washington – 2001 400m (I); 2001 and 2002 4x400m (I); 2002 4x100m (O); 2000 and 2002 4x400m (O)
• Erica Whipple – 2002 4x100m (O)
• Ellakisha Williamson – 2000 4x400m (O)
ALL-AMERICA COUNT: A total of 51 Gamecock men have earned the distinction of All-America, collecting 142 certificates. Terrence Trammell received the most awards during his career with 13. For the women, who did not field a full team until 1993, 43 have received All-America praise a total of 225 times. Demetria Washington has the most with 21 citations, followed by Miki Barber with 20.
THEY’VE COME A LONG WAY: Seniors Dan McKenzie and Thomas Hilliard, IV, have come a long way in their events since first coming to South Carolina. Hilliard actually was a member of the Gamecock men’s soccer team in 2003 and 2004, playing defender. In spring 2005, he joined the track program and has steadily improved as a hurdler every year. He did not even run the short hurdles his first year during the indoor season and his best times as a redshirt junior were 7.55 and 8.04 for the 55mH and 60mH. This year, his best in the 55mH is 7.24 and for the 60mH 7.80. Hilliard’s tremendous improvement has earned him the respect of being one of the top collegiate hurdlers in the nation. Not to be outdone, McKenzie entered his freshman year having never cleared more than 13 feet in high school. As a freshman, his top clearance was 15-5 and he improved that mark to 16-6 3/4 during his sophomore season. McKenzie’s top vault in 2006 was 17-0 3/4, making him one of just four Gamecocks in school history to clear 17 feet. He has equaled 17-0 3/4 three times this year.
STILL UNDEFEATED: The Gamecock women’s top 4×400-meter relay team has yet to be defeated at a meet in 2007. South Carolina took first at the Virginia Tech Invitational, Rod McCravy Memorial, Diet Pepsi Invitational, New Balance Collegiate Invitational and Tyson Invitational. Carolina’s top time is 3:30.95, which came at the New Balance meet using the team of Krystal Cantey, Brandi Cross, Faraign Giles and Natasha Hastings.
WHERE THEY RANK IN THE NCAA: Looking at where South Carolina’s marks and times rank among the NCAA, the women have the top time in three events. Junior Shalonda Solomon is first in the 200m, classmate Natasha Hastings is No. 1 for the 400m and Carolina’s 4x400m relay is first as well. Solomon also ranks seventh in the 60m and Hastings is ninth for the 200m. Senior Stephanie Smith has the ninth-best time in the 400m, freshman Krystal Cantey is 25th and rookie Brandi Cross is 27th. Senior Precious Akins is 26th for the 20-pound weight and sophomore Kettiany Clarke is 39th in the pentathlon. On the men’s side, junior Jason Richardson is third in the 60-meter hurdles and redshirt senior Thomas Hilliard, IV, is fifth. The men also have the No. 9 time for the 4x400m. Senior Dan McKenzie holds down the No. 23 spot for the pole vault.
SCORING THE SEC MEET: Using the SEC’s current performance lists as a basis to the score this weekend’s indoor championships, the Gamecock men’s team would finish in 10th place, while the women would place fifth. A complete list of the predicted standings follows:
SEC Men’s Championships (Based on current performance lists)
1. Arkansas – 123.5
2. Tennessee – 88.75
3. LSU – 88
4. Florida – 82.25
5. Auburn – 68.75
6. Georgia – 54
T7. Kentucky – 44
T7. Mississippi – 44
9. Alabama – 36
10. South Carolina – 32.75
11. Mississippi State – 0
SEC Women’s Championships (Based on current performance lists)
1. Tennessee – 108
2. LSU – 102
3. Arkansas – 93.5
4. Georgia – 87
5. South Carolina – 72.5
6. Florida – 60
7. Kentucky – 40.5
8. Auburn – 36
9. Alabama – 32
10. Mississippi – 21.5
11. Vanderbilt – 4
12. Mississippi State – 0
