Jan. 25, 2014

Cherry & Silver Final Results | Complete Cherry & Silver Results | Complete Hokie Invite Results

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., and BLACKSBURG, Va. – Action at the Cherry & Silver Invitational in New Mexico and the Hokie Invitational at Virginia Tech drew to a close on Saturday. South Carolina claimed three more wins, bringing the weekend total to six.

Cherry & Silver Invitational

The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of junior Eric Winfrey, sophomore Jermaine Collier, junior Chris Walker and senior Chris Royster bested the field with a time of 3:12.02. A second South Carolina foursome of junior Nigel Redic, sophomore Dondre Echols along with freshmen Jussi Kanervo and Ryan Bermudez captured third place with a 3:14.09. The team of Collier, Winfrey, Walker and Royster posted the 18th best time in the NCAA (3:11.51) last weekend at the Virginia Tech Invitational.

In another strong outing for the men’s hurdlers, the Gamecocks advanced all three of their entries to the eight-man 60-meter hurdle finals earlier in the day. Echols and Collier went 3-4 in the finals. Echols posted a season-best 7.86 for third place and Collier clocked in at 7.88. In the prelims, Kanervo posted a new collegiate best at 7.94 before finishing in sixth place in the finals. All three South Carolina hurdlers rank in the NCAA top 25 this season.

Senior Petra Olsen cleared a season-best height of 13’8″ ¼ (4.17m) in the women’s pole vault for a third-place finish. Olsen ranks in the NCAA top 10 with the mark and has not finished outside of the top four at a meet this season.

The Gamecocks return home from their most competitive meet of the season and a preview of the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championship site with two wins – the men’s 4×4 along with junior high jumper Jeannelle Scheper.

Hokie Invitational

After finishing fifth in her first collegiate race at Rector Fieldhouse last weekend, freshman Precious Holmes captured her first win on the same track today. Holmes ran her best 400-meter time in the Garnet and Black at 55.17 for the win.

Junior Drew Ricci ran a lifetime best in the 800-meters for the second Gamecock win of the day. Ricci’s time of 1:52.92 earned him the top spot with sophomore Juan Stenner not far behind, clocking in at 1:54.11 for second place.

Last night, junior Ahtyana Johnson won the women’s 60-meter dash with her fastest time ever in her 2014 debut. Johnson continued the trend this afternoon, posting a personal record of 24.17 in the 200-meter dash to earn second place.

Sophomore Anna Todd also captured a second-place finish, running a 2:14.96 in the 800-meter dash.

Junior Kaysee Sullivan snatched up her third top-five finish of the season in the women’s shot put. Her throw of 45′ 8″ ¾ (13.94m) got her fourth place.

In the non-traditional 600-meter run, the Gamecocks saw success as well. Junior Kevin Keating took third in the men’s race, clocking in at 1:23.65. Freshman Ashley Miller grabbed fifth with a time of 1:39.28 in the women’s section.

Newcomer Alexandre Asselin posted a third-place finish in the long jump, recording a collegiate-best leap of 22’9″ ¼ (6.94m).

Ricci’s and Holmes’ wins combined with victories in the 60-meter dash by Ahtyana Johnson and junior Kendall Kee last night, brings the South Carolina win total at the Hokie Invitational to four.

Next weekend, the Gamecocks travel to Winston Salem, N.C., for the Hilton Garden Invitational at the JDL Fast Track on Friday and Saturday.