April 23, 2010

PHILADELPHIA – In front of 38,904 fans at Historic Franklin Field in the second day of competition at the 116th annual Penn Relays, junior Johnny Dutch grabbed South Carolina’s first title of the 2010 Carnival and put himself in position to lead the 11th-ranked men’s team to two more titles with Saturday’s finals.

Dutch won his first Penn Relays title early Friday morning when he claimed the 400-meter hurdle championship at 50.09. Dutch is the fifth Gamecock winner in the event at the Relays, joining former Gamecocks Jussi Heikkila (2007), Kenneth Ferguson (2003) and Tony Rambo (1980, 1981) as 400-meter hurdles champions. South Carolina’s five titles in the event rank second all-time, trailing only the eight titles won by host Penn, whose last championship came in 1987.

Dutch later competed in the 110-meter hurdle trials where he won his heat and finished second overall at 13.82. He will run in the championship final Saturday at 3:30 p.m. looking to earn his second Penn Relays title of the week. South Carolina hurdlers have won the 110-meter hurdles at the relays five times in the past decade.

In the women’s 4x100m Championship of America relay, the team of Lakya Brookins, Shayla Mahan, Gabrielle Glenn and Breehana Jacobs ran 44.61 to place seventh overall. The 4x200m relay team of Kelsey McCorkle, Tatianna Fisher, Nadonnia Rodrigues and Mahan registered a “DNF” after dropping a baton. In the sprint medley relay, McCorkle, Fisher, Porche Byrd and Sierra Henderson ran 3:58.59 to finish ninth.

In the men’s relays, the 4x200m team of Obakeng Ngwigwa, Antonio Sales, Andre Carter and Chris Maxwell advanced to Saturday’s Championship of America by placing sixth at 1:24.02. The 4x400m relay team of Quentin Moore, Ngwigwa, Aaron Anderson and Dutch also qualified for the Championship of America by placing seventh at 3:09.28. The 4x100m relay team of Sales, Carter, Ngwigwa and Moore placed ninth overall at 40.47 and will run in the college final Saturday. The sprint medley relay team of Sales, Carter, Maxwell and Pierce ran 3:25.68 to take 18th.

Brookins and Jacobs both qualified for the women’s 100m championship final after posting top times in Friday’s heats. Brookins ran 11.32 to win the qualifying heats while Jacobs came in seventh at 11.64. Both will run Saturday at 3:45 p.m. looking to become the first Gamecocks to claim the title at the Penn Relays.

Junior Aimee Kodat took third in the discus championship at 160-3 (48.18m). It was her best finish at the Penn Relays as she finished ahead of every other SEC and ACC competitor in the event. Senior Jeff Merkt claimed eighth in the men’s discus throw championship with a toss of 162-1 (49.41m). In the men’s discus college division, junior Michael Zajac tossed 161-6 (49.24m) to claim 11th overall.

In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, junior Janica Austin ran 13.96 to place 21st and senior Trier Young ran 14.66 to place 28th.

Freshman David Wilkins cleared 6’8 ¼ (2.04m) in the high jump to claimed 13th overall at his first Penn Relays. In the shot put, Andrew Finley took 15th and Louis Day took 16th overall. Finley threw 49’2 ½ (15.00m) and Day tossed 48’6 (14.78m).

Sophomore Radiance Basden took 15th in the triple jump at 37’11 ½ (11.57m). Freshman Lincoln Carr took 13th in the men’s long jump at 22’9 (6.93m), and Jarrett Gerald took 18th at 20’9 ¼ (6.33m).

Saturday completes the final day of competition at the Penn Relays beginning with Aaron Searles, Lincoln Carr and Tony Brown in the triple jump at 9 a.m. The USA vs. The World segment of the Penn Relays will air Saturday from 8-10 p.m. on ESPN2. Former Gamecocks tentatively scheduled to compete are Lisa Barber, Miki Barber, Aleen Bailey, and Natasha Hastings.