April 21, 2007

Columbia, SC – In the final day of the International Freedom Games at North Carolina A&T, South Carolina’s track and field teams improved four times in qualifying for the NCAA regional with Shalonda Solomon posting her first win of the year in the 100m. South Carolina travels to Philadelphia next weekend to compete in the 113th running of the Penn Relays.

“The women’s 4x100m relay got the baton around and so we are glad to have that,” said USC Head Coach Curtis Frye. “Shalonda ran really well in the 100m and that was a good opener for her. There were some very good performances this weekend – some big time performances. Chiquita continues to run well in the hurdles. She ran the prelmins at 9:30 this morning and came back and ran the finals at Noon. She beat Yvette Lewis and Yvette is currently second in our region – so that’s big. We all leave here healthy and really look forward to Penn Relays next week! We need to get Ronnetta back so we can get in the mix for the 4x100m relay.”

Chiquita Martin finished as the runner-up in the 100m hurdles, running a season-best 13.28 – bettering her own regional qualifier.

Thomas Hilliard ran a 13.70 in the finals of the 110m hurdles – bettering his own regional qualifying mark.

Shalonda Solomon won the 100m with a time of 11.33 – her first regional qualifying mark of the year after she opened last weekend in the 200m. Her time in the 100m is the sixth fastest time posted by a collegiate this year.

South Carolina’s 4x100m relay finished as the first collegiate relay, third overall, to post its top regional qualifying time of 44.35.

Derek Pressley finished third in the triple jump, improving his own regional mark, to 49′ 3 ¾.

Faraign Giles was third in the 400m, crossing the line at 53.94.