Feb. 13, 2013

Last Time Out
Last weekend, South Carolina traveled to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, S.C., and the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. Freshman Kayla Lampe and junior Jeannelle Scheper both broke their own school records to highlight the weekend. Lampe bettered the 5,000-meter record that she set last weekend at the Armory Collegiate Invitational, running a 16:32.48 on Friday at the Husky Classic. Lampe placed 14th out of 82 runners in Seattle. Scheper cleared a height of 6′ or more for the fifth time in Garnet and Black, winning the invitational section at the Tyson Invitational with a jump of 6’3 ¼ (1.91m). The mark is the best in the SEC and stands as second in the collegiate ranks this season.

With a throw of 52’1 ¾ (15.89m), senior Breanna Radford won her fourth shot put event of the season at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Redshirt sophomore Kaysee Sullivan finished second behind Radford with a throw of 46’0 ½ (14.03m). Redshirt senior Robert Razick set a PR and jumped up the Gamecock record book on Friday and Saturday at the Tyson Invitational.

After moving to third all-time in South Carolina indoor history in the mile run on Friday with a 4:08.68, Razick followed up with an 8:23.39 in the 3,000-meters on Saturday. The new PR catapults him from seventh to third on the Gamecock top 10 list.

Junior pole vaulter Petra Olsen set a new personal best on the way to third place at the Tyson Invite. Olsen cleared 13’10 ½ (4.23m), which ranks second in South Carolina indoor history. Olsen was not the only pole vaulter to set a new PR as freshman Austin Eckenroth also did so, taking seventh in Fayetteville with a mark of 16’3 ¼ (4.96m). South Carolina stays at home this weekend to host the Gamecock Indoor Invitational on Saturday.

Senior All-American Kerrie Beckles turned in a season best 8.17 in the 60-meter hurdles, to break into the top-five in the country this season. The time tops the SEC.

Next Up
On Saturday, South Carolina will host the Gamecock Indoor Invitational, their final indoor meet of the season, at the USC Indoor Complex. Competition begins at 10 a.m.

Gamecocks in the Top 20
This season, the top 16 marks/times for each individual event qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. For the relay events, the top 12 teams will qualify for the championships.

Scheper Named SEC Field Athlete of the Week
Scheper won the invitational section of the women’s high jump at the Tyson Invitational at a personal-best and school-record mark of 6’3 ¼ (1.91m). The mark is the current NCAA Division I leader.

Saturday marked the second time Scheper reset the school high jump record after entering the season with the title. She broke her own record for the first time at her first event of the year, clearing 6’2 ½ (1.89m) at the Auburn Invitational. The St. Lucia native has won or placed second in all four of her events this season, and she is the only Gamecock to clear 6′ or more in the women’s high jump, doing so five times while donning the Garnet and Black.

Scheper is the first Gamecock to be honored by the SEC this year. Overall, this is the high jumper’s third SEC Field Athlete of the Week honor, after earning the award last year on Feb. 7 and on March 22, 2011, in her freshman campaign.

Gamecock Women Break into the Top 15
The South Carolina women’s track and field team climbed six places to the 14th spot in this week’s U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings. This is the first edition of the polls that does not include preseason data.

The Gamecocks are coming off a weekend of meets in Fayetteville, Ark., Clemson, S.C., and Seattle, Wash., and are one of seven SEC schools in the rankings.

The next round of computer rankings will be released February 19. The 2013 SEC Indoor Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., February 22-24. The NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships are March 8-9 and will also be held in Fayetteville, Ark.

2013 Week #4 – February 12
1. LSU
2. Arkansas
3. Clemson
4. Kansas
5. Oregon
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Texas A&M
9. UCF
10. Iowa State
11. Arizona
12. Arizona State
13. Texas
14. South Carolina
15. Illinois
16. Stanford
17. Michigan
18. Indiana State
19. Dartmouth
20. Wichita State
21. Georgetown
22. Baylor
23. San Diego State
24. Connecticut
25. Mississippi State