Carolina Women Win Region Title, Teams Combine For Six Region Titles
May 27, 2006
Greensboro, N.C. - Winning the women's East region title with the men finishing third, South Carolina crowned six NCAA East Region champions as the Gamecocks qualified 13 individuals in 10 events. In addition, the men's 4x400m relay, the women's 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay also qualified for the NCAA Championships June 7-10 in Sacramento. The USC women repeated as the NCAA East Region champions with 79.5 points. USC's women, ranked No. 9 nationally, outdistanced ACC champion Miami (2nd place, 71 points) and SEC champion Georgia (3rd place, 50.5 points) who are both ranked No. 5. The South Carolina men finished a program-high third with 51 points, one spot ahead of Clemson (42 ½ points) and one spot better than its fourth place finish last year. Florida State won the men's title with 97 points, while Florida finished as the runner-up with 64 points. "This is a fantastic day for the Gamecocks. We had some extraordinary finishes and performances today," said USC Head Coach Curtis Frye, in his 10th year at the Gamecock helm. USC won region titles in the women's 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and discus. The USC men won region titles in the 110m hurdles and the 4x400m relay. NOTE: The regional championship is a scored meet with the top eight places receiving 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points. The team with the most points wins the championship. The top five finishers in individual events and the top three relays automatically advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championship on June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. It is expected that the NCAA will then take at least six people off the descending list after the regional that were not automatic qualifiers depending on the field. In order to be considered for a bid off the descending order list, the athlete must make the finals of the regional in that event. Additional Gamecock athletes could be added in additional events. USC's 4x100m relay repeated as the NCAA East region champion behind the running of Natasha Hastings, Amberly Nesbitt, Faraign Giles and Shalonda Solomon. USC ran a 43.85 to runner-up Miami's 43.86. The women's 4x400m relay qualified for nationals by running a season-best 3:31.81 and finishing fourth. The women's 4x4 were paced by Chiquita Martin, Giles, Stephanie Smith and Hastings. Paced by 110m hurdle champion Jason Richardson, USC's 4x400m relay won the region title. Richardson ran a 45.6 split on the anchor leg and paced the Gamecocks' to a 3:04.62 - a season best. Also running on the 4x4 region champion 4x4 were Keith Hinnant, Thomas Hilliard and Jamil James. Charleston's Precious Akins won the women's discus with a mark of 173' 2. It is South Carolina's first region title in the throws with Akins finishing as the runner-up two years ago. "I'm ready now," said Akins. Shalonda Solomon ran a blistering 11.07 to win the 100m with a new school record. Greenville's Amberly Nesbitt was close behind as the runner-up running her own personal best at 11.18. With the wind at 3.0+, Solomon's time of 11.15 stands as the East Region record from last night. Solomon came back to win the 200m at 22.30, breaking her own school record. Nesbitt finished fifth with a personal best 23.26 and also qualified for nationals. "I wanted to win the double today," said Solomon, the 2006 SEC Indoor Runner of the Year. "It gives me confidence for the 100m at nationals. This is just another step towards the national meet." "It felt good today," said Nesbitt. "But I am not sure if I will run the 200m at nationals because it's too many rounds." Jason Richardson ran a 13.36 - a personal best - to win the 110m hurdles and advance to nationals. His tie would be No. 2 on the NCAA list and running with a 3.4+ wind it is allowed (for NCAA timing qualifying purposes the wind must be under 4.0+). Richardson finished third in last year's NCAA Championship. An hour later Richardson took the track to run the 400m hurdles and finished as the runner-up with a personal best time of 49.90 - his first race under 50 seconds as a collegiate. "I was scared when I came around that curve. I had to run at the end," said Richardson. "I'm so proud of Thomas Hilliard. Last year people couldn't even Google his name and look at him now." Thomas Hilliard was fifth in the 400m hurdles with a personal best of 50.62 and also qualified for NCAAs. Natahsa Hastings was the runner-up in the 400m with a season-best time of 51.56. She qualifies for NCAAs, but Stephanie Smith finished 54.xx to finish ninth and did not advance. Ronnetta Alexander won the bronze medal with a personal best 13.08 in the 100m hurdles to qualify for nationals. Alexander made the semi-finals of last year's NCAA Championship. Chiquita Martin ran a personal best 13.39 to scratch a point in eighth place. Martin was later sixth in the 59.21 in the 400m hurdles. Leroy Dixon was fourth in the 100m, moving up a place from last year, finishing at 10.24 - a season best. Dixon followed up with a personal best in the 200m, finishing third with a time of 20.70. He was eighth at the nationals in the 100m last year. "It was cool," said Dixon. "Lane two was a little tight on my hamstring and I was thinking 'please just let me get around this curve." Cheryl Terrio was sixth in the pole vault, hitting 12' 6. She will be put on the NCAA consideration list for nationals. Shay Shelton, the 2006 SEC indoor champion, finished eighth to score a point in the 800m at 2:13.49. Jim Mitchell was ninth in the shot put at 56' 3 and Dave Zaycek was 19th at 51' 1.
NCAA Championship Men's Qualifiers (automatics)
NCAA Championship Women's Qualifiers (automatics)
NCAA East Region Track and Field Championship Finals
Men's Results
100m Finals
200m Finals
110m Hurdles Finals
400m Hurdles Finals
Triple Jump Finals
Shot Put Finals
Women's Results
4x400m relay - 4th place - 3:31.81 - qualify on national placing
100m Finals
200m Finals
400m Finals
800m Finals
100m Hurdle Finals
400m Hurdle Finals
Discus Finals
Triple Jump Finals
Pole Vault PR - Personal Best
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