May 11, 2013

Results

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior Jeannelle Scheper added an SEC outdoor silver medal to her resume on Saturday and five Gamecocks advanced to Sunday finals on the third day of competition of the 2013 SEC Outdoor Championships at Walton Stadium. In addition to Scheper, senior Jarrod Hutchen, junior Petra Olsen and redshirt sophomore Kaysee Sullivan tallied points for the Gamecocks.

Scheper entered the competition with a first-attempt clearance at 5’7″ (1.70m). On the ensuing bar, Scheper needed a third-attempt to get over at 5’10” ¾ (1.80m). After clearing at 6’0″ ¾ easily, Scheper could not get over the bar at 6’2″ ¼ (1.89m), neither could Georgia’s Saniel Atkinson Grier. Atkinson Grier’s only misses of the competition were on the final bar, leaving Scheper with the silver.

Hutchen scored for the first time at the SEC Outdoor Championships in the men’s long jump. Despite getting only two clean jumps in the competition, Hutchen grabbed eighth place with the mark from his first jump of 24′ 7″ ¼ (7.50m). The points were the first of the weekend for the Gamecocks.

Olsen logged the first points for the women’s team, clearing 12’11” ½ (3.95m) in the pole vault to take seventh place.

After PR-ing in three of her last four attempts, Sullivan earned eighth place with a best of 160’4″ (48.88m) to score for the Gamecocks. This is the second time Sullivan has scored at the outdoor championships after placing eighth in the shot put last year.

Freshmen Dondre Echols and Jermaine Collier turned in collegiate bests in the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday as well. Echols, clocked in at 14.00 to finish third in his heat, automatically qualifying for tomorrow’s final. Collier, who moved on to the 400-meter hurdle finals yesterday, also ran a collegiate best in the high hurdles at 14.06. Collier advanced on time, turning in the sixth-fastest time overall. The two will run for the championship at 4:40 p.m. ET.

Senior Kierre Beckles ran the fastest preliminary time in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.10, just off her season best of 13.09. The 2011 SEC silver medalist in the event will run in the event finals tomorrow at 4:50 p.m. ET.

Sophomore Erika Rucker was the only freshman to advance to the 400-meter dash finals last season and narrowly missed scoring. Rucker will get a chance to move into the top eight tomorrow after advancing on time with a 53.69 in today’s race. Rucker’s final is slated for 5:10 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Running in what would be the fastest of the 100-meter prelim heats, junior Chris Royster recorded a wind-aided PR of 10.17 to finish third in the race. Royster ultimately finished sixth overall and advanced to Sunday’s final on time. The Gamecock’s time would rank fourth in the South Carolina all-time top 10. His final is at 5:20 p.m. ET.

On the final day of competition, the Gamecocks will run in six event finals (men’s 100-meter dash, women’s 400-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles and men’s and women’s 400-meter hurdles). Relay action and the final field events also highlight the last day of track and field in Columbia, Mo.