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Gamecock Athletes Open USA Outdoor Championships Day One
Five advance in seniors; incoming freshman
takes fourth in juniors
EUGENE, Ore. – Five athletes with University of South Carolina
ties advanced to their respective semifinals to open competition
Thursday at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at
Heyward Field in Track Town, USA.
Former Gamecock Lashinda Demus began the day well for South Carolina
affiliated athletes with a win in the preliminary round of the
women’s 400-meter hurdles. Demus crossed the line first at 55.15
and is one of 16 to advance to the semifinal that will be run Friday at
7:45 p.m. (ET). Demus is in search of her fourth USA title in seven
years after taking home gold in 2005, 2006 and 2009.
In the women’s 400-meter dash prelims, Olympian Natasha Hastings
took third with a time of 51.71 to qualify for the semifinal. She will
compete in the semifinals Friday at 8:30 p.m. (ET) with the hope of
advancing to the final for the third consecutive year. Hastings has
improved in the event each of the past two seasons having placed fourth
in 2009 and third in 2010. First-year professional Brandi Cross placed
19th overall with a time of 53.77, missing the semifinal cut by two
spots and less than one second.
Four former Gamecocks competed in the women’s 100-meter dash
prelim, and two advanced to the semifinal. Olympian Miki Barber took
third in the prelim with at time of 11.09 (+1.6) while recent graduate
LaKya Brookins took eighth overall at 11.17 (+1.6). Both will compete
in the semifinals Friday at 7:15 p.m. (ET) with the final being run two
hours later at 9:10 p.m. (ET). 2011 senior Shayla Mahan missed the
semifinal cut by one spot, taking 19th overall at 11.383 (+2.4) and
falling four-hundredths of a second behind the final qualifying
position. Former Gamecock and 2005 US Champion Lisa Barber took 23rd
overall at 11.49 (+1.7).
The final Gamecocks to compete in opening day action at the USA Outdoor
Championships were Olympians Leroy Dixon and Rodney Martin in the
men’s 100-meter dash prelim. Dixon advanced with a time of 10.21
(+1.3) to take 14th overall while Martin placed 32nd overall at 10.56.
Dixon will compete in the semifinals on Friday at 7:25 p.m. (ET) with
the final set for 9:20 p.m. (ET).
Also taking place at Heyward Field is the USA Junior Championships, and
incoming freshman Kaleb Zuidema (Midland Park, N.J.) placed fourth
overall in the javelin. Zuidema’s best throw was his final of the
day at 207’9 (63.34m), pushing the Midland Park HS graduate from
eighth to fourth overall with his last throw.
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Athletes with University of South Carolina ties competing at the USA
Outdoor Championships are:
Men’s 100m (Thur., 8:40 p.m.) – Leroy Dixon (Prelim: 14th,
10.21), Rodney Martin (Prelim: 32nd, 10.56)
Men’s 200m (Sat., 6:25 p.m.) – Leroy Dixon (20.36), Rodney
Martin (20.62)
Men’s 110m Hurdles (Fri., 6:45 p.m.) – Terrence Trammell
(13.30), Jason Richardson (13.34)
Men’s 400m Hurdles (Fri., 9:30 p.m.) – Johnny Dutch (47.63)
Women’s 100m (Thur., 8:20 p.m.) – Miki Barber (Prelim: 3rd,
11.09), LaKya Brookins (Prelim: 8th, 11.17), Shayla Mahan (Prelim:
19th, 11.39), Lisa Barber (23rd, 11.49)
Women’s 200m (Sat., 6:55 p.m.) – Shalonda Solomon (22.47),
