June 21, 2007

Indianapolis, Ind. – Future, current and former Gamecocks all competed this afternoon at the USA Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis today with three-time NCAA champion Natasha Hastings leading the way by winning her heat of the 400m prelims.

Hastings ran a 51.07 to win her heat in her prelim race of the 400m – the fastest time of the day. She advances to the semi-finals of the 400m Friday night at 6:45 pm. She was recently named the National Track Athlete of the Year and the SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.

“I felt good,” said Hastings. “I want to advance to the finals and have a great weekend with everyone.”

Hilliard, the only male to make the finals of both the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships, ran the prelims of the 400m hurdles and finished fifth in his heat with a time of 50.64. He did not advance to the semi-finals.

Carolina signees Shayla Mahan and Kya Brookins went 2-3 in the 100m junior finals to qualify for the Pan Am Junior Championships. Mahan ran an 11.38 to finish as the runner-up and Brookins ran an 11.46 to win the bronze medal.

Another USC signee, Johnny Dutch, was the runner-up in the 110m hurdle junior finals, hitting 13.36 to qualify for the Pan Am Junior Championships.

Former Gamecocks’ Otis Harris and Demetria Washington ran in the 400m prelims as well. Harris, a gold and silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, ran a 46.06 to finish fourth in his heat and he did not advance. Washington, a former National Athlete of the Year at South Carolina, was third in her heat of the 400m and advanced to the semi-finals with a time of 52.47.

Freshman-redshirt Mike Zajac was 11th in the discus at 159′ 10. He will compete in the junior hammer tomorrow.