Gamecocks collect 4 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 5 bronze medals for a 12 MEDAL HAUL at SEC Championships

May 13, 2007

On the final day of the SEC Track and Field Championship, South Carolina’s women collected four gold medals – winning the discus, the 400m, the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay; one silver medal (400m hurdles) and three bronze medals (100m, 200m, 400m hurdles). The men won four medals (2 silver: triple jump and 4x400m relay and 2 bronze: 400m hurdles and javelin). The women finished fifth with 84 points and the men finished eighth with 62 points. LSU won the women’s title and Tennessee won the men’s title

Natasha Hastings won her second 400m SEC outdoor title in three years with a time of 50.84. Hastings’ won the race by more than a second and is the indoor NCAA and SEC title winner, setting the collegiate record. She later finished fourth in the 200m at 22.92.

(asked if she can run 49?): “I’m shooting for 49. Hopefully I can run that sooner than later,” said Hastings.

The women’s 4x100m relay, winners of the last three SEC titles, avenged a close loss at Penn Relays to LSU, crossing the line at a season-best 43.33. The relay was made up of Chiquita Martin, Hastings, Faraign Giles and Shalonda Solomon.

“In the 4x100m relay, it’s all about the hand-offs,” said Giles. “We had really good hand-offs all around the track.”

“We are competing against the top and to win means we are on the way to being the best,” said Solomon. Solomon followed up the relay by winning the bronze medal in the 100m, running a time of 11.40 and a bronze medal in the 200m at 22.88.

The women also won the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:28.44. They have won 13 of the 14 races they have entered this year and snatched back the 4×4 title they lost to LSU at the SEC Indoor meet. The relay consisted of Krystal Cantey, Giles, Brandi Cross and Hastings. It was the sixth best time in school history and a season best.

The men won the silver medal in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:03.86 – the third fastest time in school history and the fastest time for a USC relay in five years. The relay consisted of Quentin Moore, Thomas Hilliard, Jamil James, Ray Miley.

Already the 2006 Region champion and an All-American with the discus, Precious Akins can now add SEC CHAMPION to her resume with a winning toss of 167′ 11. She is the first Gamecock to win the event since former USA Olympian Dawn Ellerbe won the discus in 1995 and ’96. Akins, who has a season-best of 170’2 and the school record set last year at 185′ 9, led the competition from start to finish.

“I am excited to win title, but the win is bittersweet,” said Akins, who attended Summerville H.S. “I wanted to win, so it’s sweet, but I would like to have thrown a lot farther. This makes me hungrier to throw a lot further.”

“She’s been through a lot this season with her back and then spraining her ankle last night so this is a big, big win for her,” said USC throws coach Mike Sergent. “Even though the throw wasn’t what she wanted, only good can come from her winning this title.”

Krystal Cantey won the silver medal in the 400m hurdles with a personal best of 57.02. Martin was third at 58.01, Trier Young was fifth at 1:00.08 and Tawana Watkins was eighth at 1:01.37.

The men won a silver medal with Easley’s Derrick Pressley jumping a career-best 51′ 10 ½. Pressley hit the pits at 51′ 10 ½ – less than four inches off the oldest field record in Carolina track history (Ron Adams, 52′ 2 in 1975) – for the second best jump in school history. The jump is a regional qualifier and a personal best by two feet.

“It was motivation from my teammates that competed well – especially Erik Heymann and Thomas Hilliard,” said Pressley, a native of Easley, SC (Renn H.S.). “I feel like there is more there. There are things I still have to work on, but I really excited about my finish – especially on Mother’s Day. I always thank Coach Dee – I have to thank her.”

“He has been on the verge of a major breakthrough and we are glad it happened today,” said USC jumps coach Dee Quarles. “I think the most important step already occurred today – he had a great series and I think it’s a matter of building from that point. Nationals are our motivation now.”

Thomas Hilliard won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles with a time of 49.89 and teammate Jussi Heikkila was fifth with a personal best 50.35. Both are NCAA regional qualifiers. Hilliard was fourth in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.01.

On the women’s side, Chiquita Martin was fourth with a time of 13.44 in the 100m hurdles and Ronnetta Alexander was eighth at 13.84.

Both running personal bests and bettering their own regional qualifiers, Ray Miley finished sixth in the 400m at 46.31 and Derron Flood was eighth at 46.53.

The men’s 4x100m relay was sixth with a season-best time of 40.44 and also picked up a NCAA regional qualifier. The relay was made up of Jamil James, Nick Lytle, Quentin Moore and Derron Flood.

Rebecca Chain finished 12th in the 1500m finals, hitting 4:39.22 – her second-best finish ever.

GAMECOCKS IN THE FINALS ON SUNDAY, MAY 13

Men

Name Time Place in Finals Notes

4x100m relay 40.44 6th Season-best time, Regional Qualifier

(James, Lytle, Moore, Flood)

4x400m relay 3:03.86 2nd 3rd fastest time in school history; Fastest time for a USC relay in 5 years (Quentin Moore, Thomas Hilliard, Jamil James, Ray Miley)

110m Hurdles

Thomas Hilliard 14.01 * 4th 3rd best time of the day

400m

Ray Miley 46.31 * 6th Personal best; Regional Qualifier

Derron Flood 46.53* 8th Personal best; Regional Qualifier

400m hurdles

Thomas Hilliard 49.89* 3rd Regionally qualified

Jussi Heikkila 50.35* 5th Personal best; 5th best time of the day

Triple Jump

Derrick Pressley 51′ 10 ½ 2nd Personal best; 2nd best jump in school history

WOMEN

4x100m relay 43.33 Won title Repeat as champions for 3rd straight year Season-best time (Martin, Hastings, Giles, Solomon)

4x400m relay 3:28.44 won title Have won 13 of 14 races this year 7th best time in school history (Krystal Cantey, Faraign Giles, Brandi Cross, Natasha Hastings)

100m

Shalonda Solomon 11.40* 3rd Ran 11.33 earlier this year

200m

Shalonda Solomon 22.88* 3rd Regional qualifier

Natasha Hastings 22.92* 4th Regional qualifier

400m

Natasha Hastings 50.84* SEC champion 2nd title in 3 years outdoors

1500m

Rebecca Chain 4:39.22 12th Member of Honors College

100m hurdles

Chiquita Martin 13.44 4th Best finish at USC at SECs

Ronnetta Alexander 13.84 8th