Gamecocks Strong in All Areas on Day One of VT Challenge

Feb. 21, 2014

Results

BLACKSBURG, Va. – In the first day of competition of the Virginia Tech Challenge in Rector Fieldhouse, the Gamecocks posted 15 top-five finishes and three performances that rank in the South Carolina all-time top 10.

Led by two sophomores, South Carolina finished 1-2 in both the men’s and women’s 60-meter hurdles. Jermaine Collier captured his first win of 2014, posting a 7.84 to best his freshman teammate Jussi Kanervo who took second at 7.95. Freshman Alexandre Asselin gave the Gamecocks half of the top-six overall, running an 8.47 in the finals after setting a new PR in the prelims at 8.40.

In the women’s 60-meter hurdles Tyler Brockington was the clear standout. Sophomore Sarah Graham and freshman Mollie Williams advanced along with Brockington. In the finals, Brockington and Graham duplicated their 1-2 finish from the prelims, clocking in at 8.37 and 8.56, respectively. Both times are lifetime bests and Brockington’s bumps her into the all-time Gamecock top 10, tying her with two others in the ninth spot.

Sophomore Anna Todd also tallied a top-10 time in school history. In the women’s mile run, Todd bettered her fifth-place entry in the record book, at 4:56.06 and bested the second-fastest competitor by over six and a half seconds. Todd’s time was one of three personal bests set by Gamecocks in the women’s mile as sophomore Christine Kent (5:13.25) and freshman Martha McCoy (5:13.65) also accomplished the feat.

Returning to the track where he started his season in style, junior Kendall Kee lowered his best time again, sprinting to a 6.67. Kee’s time improves his fifth-place entry into the South Carolina all-time top 10 and is just behind Damiere Byrd’s fourth-place time of 6.66. Freshman Ryan Bermudez gave the Gamecocks their third 1-2 finish of the night, running a career best 6.88 in the finals.

Bermudez returned to the track later in the evening to collect another second-place finish. Again sprinting at lifetime-best speed, Bermudez ran a 21.46 in the 200-meter dash.

Senior Vashti Bandy posted her best finish of the season in the 60-meter dash, recording a 7.54 in the finals for second place.

In the triple jump, freshman Natasha Dicks finished second with a mark of 39′ 8″ ¾ (12.11m).

Freshman Mary Reiser set a new PR in the 3,000-meter run at 10:05.50 to collect a fourth-place finish. Classmate Maya Evans also finished fourth in her event, running a 1:33.11 in the 600-meter run.

Tomorrow, action continues at the VT Challenge. The day begins with the women’s pole vault and high jump at 11 a.m. Running starts at 1:00 p.m. with the 800m run. The meet was added to the schedule after South Carolina was forced to cancel a trip to last weekend’s Tyson Invitational due to winter weather.

South Carolina will also be hosting the Gamecock Indoor Invitational at the USC Indoor Complex tomorrow. The long jump starts at 9 a.m., with the first gun going off in the 55-meter hurdles at 12 p.m.