Local sprinter signs with South Carolina

The Lower Richland track and field program has produced several quality runners through the years, and Ronald Fuller is among them.

The senior sprinter has won three state titles during his career and will get a chance to continue it in college. On Monday, Fuller signed his letter of intent to run with the South Carolina track and field program.

“I saw the greats like Jaylen Bacon and others come through here and thought ‘Why not me?’ ” Fuller said. “I just work hard and do what I had to do. And my goal is to be better than those guys. I’m happy with what I accomplished, but I still have more to do if I want to be great.”

Fuller picked USC over Clemson and Missouri. He visited all three schools, but the Gamecocks coaching staff, especially coach Curtis Frye, was one of the biggest reasons he chose the Gamecocks.

“The decision maker for me was I liked how coach Frye interacted with his athletes,” Fuller said. “I know I am not supposed to tie myself to a coach. But to me, that was the deal breaker. Every school I went to they all had just about the same program, and they were all wonderful. But to me, what was amazing is how coach Frye interacted with his athletes.”

Fuller started out running as a seventh-grader and was part of the Diamond Hornets’ 4x100 state championship team as an eighth-grader. Last year, he won state championships in the 100 (10.74) and 200 (21.32) at the Class 4A state meet.

Fuller also finished third at the New Balance nationals.

This season, Fuller wants to win four state titles and will run in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 relay.

This story was originally published November 13, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Local sprinter signs with South Carolina."