Click here for an archive of "50 Great Moments In Jaguar Athletics"

MOBILE, Ala. – May 3, 2013, will mark the 50th Anniversary of the University of South Alabama.  Throughout the academic year, the USA Department of Athletics will recognize “50 Great Moments In Jaguar Athletics” to honor past teams, coaches and student-athletes for their accomplishments.

Oct. 28, 1978
Led by head coach Ed Kelly, USA holds off South Florida by 13 points to win the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships in Mobile.  All five Jaguar runners placed in the top 10 in the race paced by Bobby Abruscato, who recorded a time of 32:57 to come in third just seven seconds behind the winner.  Ricky Hinton finished fifth, while the trio of Lynn Johnson, Tom Impastato and Joel Lambert placed seventh, eighth and nine, respectively.  Abruscato would finish second at the meet as a junior, and in his final season he won the race while leading the Jags to their second team title.

Jan. 29, 2000
With a time of 8.28 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles at the LSU Invitational, Shemeeka Hopkins sets a school record in the event and becomes the first USA female student-athlete to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.  The native of Cairo, Ga., earned Sun Belt Conference female track performer-of-the-week honors for the effort, and she would go on to win the 55-meter hurdles while also picking up all-league honors in the 200-meter dash the conference indoor championships a month later.  That spring, Hopkins would win the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the 100-meter hurdles in leading the Lady Jags within a point of sharing the team title at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships.

—USA—