April 18, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. – On Saturday, South Carolina track and field welcomes 472 athletes from 16 colleges and universities as well as running clubs and unattached athletes for the USC Outdoor Open at the Weems Baskin Track. The meet concludes the Gamecocks’ home slate for the 2014 season.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
Dates: Sat., Apr. 19
Time: Field – 9 a.m. | Track – 11 a.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Facility: Weems Baskin Track
Final Schedule
Live Results: www.timinginc.com

Senior Day Recognition Set for Saturday
On Saturday at 3:50 p.m., the action will break as the Gamecocks honor a group of seniors who have not only seen their share of successes competitively, but have also continued the legacy of positive results in the classroom. Over the past four years, this group has finished in the top 25 at NCAA championship events while also earning academic recognitions. The women have received a team USTFCCCA All-Academic Distinction each of the last four seasons, and the men have done so three of the past four years. The South Carolina track and field program is proud to have helped produce these individuals who will no doubt go out and make a difference in their surrounding communities.

Last Time Out
Behind a full team effort, South Carolina swept the men’s and women’s team titles at the Bill Carson Invitational at East Carolina last weekend. On the way to their team victories, the Gamecocks captured 16 individual and two relay wins with senior Chris Royster along with sophomores Jermaine Collier and Anna Todd leading the way with two first-place finishes each. Royster swept the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes for the second time this season, while Collier won the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles, running a collegiate best 13.99 to take the high hurdles. Todd continues to make an impact at the middle distances, taking the 800 and 1500-meter races. Sophomore Sarah Graham also moved up in the Gamecock record books, raising her high jump lifetime best by another inch to 5’8 3?4″ (1.75m), making her third all-time. Running the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time collegiately, freshman Sarah Falta posted the third-best time in school history at 11:17.78 for the win. Sophomore Alexis Murphy has also wasted little time in making her mark in her first season competing in the long jump. Murphy set a new PR and captured her first collegiate long jump win at Bill Carson. The mark moved her into eighth place in school history at 19’7″ (5.97m).

East Regional Watch
South Carolina athletes are jockeying for position to be included in the NCAA East Region field (May 29-31, Jacksonville, Fla.). The regional offers the chance to punch a ticket the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 11-14, Eugene, Ore.).

For the fifth-straight season, the country has been split into two regions – East and West – with the top 48 athletes (24 relays) in each region qualifying for the Preliminary Round. The top 12 finishers in an event at each regional preliminary will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Entering the weekend, there are 30 Gamecocks – 15 men, 15 women – in position to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries. Freshman Jussi Kanervo continues to stay in the top five of both hurdle events with a time of 13.77 in the high hurdles and 51.02 in the intermediate hurdles. Sophomore Jermaine Collier is No. 3 in the East in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.96.

Senior Petra Olsen is ranked sixth in the women’s pole vault with a school record height of 13’11 ¾” (4.36m). On the track, freshman Precious Holmes’ time of 52.89 is the eighth best in the region and the women’s 4×4 is ninth in the East, clocking in with a season-best 3:36.09.

Gamecocks in the East Top 50

Up Next
The Gamecocks travel to Philadelphia, Pa., for the 120th running of The Penn Relay Carnival at the University of Pennsylvania at historic Franklin Field. The met is set for April 24-26.