April 15, 2007
USC won eight events at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational, with the highlight of the day being Precious Akins’ 170′ 2 toss to win the discus and Shalonda Solomon opening her outdoor season in the 200m with a win. USC also scored eight new or improved NCAA regional qualifying times or marks. USC competes next weekend at the NC A&T Invitational.
Akins threw 170′ 2 to win the discus on her second throw of the competition. It is the top performance for Akins in the discus this year, an event she finished in fourth in at the NCAA Championship after winning the NCAA Regional title.
Solomon ran a 23.09 in the 200m to win the race. It was her first race outdoors this season after battling a hip injury.
Aaron Searles won the long jump at his second straight meet, hitting the pit at 22′ 1 ¾. In the other pit, Derek Pressley won the triple jump with a jump of 48′ 5 ¼. Pressley has already qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship in this event.
Chiquita Martin won the 400m hurdles with an improved regional time of 58.64. Tawana Watkins picked up her first regional qualifying time of the year in the 400m hurdles, crossing the tape as the runner-up at 1:00.51.
Martin continued to run well in the 100m hurdles, crossing the tape at 13.51. Brittney James was the runner-up at 13.73, improving her own NCAA regional time.
On his second throw of the competition, Tyler Trout picked up a regional qualifier in the men’s discus with a toss of 170′ 1 to finish in fourth place.
Thomas Hilliard finished third in the 400m hurdles, but improved his NCAA regional time to 50.71 – finishing as the first collegiate.
Krystal Cantey, already regional qualified in the 400m hurdles, picked up her first NCAA regional qualifier in the 400m by winning the race at 54.13. Faraign Giles finished in second at 54.91.
The women’s 4x100m relay won the event with a time of 46.36 as did the women’s 4x400m relay with a time of 3:40.66. The men’s 4x100m relay posted a win with a time of 3:10.31.
USC posted a number of runner-up finishes including: Erik Heymann in the javelin, tossing it 193′ 7; the men’s 4x100m relay B team (43.22); Sallie Gurganus in the pole vault, going over the bar at 11′ 11 ¾ and Curt McGill in the long jump at 21′ 6 ¾;
David Zaycek was third in the men’s shot put at 52′ 7 1/4, Dan McKenzie was third in the pole vault, crossing the bar at 16′ ¾, Jamil James was third in the 400m at 47.28; and Nick Lytle was third in the 100m at 10.83.
