April 1, 2011

Results

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By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – South Carolina traveled to the prestigious Pepsi Florida Relays Friday and completed all of the open events with season best marks in the men’s sprints and women’s hurdles.

Freshman Amber Allen nearly cracked the Gamecock all-time top 10 in just her second collegiate run in the 400-meter hurdles. Allen placed sixth overall at a season best 59.03, a mark that ranks No. 4 in the SEC this year and leads the conference freshmen. A pair of teammates also posted solid runs with senior Janica Austin taking 15th at 1:00.18 and junior Radiance Basden placing 20th at 1:01.32.

“Our girls in the intermediate hurdles were probably the best of the day,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “Amber Allen did a great job in breaking 60 seconds. Janica and Radiance did good jobs in there too, so I was happy with that.”

The Gamecock women also had top 10 finishes in the 60-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and pole vault. Senior Lakya Brookins placed sixth overall in the 100-meter at 11.64 while senior Kierre Beckles took third overall and second among collegiates in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.52. In the women’s pole vault, freshman Angie Rummans cleared 12’0 ¼ (3.67m) to finish 10th overall.

“It was a good day but not a great day,” Frye said. “Kierre getting second in the hurdles was a good run. She beat an All-American in that race and was close to beating the indoor national champion, which I was impressed with. LaKya is a little banged up behind her knee, so that set her back a little bit. She’s not hurt, but she’s not healthy. She stayed and competed until the end, and Gabby Glenn had a good 100 run (11.81) while running into a 2.7 wind.”

Frehsman Sanura Eley-O’Reilly ran 54.92 in the 400-meter dash, and in the 800-meter dash, another freshman in Scolastica Jepngetich took 11th overall at 2:12.07.

“Sanura handled her first race in a big meet and broke 55 seconds,” Frye said. “We expect her to comet along as the season improves. She was nervous with this competition and the big crowds. And in the 800-meter, Scola running 2:12 is the sign of good things to come.”

On the men’s side, the 20th-ranked Gamecocks posted season best times in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 1500-meter events. Senior Antonio Sales improved his time in his marquee event, the 200-meter dash, to 21.02, placing 11th overall in the stacked field. In the 400-meter dash, freshman Clayton Gravesande ran a personal best of 46.99 to finish 10th.

“It was a really good effort by Gravesande,” Frye said. “He had a personal best and that was our big guy performance. Also competing today were a number of professional Gamecocks in Natasha Hastings and Johnny Dutch. Natasha ran the number one time in the world in the 200-meter (winning at 22.77, wind-lega). Johnny Dutch had a decent run. He’s fourth overall and just getting back healthy.”

The men’s javelin throw is still being contested, as is the women’s 5,000-meter run.

The Gamecocks return to action Saturday beginning with freshman Emily Laurence in the women’s javelin throw at 11:30 a.m.