Feb. 5, 2010

NEW YORK – On the first day of competition at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, members of the South Carolina track and field programs posted eight provisional qualifying times and 15 season best marks at The Armory Track and Field Center in upper Manhattan.

Hurdlers Booker Nunley and Johnny Dutch placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, earning NCAA qualifying times in the process. Nunley ran a season best 7.84 and Dutch followed at 7.90 after both runners ran 7.88 in the preliminary round.

Junior sprinters Lakya Brookins and Shayla Mahan placed second and sixth in their event as the duo earned provisional qualifying times in the 60-meter dash for the third consecutive week. Brookins ran 7.29 to place second in the final after running 7.32 in the preliminary round. She has placed first or second in every race this season. Mahan ran 7.35 in both rounds and finished sixth overall.

Freshman Nadonnia Rodrigues and senior Brandi Cross placed third and fourth, respectively, in the 400-meter dash to qualify for Saturday’s final. Both runners ran season bests with Rodrigues crossing the line at 53.91 and Cross finishing at 53.93 to earn provisionally qualifying marks. Senior Quentin Moore qualified for Saturday’s final in the men’s 400-meter dash by placing eighth at a season best time of 47.57.

Scott Pierce won the 500-meter run, the first Gamecock to win the event at the New Balance Collegiate. Pierce crossed the line at 1:04.35, beating out a runner from Maryland-Baltimore County by two-hundredths of a second to claim the title. Eddie Stoudemire crossed at 1:06.59 to place 19th overall.

Senior Brittney James placed second overall in the women’s long jump with a top mark of 20’1 (6.12m) in her first jump of the season. In the shot put, sophomore Stacee Roberts made the finals and claimed ninth overall at 46’4 ¼ (14.13m), marking a season best in the event. In the men’s field events, freshman David Wilkins took fifth in the high jump at a collegiate best 6’8 ¼ (2.04m).

Junior Janica Austin ran a season best time of 8.52 in the 60-meter hurdles to take fifth overall in the consolation finals. Sophomore Kelsey McCorkle won her heat in the women’s 200-meter college section and finished ninth overall at 25.07. Classmate Beatrice Biwott competed in the 5,000-meter run and placed 11th with a time of 17:13.30.

Other Gamecocks posting season best marks include Louis Day (shot put, 15.62m) and Ceci Kryst (60mH, 9.41). In addition, the women’s distance medley relay team of Laura Pramstaller, Porche Byrd, Megan Rother and Ashley Evens won its heat and placed 12th overall at a season best time of 12:18.52.

The Gamecocks will complete the final day of competition Saturday beginning with Ashley Evens running in the women’s 3,000-meter run at 9:20 a.m. The meet will be webcast live at www.ArmoryTrack.com.