Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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t0 ro*» f°^CMtoum!yk BY WES WOLFE THE GAMECOCK The No. 48 USC women’s tennis team (3 2) started off the season with a few quick wins, but ran into trouble against two top 25 opponents, losing to No. 19 Michigan and No. 11 Clemson after beating No. 51 Maryland. Last season, even though the team fin ished 14-11 and seventh in the SEC, Carolina still made the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks haven’t missed a Tournament appearance since 1995. Carolina did grab a couple postseason wins last season, though, advancing to the second round of both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament with wins over Auburn and Penn, re spectively. To make another appearance in the Tournament, the Gamecocks need to make sure they are playing well when the SEC season starts, since 10 of the 12 SEC schools are ranked in the top 75. Currently, Florida and Georgia are tied for second, while Vanderbilt is fifth and Kentucky is 21st. Even Tennessee, with a 4-6 record, is ranked 28th. Sophomore Danielle Wiggins was the biggest asset for Carolina coming into the season and was ranked 24th in the Southeast Region. So far this season, Wiggins, who is ranked 85th nationally, has earned a 3-2 in dual matches this sea son. The Jacksonville, Fla. native got her mark by beating No. 53 Emily Marker of Maryland and two unranked opponents, but lost to No. 68 Michelle DaCosta of Michigan and No. 8 Julie Coin of Clemson. “She played number three last year for us,” USC head coach Arlo Elkins said at the beginning of the season. “She was one of the players who really helped develop the fu ture of this team. She made tremendous strides and showed that she could play with ♦TENNIS, SEE PAGE 6 Men’s track sets sights on national championship BY JAY POU THE GAMECOCK The USC track team is less than halfway into its season, but it already has its eyes set on bringing another championship to Carolina. The Gamecocks are coming off a suc cessful showing at the Gamecock Invitational, the only meet USC will play to host during the indoor track season. The Gamecocks totaled eight victories in the meet, which is their final tune-up before this weekend’s SEC Indoor Championships. USC also set two facility records during the meet, notching new top time in the men’s 55-meter hurdles. Senior Fred Townsend also set a record over the weekend, posting a USC Indoor Facility best of 7.39 in the 55-meter hurdles. USC head coach Curtis Frye talked about Townsend’s contributions, as well as what he expects from Townsend this year. “I look for Fred Townsend to have a huge year for us,” Frye said. “He’s a great athlete, not only in the hurdles but in some of the other events, as well. He’s definitely going to be one of the leaders on this team, especially since he is a senior this year.” Frye also had a lot of positive things to say about junior Rodney Martin, a junior college transfer whose best event is the 200 m. Martin equaled meet and venue records two weeks ago at the Armory Collegiate Invitation in New York City, posting a sea son-best time of20.84 in the 200 m. USC will face plenty of tough competi tion throughout the season as it competes against its familiar SEC rivals. Frye ex pects the toughest competition from Arkansas, ranked first in some polls, as well from as LSU and Auburn. Frye said the men’s team’s best events are the 200-meter and the mile relay race. Look for Rodney Martin to insure that the Gamecocks always finish near the top in these events. The track team includes some of the best athletes at USC, including some athletes who participate in other sports for the ♦MEN’S TRACK, SEE PAGE 6 PHOTO BY MARK SCHILLING/THE GAMECOCK Freshman Laura Ganzer plays the ball in action for USC. Women’s tennis is 3-2. Join Air Force ROTC at the University of South Carolina GREAT CAREERS Pilot INI «_i rse Engineer Navigator More Great benefits Travel Full Medical & Dental Care Build Leadership & Management Skills Starting Salary & Allowances: $35,000 30 Days Vacation with Pay Tuition Assistance for Graduate Degrees Job Security ... and you may be eligible for one of our scholarships! For more information, call 777-3450