Zola Budd To Run At Friday’s Gamecock Cross Country Opener

Sept. 3, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina cross country team opens its 2009 season in similar fashion as the Gamecocks will host the Gamecock Invitational Friday night at Hilton Field in Fort Jackson. The meet will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a men’s race followed by the 7 p.m. start time when the Gamecocks will kick off the year against 11 opponents and a special visitor.

The meet is free of charge, and fans can enter through Gate 2 at Fort Jackson (Exit 12 on I-77). A photo ID, vehicle registration and vehicle insurance are required to enter Fort Jackson.

Former Olympian Zola Budd will run in the marquee race, a treat for not only cross country but Olympic fans in general. Budd is a former World Champion and record holder in the 5,000 meters, and she is also memorable for her run in the 3,000 meters at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Many fans will remember Budd’s race as the moment Mary Decker bumped into her and fell to the ground, a moment that has been added to numerous “Greatest Moments At The Olympics” lists. Budd set the world record as a 17 year old runner for South Africa that same year. She now is a volunteer assistant coach at Coastal Carolina.

Collegiate teams competing in the meet include Clemson, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel, Coker College, Savannah College of Art & Design, USC Beaufort, Presbyterian College, Mercer, Georgia Southern, South Carolina State and USC Aiken.

The Gamecocks have had strong showings at the meet since its inception in 2003, claiming three first-place finishes, two second-place finishes and one third-place showing. In 2008, the Gamecocks won the meet after seven runners placed in the top 10 to give the team 25 points, well-ahead of second place Coastal Carolina’s 42 points.

Headlining the Gamecock’s team competition are the Clemson Tigers and the Big South Champions Coastal Carolina. The Gamecocks will be lead by two NCAA qualifiers from the 2009 track and field season, sophomore Beatrice Biwott and senior Dani Barnes. Juniors Ashley Evens and Laura Pramstaller have also been leading the Gamecock pack and should post strong times for the team. Freshmen Emma Borowicz (JL Mann HS), Tatum Tyler and Laura Beggs, along with sophomores Erin Fedewa, Sara Hartley and Nicole Rhienlander, complete the pack and the top 10 in the varsity.