Jan. 12, 2012

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

Virginia Tech Invitational | Friday – Saturday

Live Results | Schedule of Events

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina track and field programs open the 2012 season this weekend when they travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the Virginia Tech Invitational.

The meet begins Friday with a full slate starting at 5 p.m. and features a competitive field that includes teams currently ranked in the men’s and women’s preseason top 25 poll.

South Carolina will travel a full squad to open the season and returns a group of 19 NCAA qualifiers from a season ago. Returning to South Carolina in 2012 are All-Americans Andre Carter, Clayton Gravesande, Chris Maxwell, Marvin Reitze, Chris Royster and Matt Shuler in addition to national qualifiers Dorian Johnson and David Wilkins. The women’s team returns a bevy of All-Americans in Barbados national record holder Kierre Beckles, Vashti Bandy, Amber Allen and Sanura Eley-O’Reilly. NCAA Qualifiers returning in 2012 include Radiance Basden, Beatrice Biwott, Kelsey McCorkle, Breanna Radford, Stacee Roberts, Jeannelle Scheper and Katie Vuckovich.

Live stats for the meet can be found HERE throughout the weekend. Competition begins Friday at 5 p.m. with the triple jump and 60-meter dash prelims and is scheduled to conclude at 8:20 p.m. with the 300-meter run. Saturday’s action is slated to begin at 11 a.m. with the high jump competition, and will conclude at 4:15 with the 4×400-meter relay.