Feb. 5, 2011

Gamecock Track & Field on Facebook

By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant

NEW YORK CITY – The weather may have called for a wintry mix, but the South Carolina triple jumpers brought sunshine for the Gamecock contingent as Radiance Basden earned the victory on the women’s side and two others hit personal bests in the final day of competition at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at The Armory in upper Manhattan.

It was a beautiful day for the Gamecock triple jumpers on both the men’s and women’s sides. Basden became just the second Gamecock to win the women’s triple jump when she took victory at 40’4 ¼ (12.30m). Basden – who also highlights as an intern with the Gamecock ISP department – joins four-time All-American Antoinette Wilks (2001 – 39’1 ½) as Gamecock winners in the event at the New Balance Collegiate.

“I felt good,” Basden said. “I didn’t compete at Texas A&M so it was like I had two weeks off to rest because I was battling a hamstring issue. I was ready to jump and once I got out there I was ready to go and ready to win it.”

In the men’s college division, freshman Dorian Johnson hit a new personal best to finish as runner-up overall. Johnson had a best jump of 49’10 ½ (15.20m) to earn his spot with a mark that makes him the top freshman triple jumper in the SEC. Another Gamecock also hit a personal best as Lincoln Carr jumped 51’5 (15.67m) to take sixth in the championship division of the men’s triple jump.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Carr said. “There are a couple of things I can do better, but to get ready for the SEC I think it’s a pretty good mark.”

“I think I jumped pretty well today,” Johnson said of his PR. “The marks seemed to be consistent and I hit the board how I wanted to. It’s been a rough start to the season but I think now we’re progressing as I should to prepare myself for SEC’s.”

Michael Zajac placed fourth overall and third among collegiate competitors in the men’s weight throw championship. Currently ranked No. 3 in the NCAA, Zajac threw 69’2 ½ (21.09m) to claim fourth at the meet. Louis Day tied his season high at 51’1 ¾ (15.59m) to place 21st.

Sophomore David Wilkins claimed fourth in the men’s high jump championship with a clearance of 6’9 (2.06m). He improved his place and mark from last year’s meet. Ceci Kryst finished 25th in the women’s triple jump at 36’6 ¼ (11.13m).

Senior All-American Antonio Sales took seventh in the 200-meter championship final at 21.65, an improvement of three spots from his preliminary round where he finished 10th at 21.82. Freshman Chris Royster placed 20th overall at 22.03 with Chris Maxwell (25th, 22.20) and Eyong Oma (38th, 23.28) rounding out the effort.

The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Sanura Eley-O’Reilly, Kierre Beckles, Gabrielle Glenn and Janica Austin took seventh at a season best time of 3:40.92. The men’s relay team of Andre Carter, Antonio Sales and Chris Maxwell ran 3:11.71 and placed fifth.

Nicole Rheinlander was the first Gamecock on the track with the 5,000-meter run at 8:55 a.m., and the junior started things off with a PR in the event at 17:57.81. Rheinlander placed 11th overall. In the other distance event, Beatrice Biwott, Liz Locke and Ashley Evens all ran in the mile run. Biwott finished 20th overall at 5:05.87; Locke and Evens both posted season best times and crossed at the same time. Locke took 23rd at 5:08.41, and Evens took 24th at 5:08.48. In the men’s mile, Robert Razick placed 23rd at 4:17.83.

Sierra Henderson led the Carolina women in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:14.84 to place 11th. Freshmen Scola Jepngetich and Liz Locke, who previously ran the mile earlier in the day, both ran season bests to finish 18th and 19th. Jepngetich ran 2:15.74 and Locke ran 2:16.04.

The women’s weight throw trio of Stacee Roberts, Breanna Radford and Katie Vuckovich finished 24th, 29th and 36th, respectively. Roberts threw 51’5 ¾ to lead Carolina in the throws, and Radford threw 49’5. Vuckovich hit a season best of 46’10 ¼.

In the women’s 200-meter championship prelims, Vashti Bandy claimed 33rd at 25.05 and Kelsey McCorkle took 36th at 25.14. Senior Shayla Mahan blazed out in her heat and was contending for a finals spot before a fall on the track led to a “DNF”. The men’s 4x200m relay team also recorded a DNF after not being able to bounce back from two tough handoffs in lane six. Carolina, the defending champions in the event, recovered after the first handoff, but the team couldn’t hold on after the second.

South Carolina travels next weekend with a split squad. Most of the Gamecocks will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., site of the upcoming SEC Championships, to compete in the Tyson Invitational while most of the field event athletes will compete at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson.

W-5000m Run Coll. (Auto: 16:07.50) – 8:55am
11. Nicole Rheinlander17:57.81 PR

W-Mile Run Coll. (Auto: 4:37.00) – 10:37am
20. Beatrice Biwott5:05.87
23. Liz Locke5:08.41 SB
24. Ashley Evens5:08.48 SB

W-200m CH. Pre (Auto: 23.20) – 11:22am
33. Vashti Bandy25.05
36. Kelsey McCorkle25.14
Shayla MahanDNF

W-800m Coll. (Auto: 2:05.00) – 11:48am
11. Sierra Henderson2:14.84
18. Scola Jepngetich2:15.74 SB
19. Liz Locke2:16.04 SB

W-4x400m CH. (Auto: 3:34.00) – 5:33pm
7. Eley-O’Reilly, Beckles, Glenn, Austin3:40.92 SB

W-Weight Throw CH. (Auto: 21.00m) – 9:15am
24. Stacee Roberts15.69m // 51-05.75
29. Breanna Radford15.06m // 49-05.00
36. Katie Vuckovich14.28m // 46-10.25 SB

W-Triple Jump Coll. (Auto: 13.30m) – 9:33am
1. Radiance Basden12.30m // 40-04.25 CB
25 .Ceci Kryst11.13m // 36-06.25

M-Mile Run Coll. (Auto: 3:59.00) – 10:55am
23. Robert Razick4:17.83

M-200m CH. Pre (Auto: 20.83) – 12:08pm
10. Antonio Sales21.82q
20. Chris Royster22.03
25. Chris Maxwell22.20
38. Eyong Oma23.28

M-200m CH. Final (Auto: 20.83) – 2:02pm
7. Antonio Sales21.65

M-4x200m CH – 2:41pm
Team ADNF

M-4x400m (Auto: 3:06.50) – 5:43pm
5. Gravesande, Carter, Sales, Maxwell3:11.71

M-Triple Jump Coll. (Auto: 16.15m) – 9:55am
2. Dorian Johnson15.20m // 49-10.50 PR

M-Weight Throw CH. (Auto: 21.50m) 1:15pm
4. Michael Zajac21.09m // 69-02.50
21. Louis Day15.59m // 51-01.75

M-Triple Jump CH. (Auto: 16.15m) – 2:20pm
6. Lincoln Carr15.67m // 51-05.00 PR

M-High Jump CH. (Auto: 2.24m) – 3:15pm
4. David Wilkins2.06m // 6-09.00