Carolina Track and Field Collects Four Wins on Opening Day of Weems Baskin
The Gamecocks grabbed wins in three relays and one individual event
COLUMBIA—The South Carolina track and field teams kicked off Weems Baskin on Friday with a day full of action on their home track, the Sheila and Morris Cregger Track.
“I’m so proud of our team,” said head coach Curtis Frye. “It’s always great to be home and have our kids perform well in their first time out at home. Everybody that got a shot gave a great effort and that’s what we look for. We thought they did well.”
The Gamecocks totaled four wins on the opening day of competition.
Kayla Racine won the women’s hammer throw with a personal-best mark of 56.64m/185-10. Racine’s toss also catapults her to No. 5 on the South Carolina all-time outdoor performance list. KD Young was the runner-up for the Gamecocks. She was two centimeters off her own personal best and tossed the hammer 56.36m/184-11.
The women’s 4X800-meter relay team of Kieley Gayle, Macie Kavanaugh, Alex Costantino and Grace Zamrowski took home a victory with a time of 9:04.22. That time ranks ninth in school history in the event. The quartet of Emily Smith, Ally Wilson, Elizabeth Davison and Briana Reckling finished as the event’s runner-up.
In the 5,000 meters, Kira Jenkins earned a top-10 finish with a time of 18:14.03. She finished sixth in her second 5,000-meter race of the outdoor season. Jenkins now has two top-10 finishes in two tries this season.
On the men’s side, the Gamecocks captured two relay victories on Friday.
A Weems Baskin tradition, the 4X300-meter relay was dominated by the Gamecocks. The team of William Spencer Jr., EJ Richardson, Jackson Junkins and Doval Simmonds took the victory with a time of 2:16.26. The quartet of Evan Miller, Anthony Greenhow, Jr., Dominic Dutton and Prescott Jefferson took second in 2:19.38.
The Gamecocks’ 4X800-meter relay team also was victorious. The squad of Kyle Reers, Aidan Hatton, Alexander Galbraith and Jack Mensch won the event with a time of 7:46.61.
Christian Lewis took third in the men’s invitational section of the long jump. Lewis took third place with a wind-aided mark of 7.38m/24-2.50.
The Gamecocks return to the Sheila and Morris Cregger Track at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the second and final day of Weems Baskin.
Men’s Individual Results
4X300-Meter Relay
1. Spencer Jr., Richardson, Junkins, Simmonds – 2:16.26
2. Miller, Greenhow, Jr., Dutton, Jefferson – 2:19.38
4X800-Meter Relay
1. Reers, Hatton, Galbraith, Mensch – 7:46.61
Long Jump
17. Desmond Gaillard – 6.62m/21-8.75
Long Jump Invitational
3. Christian Lewis – 7.38m/24-2.50w
Javelin
17. Elisha Brooks – 44.71m/146-8
Women’s Individual Results
100 Meters
18. Devyn McMichael – 12.36
5,000 Meters
6. Kira Jenkins – 18:14.03
–. Katerina Hendrix – DNF
4X800-Meter Relay
1. Gayle, Kavanaugh, Costantino, Zamrowski – 9:04.22
2. Smith, Wilson, Davison, Reckling – 9:45.93
Hammer Throw
1. Kayla Racine – 56.64m/185-10
2. KD Young – 56.36m/184-11