Feb. 24, 2013

Complete Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Junior high jumper Jeannelle Scheper became the first Gamecock women to win an SEC high jump championship in school history on the final day of the 2013 SEC Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Freshman Kayla Lampe continued her stellar year as well, earning silver and breaking her school record in the women’s 5,000-meter run. Senior Kierre Beckles took home bronze in the 60-meter hurdles and senior Robert Razick set a new school in the men’s mile run. The women’s 4×400-meter relay captured silver in the last event of the day, helping the No. 14 South Carolina women’s team to a sixth-place finish with a total of 50 points, their highest since finishing fifth in 2009.

Just two weeks ago, Scheper set her PR and the collegiate leader in the high jump in Fayetteville at the Tyson Invitational and returned seeking SEC gold this weekend. The Gamecock entered the competition at 5-08.75 (1.75m), not missing until 6-00.50 (1.84m). Scheper was the only jumper to clear 6-01.50 (1.87m), doing so on her first attempt. The three other jumpers were unable to clear the height, clinching the gold for Scheper.

Lampe entered the weekend ranked seventh in the SEC in the 5,000m. Already holding the school record at 16:32.48, Lampe rattled off a 16:19.02 to capture silver in the event. The time shatters her PR and breaks her own school record for the second time this season. She is the first Gamecock to score in the women’s 5,000 meters since 1998 and matches Sue McGhie’s silver in 1992 for the best SEC finish in Gamecock history. Freshman Mary Fouse also competed and PR’ed in the event, placing 17th with 17:14.85 in her first championship appearance. Fouse is in the South Carolina top 10 as well, ranking fifth all time.

After placing second in his mile-run heat to qualify for the finals with a time of 4:08.65, Razick followed up with a new school record time of 4:06.47 to take seventh place overall. Razick has now PR’ed in his last three runs and is the first Gamecock to score in the men’s mile since Tom Cronin finished eighth in 1995.

Beckles entered the day with the second-best qualifying time from the prelims in the 60-meter hurdles. The senior, who owns the fifth-best time in the NCAA this season, took the bronze with a time of 8.24. It’s the third time she’s scored at the SEC Indoor Championships, after finishing fourth in 2011 and second last year.

In the final event of the day, the women’s 4×400-meter relay team of sophomore Erika Rucker, Beckles, freshman Tyler Brockington and sophomore Christal Green ran their best time of the year to grab silver in the event. Competing in the final heat, the Gamecocks ran a 3:33.68, which is the fifth best time of the collegiate indoor season entering the day. It’s the best finish since a silver in 2010.

Sophomore Erika Rucker ran in the first of two heats in the 400-meter finals. She was just edged out at the finish line by freshman Shaunae Miller of Georgia. Miller’s time was 51.21 with Rucker at a collegiate-best 52.22. The Georgia native would take fourth in the finals with her time that ranks sixth in South Carolina indoor history. The sophomore also took fourth in the 400 meters last year at the SEC Indoor Championships with a time of 53.08. In a fast final of the men’s 400-meter run, junior Clayton Gravesande, who qualified with a time of 46.61 in the prelims yesterday, ran a 47.36. The time was good enough for seventh and makes him the first Gamecock to score in the men’s 400 meters at the SEC Indoor Championships since 2010 (Obakeng Ngwigwa).

Senior Breanna Radford setting new personal-best marks in both the shot put and the weight throw for the third time this season. Radford recorded a 57-07.75 (17.52m) in the weight throw in the first event of the day. She still sits at ninth in the Gamecock top 10 in the weight.

The Gamecocks will compete in NCAA Last Chance Qualifier meets next weekend before returning to Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAA Indoor Championships the following week.