Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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441 Russ J&fHcoat Gibbes McDowell vaults to second place finish Wilson breaks record, qualifies for NCAA BY BILLY COX Of The Gamecock staff Steve Wilson flashed a hard-to. conceal boyish grim as he shuffled over to the sidelines on Saturday. "Hey, man," someone remarked, Wilson "is that the best you've ever gone?" "Yep," he nodded deliberately, as if he had something up his sleeve, "that's it." freshman was a fast learner. Several well-wishers approached Actually, Coach Bill McClure to shake hands and congratulate. thought all along that it would be Somebody said something about only a matter of time before the "superstar." Wilson just wiped the highly-recruited Wilson would sweat from his brow on this eclipse the old high jump mark of blistering-hot afternoon and 6-9. He'd shown signs of his "Well I jumped 6-10 i oa, clr fee." thougtihewoulcdooillatr inpost seasn, btbIuidn'ithik itwoul inmehhig comutis ary" heddgo shorade guoess MCuer.lie hth thehough.Wilsonmwasaaidedsbn'saving jumpmakeronly 4.jumps. Wilson,ywh ischo reordut tet id ad jutmse6-1iAhnslt qualify thes6-2,16n-tb.efreshma preparationforatheN.C.kfothetme sTh inrow hpluded an tw eidoh ieutrd,"el kidst'sramfoot taller thanrInam. himenwatkedhhow itofeltsabouttthe hadogrhs. WGasor,apealrng l tigate twa vr hne andnemn heaed "oe isnjs mldadrpid the .A. yste tha Wilon'shigh"It' pretylnce. jumpmar of7.0 wasnotonl a fraws a omntst rlectn,er. school record,thoght llblon that it would sadbel,Ijmpd61 nhg quaifythe6-, 10-l.resmansol. a gutess iftime aboie Ithe frm asona,N.orteclsoe theol hghjmpmrko CAA's Wilso nedown ksis acthis him wth thirpogram,wa ting uhte e willd trveo Prvo tate infort autgrph. ilon,apeain steasn butA chaminships.twol midy oofued,too a en,siged chaehs eare llyowt hisnae adheitaed "T sgnad utograss 6-11tin wtell bys who" CuO3.~ helakyties stay atheyoin oean FSU.dowr Gamecocl BY BILLY COX Of The Gamecock staff Florida State closed out USC's dual meet season with a clean, painless romp, 97-57, Saturday afternoon at Weems Baskin Track. Coach Bill McClure's charges, worh ragged by an astonishing number of injuries, were simply running on fumes. "We knew we weren't gonna be real close," McClure revealed, shaking his head. "I know this sounds hashed, redundant, and all that, but injuries were obviously the difference in this thing. I think that's the third week in a row I've said that, but once again we had just outstanding individual per formances," he said. Sure enough, .though the Gamecock dropped to 2-4, two more school records fell on the Day of the Gamecock, raising the total to 19 new marks on the year. First, Jerry Morrison pitched the shot 54-4.5 to ice first in that event. Then, surging Steve Wilson smashed the high jump record, springing to 7'-%" and qualifying for the NCAA's. Berle Stocks had previously qualified in the triple jump, and Adams wrapped up a berth in the long jump and the triple jump earlier. FSU, which had given Carolina partisans a preview of what to expect with their record-shattering debut in the Carolina-State Record Relays, continued to post new marks on USC's field. Multitalented Vescoe Bradley continued to show why he was voted the Relay's most outstanding athlete as he sprang to 25-6% in the long jump. Later, Pharres Rolle cleared the pole 16-6 in the pole vault. The Gamecocks maintai ed a slight lead in the early going by virtue of a win in the steeplechase and the strength of their field events. Morrison and Jeff Fuge took 1-3 in the shot, and 1-2 in the discus. Lou DeChicchio threw the javelin to a first place 230-9. After Don Layden notched a second place in the mile run at 4:14.5, the roof caved in. The Seminoles took 1-2 in the high hurdles, swept the 440, and placed 1-3 in the long jump. Berle Stocks finished second with a mark of 23 10%. DiRugeris,. Eddie DiRugeris, a 6-2 guard with sparkling credentials including selection as the number one prep player in the Philadelphia arlea-- has signed a letter of intent to enroll at the University of South Carolina on a basketball scholarship. DiRugeris is the second prospect signed by Gamecock coach F,rank McGuire and his staff for the 1975 76 Carolina squad. Earlier, McGuire signed another 6-2 guard, high scoring Bill Gause of Columbia's Hammond Academy. DeRugeris was the recipient of countless awards following his senior season at Bensalem High School in Cornwell Heights, Pa., including "Number One in the Golden 25", chosen by Philadelphia Sports maga.,ine .a Ls undermi s 97-57 Si Berle Stocks Carolina was so short on hor sepower that the trio of State runners in the 100 yard dash went unopposed in the event. Wilson's heroics in the high jump were followed by John Brown in the 880, clocked at a first place 1:50.83. Gamecock ace Alan Shoultz collapsed in the 440 intermediate hurdles, and FSU wrapped up 1-2. The Seminoles then erased USC in the 220 with a 1-2-3 punch. Mr. Steady himsel.f, Bob Day, paced the 3-mile run with a time of 14:11.25. Stocks also finished first in the triple jump with a 49.8% Bob Day wins the Gause sign symbolic of the top player in the Philadelphia area. He was chosen to play in the Dapper Dan Classic in Pittsburgh; was most valuable player for the U.S. team in the Cleveland Classic, as well as most valuable in the Conshocken Classic, scoring 55 points in one game during that post-season all-star tournament. DiRugeris said he was contacted by more than 150 schools and his final choices were Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova and Carolina before he finally selected the Gamecocks. He scored 492 points his senior season at Bensalem, averaging 22.3 points per game. In three seasons of varsity competition, he scored 923 points for a 14.6 career average. inned iturday Lou DeChiccio effort. Gibbes McDowell's 14.0 in the pole vault earned him second behind FSU's Rolle. Finally, the Seminoles capped the afternoon with a first place in the mile relay. As McClure pointed out, while Carolina's team efforts throughout the season left much to be desired, it was a year in which the in dividual sparkled. With Stocks, Ron Adams, and Wilson already post-season bound, McClure is still hopeful of adding morfe Gamecock entries. Best bets are 3-miler Leon Cook, Layden, Brown, Day, and DeChiccio. wit USCP I W-41 McGuire, beginning his 26th year of collegiate coaching and 12th at South Carolina, said DiRugeris was "a very good basketball player who will fit into our program well. He's a good scorer, fine playmaker and very good defensively." Assistant coach Charlie Hen derson, who recruited DeRugeris, said "Eddie 'D' is a lot like Kevin Joyce (former Carolina All America now with the Indiana Pacers of the ABA); not quite as big at 6-2, 175, but an excellent jumper and shooter and a fine all around prospect." McGuire said his staff was still working on a number of other prospects, including several "big men", and additional signings would be annoncedate.