March 6, 2012

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Southeastern Conference Tuesday announced that three members of the South Carolina track and field team earned All-SEC honors. Seniors Marvin Reitze and Kierre Beckles both earned Second Team All-SEC honors, and freshman Erika Rucker earned SEC All-Freshman honors.

Reitze and Beckles both earned silver medals at the SEC Indoor Championships that were held Feb. 24-26 in Lexington, Ky. Reitze was the men’s pole vault silver medalist at a personal best mark of 17’11 ¾ (5.48m), his third medal in three tries at SEC Indoors. Beckles set the South Carolina school and Barbados national record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles at 8.11 to earn silver medal honors.

Rucker picks up SEC All-Freshman honors one week after being named the SEC Freshman Runner of the Year. Rucker’s acknowledgement comes after a 400-meter dash season that saw her improve from a season-opening 55.43 to a personal best 53.08 just 35 days later to place fourth overall at the SEC Indoor Championships. She is the third-fastest 400-meter dash freshman in the nation and ranks 10th overall in the event.

South Carolina competes this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Jackson’s Track at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho. The championships will be held March 9-10 and will be streamed live on NCAA.com and ESPN3.com. Reitze, Beckles and Rucker earned individual bids to the championships in addition to sophomore Jeannelle Scheper.