Natasha Hastings (22.77), Lisa Barber (22.84), Miki Barber (23.10)
Women’s 400m (Thur., 7:40 p.m.) – Natasha Hastings (Prelim:
3rd, 51.71), Brandi Cross (Prelim: 19th, 53.77)
Women’s 400m Hurdles (Thur., 7:15 p.m.) – Lashinda Demus
(Prelim: 1st, 55.15)
Athletes with University of South Carolina ties competing at the USA
Junior Outdoor Championships are:
Men’s 100m (Fri., 2:15 p.m.) – Chris Royster (10.42),
Kendall Kee (10.45)
Men’s 200m (Sat., 7:40 p.m.) – Chris Royster (21.36), Eric
Winfrey (20.98)
Men’s 400m (Fri., 5:00 p.m.) – Clayton Gravesande (46.60),
Eric Winfrey (47.29)
Men’s Javelin Throw (Thur., 3:30 p.m.) – Kaleb Zuidema
(220-10)
Women’s 100m (Fri., 2:00 p.m.) – Vashti Bandy (11.75)
Women’s 200m (Sat., 7:15 p.m.) – Vashti Bandy (23.97)
Women’s 400m (Fri., 4:45 p.m.) – Sanura Eley-O’Reilly
(53.90)
Women’s 100m Hurdles (Fri., 3:15 p.m.) – Chalese Davis
(13.78)
Women’s 400m Hurdles (Fri., 4:05 p.m.) – Amber Allen (58.85)
Women’s Pole Vault (Fri., 1:15 p.m.) – Angela Rummans
(4.00m)
*All times listed are ET. Times listed for track events are first
round; times listed for field events are finals
FORMER GAMECOCKS
Lisa Barber – Women’s 100m, 200m – 14x All-American
at South Carolina from 1999-02
Miki Barber – Women’s 100m, 200m – 20x All-American
at South Carolina from 1999-03
Brandi Cross – Women’s 400m – 9x All-American at
South Carolina from 2007-10
Lashinda Demus – Women’s 400m Hurdles – 11x
All-American at South Carolina from 2002-04
Leroy Dixon – Men’s 100m, 200m – 2x All-American at
South Carolina from 2005-06
Johnny Dutch – Men’s 400m Hurdles – 8x All-American
at South Carolina from 2008-10
Natasha Hastings – Women’s 200m, 400m – 10x
All-American at South Carolina from 2005-07
Rodney Martin – Men’s 100m, 200m – 3x All-American at
South Carolina from 2004-05
Jason Richardson – Men’s100m Hurdles – 7x
All-American at South Carolina from 2005-09
Shalonda Solomon – Women’s 200m – 11x All-American at
South Carolina from 2005-07
Terrence Trammell – Men’s 100m Hurdles – 13x
All-American at South Carolina from 1998-00
CURRENT GAMECOCKS
Amber Allen – Junior Women’s 400m Hurdles – Freshman
in 2010-11 – SEC Finalist and NCAA Regional qualifier
Vashti Bandy – Junior Women’s 100m, 200m – Freshman
in 2010-11 – All-American in 4x100m Relay
LaKya Brookins – Women’s 100m – Senior in 2010-11
– Placed sixth at NCAA Outdoors in 100m
Sanura Eley-O’Reilly – Junior Women’s 400m –
Freshman in 2010-11 – NCAA Regional qualifier in 4x400m Relay
Clayton Gravesande – Junior Men’s 400m – Freshman in
2010-11 – SEC Top 8 and NCAA Regional qualifier
Shayla Mahan – Women’s 100m – Senior in 2010-11
– All-American in 4x100m Relay
Chris Royster – Junior Men’s 100m, 200m – Freshman in
2010-11 – All-American in 4x100m Relay and NCAA Regional qualifier
Angela Rummans – Junior Women’s Pole Vault – Freshman
in 2010-11 – NCAA Regional qualifier
FUTURE GAMECOCKS
Chalese Davis – Junior Women’s 100m Hurdles – Signed
NLI – Hercules HS (Hercules, Calif.)
Kendall Kee – Junior Men’s 100m – Signed NLI –
Crest HS (Shelby, N.C.)
Eric Winfrey – Junior Men’s 200m, 400m – Signed NLI
– Douglas Byrd HS (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Kaleb Zuidema – Junior Men’s Javelin Throw – Signed
NLI – Midland Park HS (Midland Park, N.J.)
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