May 31, 2014

Full Results

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – South Carolina earned two more individual bids and pushed three relays to the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the final day of competition at the NCAA East Preliminary Round at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.

The day’s haul brings the total number of Gamecock entries at nationals to 10 with seven individuals and three relays.

The Gamecocks began the day in impressive fashion, with both the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relays posting top-five finishes to move on to Eugene. The men took the track first, with Kendall Kee, Chris Royster, Eric Winfrey and Brandon Sanders, and the group powered to third best time in school history at 38.98 to win their heat. The time was the second-fastest overall.

The women’s team took center stage next, with the quartet of Tyler Brockington, Tamera Harris, Ahtyana Johnson and Alexis Murphy also posting a season best, crossing in 44.20. The time was the fourth fastest in the field.

Already owning a spot in the 100-meter dash, Royster added another event to his card at nationals, advancing in the 200 meters tonight. The Gamecock ran a 20.88 to earn his ticket.

Along with being a major relay contributor, Johnson will make her individual NCAA debut in Eugene after capturing a spot in the women’s 200-meter dash. Johnson PR’d in the event last night to advance to today’s race, and nearly matched the effort with her time of 23.40 today. She finished second in her heat and fifth overall.

In the event’s final race, the South Carolina women’s 4×400-meter relay gave the Gamecocks their 10th bid to NCAAs. Johnson, Brockington, Marisa Bellamy and Briana Haith finished third in their heat for an automatic pass to nationals. Haith brought the Gamecocks’ season-best time home with a 51.43 split on the anchor leg.

For the fifth-consecutive 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 East Preliminary is being held in Jacksonville, Fla., with the West Preliminary taking place in Fayetteville, Ark. The event quarterfinals include 24 student-athletes, 12 of which will receive trips to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Field events are halted once the top 12 spots have been determined.

The NCAA Outdoor Championships begin on June 11 and run through June 14 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Qualified for NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 11-14
Chris Royster – 100m
Chris Royster – 200m
4x100m Relay
Jussi Kanervo – 400mH
Kaleb Zuidema – Javelin

Ahtyana Johnson 200m
4x100m Relay
4x400m Relay
Tyler Brockington – 400mH
Petra Olsen – Pole Vault