April 28, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina track and field team celebrated the athletic department’s annual ring ceremony on Tuesday, donning their caps and gowns on the steps of Colonial Life Arena. The men’s team will have seven graduates between this spring and summer, and the women will have eight. Two former standouts in that group returned to school to finish their degrees as well.

The group studied in diverse majors, from exercise science and management, to mathematics and advertising.

“I’m just really excited and really grateful for the opportunity to just be at this school,” said Erika Rucker. “Things could have been so different at a different school but I’m just glad I went here, I have no regrets – I had a great experience here.”

Rucker, a native of Flowery Branch, Ga., is looking forward to her upcoming graduation and sharing the experience with her family.

“My family is really excited,” she said. “My mom is a nurse and I’m going to be graduating with a nursing degree so everyone is really pumped for me to be following in her footsteps.”

While Rucker plans to continue her postgraduate studies at Carolina, Clayton Gravesande will be moving on to his next chapter this summer as a graduate of advertising.

“The journey that I went down from my freshman year, I’ve grown so much and I’m just so grateful to have so many people here that have mentored me and guide me in the right direction,” Clayton said. “As I’m seeing this I’m kind of sad, but at the end of the day I’m excited that I got to share this experience with so many people.”

Gravesande is now preparing for a shot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has a dual citizenship with Guyana and hopes to represent the country and add to Carolina’s proud history of Olympians.

Returning to finish their degrees were Chris Royster, a four-time All-American from the men’s team, and Lashinda Demus from the women’s team. Demus is a two-time Olympian and won silver in the 2012 games… while at Carolina, she was a four-time NCAA champion and helped the Gamecocks win the 2002 outdoor NCAA title.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

• Clayton Gravesande: Team captain… three-time All-American… 2011 SEC Bronze Medalist (4x100m relay)… #6 indoor 400m time and #4 outdoor 400m time in program history… 2012, 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
• Kevin Keating: Team captain… #6 800m and #4 1000m times in program history… 2011-12 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll… 2013, 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
• Daniel Novak: 2011-12 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll… 2013, 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
• Nigel Redic: 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
• Chris Royster: Four-time All-American… ran the #4 outdoor 100m and #10 indoor 55m in program history.
• Chris Walker: Team captain… Member of the #5 and #9 4x200m relay teams in program history… 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
• Eric Winfrey: Team captain… two-time All-American… #10 60m and #10 200m times in indoor history… part of four relay teams that rank in the top 10 in program history… 2011-12 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll… 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll member.

• WOMEN’S TRACK / CROSS COUNTRY

  • Stephanie Berger: Also a member of the cross country team… McKissick and Capstone Scholar.
  • Lashinda Demus: 2004, 2012 Olympian, won silver in 2012 in the 400m hurdles… 4x NCAA Champion (2002 Outdoor 400mH, 2003 Indoor 400mH, 2002 Indoor and Outdoor 4x400m relay)… member of 2002 national championship team… 11x All-American
  • Sarah Graham: Team Captain… 2014 All-American (Pentathlon)… 2014 All-SEC… 2011-12 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2013 and 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • Tamera Harris: Three-time All-American (4×100 2013, 2014; 4×400 2014)… 2011-12 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
  • Kayla Lampe: All-SEC track… All-SEC cross country… Woodrow Scholar… 2011-12 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2013 and 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
  • Ashley Miller: 2011-12 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2013 and 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll… Deans Scholar.
  • Erika Rucker: Team Captain… six-time All-American (Indoor 400m 2012, 2013; Outdoor 400m 2012, 2013; Indoor 4×400 2013; Outdoor 4×400 2012)… All-SEC… USTFCCCA All-Academic… 2013, 2014 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll… 2011-12 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
  • Jeannelle Scheper: Team Captain… five-time All-American (Indoor High Jump 2012, 2013, 2014; Outdoor High Jump 2012, 2013)… 2x NCAA Indoor Silver Medalist… 2012, 2013, 2014 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll… All-SEC.