May 17, 2014

Results

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sarah Graham won high jump silver and the Gamecocks took three of nine spots in tomorrow’s 110-meter hurdle finals on the third day of action at the 2014 SEC Outdoor Championships at the University of Kentucky.

After clearing the No. 3 height in school history in the heptathlon on Thursday, Graham moved through the first three heights of today’s women’s high jump competition without a miss. She was unable to clear a would-be lifetime best at 5’11 ½”, but her clean start proved the difference. Graham, who entered the weekend as the No. 12 seed, clinched a silver medal.

With her seventh-place finish in the heptathlon yesterday, Graham has scored 10 points for the Gamecocks at this weekend’s championships.

It’s the second-straight SEC Outdoor Championships that a Gamecock has won silver in the high jump after school record holder Jeannelle Scheper’s runner-up finish in 2013. South Carolina has scored in the high jump at six-straight conference outdoor meets.

Alexis Murphy posted the best jump of her career on her first attempt in the women’s long jump, leaping 19’9 ¾” (6.04m). The mark advanced her to the event finals where she broke the 20-foot barrier with a mark 20’1/4″ (6.10m), a new personal record. Ultimately, she finished seventh to score. The effort moved her into sixth all-time in Gamecock history.

School record holder Petra Olsen also captured a seventh-place finish in the pole vault. Olsen cleared 13’1 ½” (4.00m) to collect points for the Gamecocks.

Led by the No. 6 time in school history from Jermaine Collier, three Gamecocks moved on to tomorrow’s 110-meter hurdle final. Collier’s lifetime best 13.65 in the third heat earned an automatic spot in the final and was fourth-best overall.

Echols posted a collegiate best 13.82 in his heat to qualify on time. Kanervo finished in the top-two of his heat with a time of 14.09 to earn an automatic bid.

The trio also advanced to the 60-meter hurdle finals at the 2014 SEC Indoor Championships.

Collier qualified for the 400-meter hurdle finals yesterday as well. The sophomore also advanced to both the intermediate and high hurdle finals at last year’s SEC Championships. He is the only athlete to qualify for both this year.

After today’s action, the women are in a eighth with 13.5 points while the men are tied for 10th with five points.

Competition concludes at the University of Kentucky tomorrow, with field events beginning at 11 a.m. and running at 2 p.m. In addition to relay action, the Gamecocks have seven athletes in finals.