April 16, 2011

Complete Results

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By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant

AUBURN, Ala. – South Carolina senior Lakya Brookins improved her 100-meter dash personal best time by one-tenth of a second to win the event at the War Eagle Invitational at a wind-legal world-leading time of 11.10 to lead the Gamecocks in the final day of action in Auburn.

Brookins’s 100-meter dash win ranks No. 2 in the Gamecock history books, surpassing times set by a former Olympian in Aleen Bailey and former NCAA champions in Amberly Nesbitt and a Erica Whipple. Only Shalonda Solomon’s 11.07 run in 2006 bests the time run by Brookins Saturday, an even more impressive run for the Bowerman watch list candidate given that the wind was not a factor with a +0.1 reading.

“We had a pretty good day,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “LaKya’s time is the best legal ime in the world right now. That shows that she’s progressing pretty well off of the indoor season. I think she’s learning well about the race and learning how to finish. We could see some really good times out of her. That’s just really good whenever you run like that in almost zero wind.”

The Gamecocks also earned a victory from junior triple jumper Radiance Basden who took the victory with a leap of 41’6 (12.65m). It was Basden’s first win of the season and comes on week after cracking the Gamecock top five list.

In addition to the wins, the Gamecock women had one second-place and two third-place showings Saturday. The 4×100-meter relay team of Brookins, Shayla Mahan, Kierre Beckles and Kelsey McCorkle took second at 44.85. Beckles also claimed third in the 100-meter hurdles with a season best time of 13.21, setting a Barbados national record in the event with her wind-legal time and ranking sixth in the South Carolina record books for the first-year Gamecock.

Freshman Angela Rummans provided the other individual third-place finish by clearing 12’3 ½ (3.75m) in the pole vault. A fourth-place finish came from the 4×400-meter relay team of Amber Allen, Radiance Basden, Kelsey McCorkle and Sanura Eley-O’Reilly that ran to a season best time of 3:36.99.

“We had a good performance out of Kelsey McCorkle in the 200-meter, and our girls relay broke 3:40 for the first time this year,” Frye said. “Those were good performances. Our shot putter, Breanna (Radford), threw 48-feet again, and in the 800-meter Sierra (Henderson) ran well. There were just a lot of individual things in there today, especially with Kierre who set a Barbados national record with a 13.21 legal time.”

The Gamecock men’s team finished with two second-place and two third-place showings. Senior Antonio Sales hit a new season best for the second straight week in taking second overall in the 200-meter dash at 20.73. Sophomore David Wilkins continues to impress with his runner-up finish at a clearance of 6’10 ¾ (2.10m).

Freshman Clayton Gravesande hit a new personal best with his fourth top-three time this season in the 400-meter. The New Jersey native placed third overall at 46.60, an improvement over his previous top mark that already ranked second among the SEC’s freshmen and sixth among the nation’s freshmen in the event.

In the 1,500-meter run, Robert Razick placed third overall at a new season best time of 3:53.40, his third top three finish of the outdoor season.

“On the guys side, Antonio ran a fantastic 200 which is a good run for him. Chris Maxwell had another good 21.40, which is a second best for him. Our quarter-miler Clayton Gravesande ran a personal best and he’s one of the top freshmen in the country right now. Those were good things for us today, and I also have to mention Drew Ricci who ran 1:55 in the 800-meter, which was great for him, and our miler (Robert Razick) had a good drop as well. We’re pretty happy. “

South Carolina is off next week before traveling to Philadelphia for the famous Penn Relays.