Feb. 1, 2013

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Gamecocks recorded 13 top-10 finishes in their first day of competition at the Armory Collegiate Invitational. South Carolina qualified athletes for finals in the championship sections of the men’s 60-meter, men’s and women’s 60-meter hurdles and the women’s 400-meters. Freshman Kayla Lampe set a new school record in the championship section of the 5,000 meter race.

Lampe set her 5,000-meter record, running a 16:39.15 to finish fourth in the race. The time now sets atop the South Carolina record book. Sue McGhie held the top spot with a time of 16:54.61 since 1992.

Senior Breanna Radford set a new personal best in the shot put for the third time this season with a throw of 52’6 ½ (16.01m) to finish fourth in the shot put championship section. Last weekend, Radford’s mark of 52’3 ¾ moved her into a tie for fifth place in the South Carolina record book, but the new throw gives her sole possession of the fifth spot. The Georgia native is just behind Lisa Misipeka’s fourth place mark of 52’8. The throw would currently put her at 25th in the collegiate ranks.

Redshirt sophomore Kaysee Sullivan also competed in the championship section of the shot put, finishing 19th overall with a throw of 46’2 ½ (14.08m).

Sophomore Damiere Byrd followed up his stellar weekend in Blacksburg by qualifying for the championship finals in second place overall with a time of 6.71. Sophomore Kendall Kee also qualified for the finals, running a 6.82. In the final, Byrd and Kee finished sixth and eighth, respectively with Byrd running a 6.74 while Kee notched a 6.76. Entering the weekend, Byrd was ranked seventh in the nation in the 60-meter dash.

Senior Kierre Beckles and sophomore Chalese Davis qualified for the 60-meter hurdles finals. The All-American Beckles ran an 8.29 to finish fourth overall in the prelims with Davis recording an 8.55. Freshman Tyler Brockington missed out on the finals, but ran a collegiate-best 8.73m. In the finals, Beckles ran an 8.27 tying her season best to finish fifth. Davis set a new PR by running an 8.48 to finish 10th in the round.

On the men’s side, freshman Dondre Echols qualified for the 60-meter hurdles finals with a time of 7.98. Freshman Jermaine Collier ran a collegiate-best 8.04, but just missed out on the 16-man final by finishing 18th in the prelims. Echols followed up his qualifying performance with a new collegiate best of 7.85 to take fourth overall. The 7.85 would rank Echols at 17th in the NCAA after last weekend’s results. That puts the freshman just on the cusp of the magic 16th spot to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Sophomore Erika Rucker qualified for the finals of the 400-meter championship section running a season best 53.83. Rucker’s time would move her in the ninth collegiate spot, as the rankings currently stand. The top-10 times in the prelims advanced to the final that will take place tomorrow at 4:20 p.m. (ET). Senior Nadonnia Rodriques did not finish her prelim race due to injury. Sophomore Tamera Harris set a new PR in the event with a time of 55.71 to take 25th in the prelims.

In the championship section of the women’s 60-meters, freshman Alexis Murphy was the top finisher for the Gamecocks, coming in 23rd with a time of 7.56.

Sophomore Ahtyana Johnson ran her season best at The Armory last year and did so again this season. Johnson took 11th in the 200-meter collegiate group with her best time of the year at 25.03. Only the top six advanced to the finals.

Senior Jarrod Hutchen placed sixth in the men’s championship long jump with a mark of 24’2 ½ (7.38m). Hutchen had won the previous two events he entered in this season. In the women’s long jump college, senior Ceci Kryst and Davis had their best showings of the year. Kryst had a leap of 18’11 ¾ (5.78m) to take sixth while Davis, who also had a solid day in the 60-meter hurdles, took seventh, jumping 18’10 (5.74m). Both marks were season bests.

In the championship group of the women’s pole vault, junior Petra Olsen cleared 13’5 ¼ (4.10m) to take seventh. Sophomore Megan Wall set a new personal best for the second weekend in a row, clearing 12’5 ½ (3.80m) to finish sixth in the college pole vault section.

The day ended with both the men’s and women’s distance medley relays. The women’s quartet of freshman Lisa Zimmer, sophomore Tamera Harris along with freshmen Kaleigh Higgins and Anna Todd ran a time of 11:49.79 to take sixth overall in the college section. The men’s quartet of senior Robert Razick with sophomores Chris Walker, Thomas Gaither and Isaiah Hilton finished in 10:12.21 to also take sixth place in the college race.

Competition resumes tomorrow with pole vault, weight throw, triple jump and women’s high jump on the field event docket along with 200-meter, 800-meter, the women’s 400-meter final, mile run, 3,000-meter and the relays on the track.