"It's going to take 15 athletes to replace these two," Gamecocks' coach Curtis Frye said today.

Hastings emerged this year as one of the country's top 400-meter runners, breaking Sanya Richards' collegiate record with a 49.84-second run at last week's U.S. track and field championships in Indianapolis.

She finished second in the race to DeeDee Trotter to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the world championships Aug. 25-Sept. 2 in Osaka, Japan. Trotter won in 49.64, giving the pair the two fastest times in the world this year.

Hastings won the NCAA indoor and outdoor 400-meter titles last season.

Solomon signed with agent Mark Wetmore, who represents track stars such as Tyson Gay and Tonique Williams-Darling. Hastings was in the final stages of firming up her representation.

Solomon, from Inglewood, Calif., won the indoor and outdoor NCAA 200-meter crowns in 2006, and shared a title with the 1,600-meter relay indoor team her freshman year in 2005.

Hastings, from New York City, hadn't lost at 400 meters this season until last weekend's meet, a streak that included sweeping the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles. Hastings was part of South Carolina's NCAA 1,600-meter relay indoor title team this winter.

While Solomon will take the rest of the year off to heal a quadriceps injury, Hastings will continue her season in Europe before heading to the worlds.

Both women pledged to finish school while pursuing their pro careers. Solomon has about three semesters left in nursing, while Hastings needs about that long to finish her degree in exercise science.

"Unfortunately, track is a sport where you're window of success is very short," said Hastings, who will turn 21 next month. "When a once in a lifetime opportunity is presented, you have to take advantage of it when you can."

Hastings is arranging meets in Europe while she keeps up her training for the worlds. Solomon will wait to get herself going next season "to join Tasha on the Olympic podium."

The two announced their decisions together and teared up as they left the gathering. They hugged each other and Frye as they took the next step in their careers.