May 30, 2008

Tallahassee, Fla. – In the first of two days at the NCAA East Region Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., the men advanced three individuals to the Saturday’s finals and the short relay; and the women advanced five individuals and the short relay as well. In a blow to South Carolina’s top 10 hopes on the men’s side at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa in two weeks, freshman Johnny Dutch did not run the 110m hurdles or the 400m hurdles due to a strained hamstring and will not be able to qualify for the NCAA Championships. See finals results for Saturday at the end of the release.

“The things you can count is upperclassmen and we don’t have enough of them. Jason and Jussi have been through the moments of fear and frustration and so they did well. It’s hard to come to a meet like this as a freshman and do well. Quentin Moore did an excellent job to advance to the quarter finals. He’s fit. The only frustration on the men’s side is Johnny’s injury, but it’s part of the meet. On the women’s side the freshmen did a great job: two freshmen in the finals of the 100m, a freshman in the finals of the 200m, two freshmen on the 4×1 which has run the fastest time in the region and a freshman and a sophomore in the finals of the quarter. We got a lot of things on the board tomorrow,” said South Carolina track and field coach Curtis Frye. “I’ve said this time and time again, you can’t replace experience and leadership.”

Jason Richardson, the SEC champion who leads the nation with the top time in the high hurdles 13.21, won his heat at 13.65 to advance to the finals with the second fastest time of the day.

Quentin Moore won his heat in the quarter at 46.52 and Ray Miley finished third in the same heat of 47.22. Moore advanced to Saturday’s finals.

Brandi Cross won her heat of the 400m with the fastest time of the day at 52.41. Cross, the runner-up at the SEC Championships, advanced to Saturday’s finals. Porche Byrd also won her heat of the quarter, finishing at 53.48 to advance to the finals.

Shayla Mahan was third in her heat of the 100m at 11.46 to advance to the finals. In the next heat Gabby Glenn hit 11.45 to advance to the finals by finishing as the runner-up.

Mahan later finished second in her heat of the 200m at 23.79 to advance to Saturday’s finals. She was the last one in to qualify for Saturday’s finals.

The women’s 4x100m relay ran the fastest time of the day to win its heat at 44.11. The relay advancing to Saturday’s final includes Brandi Cross, Shayla Mahan, Faraign Giles and Gabby Glenn. The top three on Saturday advance to the NCAA Championships.

The men’s 4x100m relay also won its heat to advance to the finals on Saturday with the second-fastest time of the day at 39.75. The relay was made up of Jon Hancock, Antonio Sales, Quentin Moore and Larmar Markett.

Trier Young ran a 13.93 in the 100m hurdles to finish third in her heat and did not advance to the finals. Young finished third in her heat and 18th overall in the 400m hurdles at 1:00.39. She has an outside shot of making the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships.

The trio of men’s 200m runners did not advance to the finals with Antonio Sales finishing second in his heat at 21.08 to finish 10th overall (first not to make the finals), Lamar Markett ran 21.18 to finish third in his heat and finish 11th overall and Derron Flood ran a 21.59 to finish fifth in his heat.

Lamar Markett was third in his heat of the 100m with a lifetime best 10.41. Jon Hancock was fourth in his heat at 10.53. Neither advanced to the finals.

KeKe Clarke was third in her heat at 13.81 of the 100m hurdles and did not advance.

In the field events: Aimee Zodat finished 17th with a throw of 149′ 1 with the discus; Brittney James finished 10th overall in the long jump at 19′ 0. James has an outside shot of making the long jump; Jason Cook finished 10th overall in the shot put at 57′ 7 ¾ and has an outside chance at making the NCAA Championship and Sallie Gurganus finished 10th in the pole vault, crossing the bar at 12’0. Liza Todd no-heighted.

Advance to Saturday’s NCAA East Region Championship Finals