Gamecocks Complete Day 1 at Charlotte Invitational

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina track and field team completed the first day of the Charlotte Invitational on Friday with two Gamecocks picking up victories and Benjamin Womble leading in the decathlon at Irwin Belk Track and Field Center. 

Malik Paul was the highlight of the day in the men’s hammer throw. The senior launched a personal best 62.42m (204-9) to win the event, his first win in the event this season. Paul’s mark was good enough to get him into the South Carolina all-time top 10 in the event, surpassing Tyler Trout’s 2007 mark. 

Hailey Sweatman returned to the winner’s circle on Friday in the women’s pole vault. Sweatman cleared 4.07m (13-4 1/4) to take the victory, earning the tiebreak over Duke’s Julia Valenti based off misses. 

In the men’s decathlon it’s Benjamin Womble who leads after the first day of competition. Womble’s first decathlon of the season started solidly as the senior leads after five events with 3,058 points. Womble used a personal best in the high jump and solid performances in 100m, long jump, shot put and 400m to put him in position to come home with the overall win on Saturday. 

The entire women’s 5000m group posted personal bests to wrap up the day on the track for the Gamecocks. Brooke Wilson was the top finisher for Carolina, earning a sixth-place finish and posting the 10th-fastest time in school history at 17:13.86. Joining Wilson with a personal record was Sarah-Sims McGrath, Katerina Hendrix and Sarah Riser. 

Other notable performances on the first day of the Charlotte Invitational include Anna Kathryn Stoddard in the 1500m. The senior, who posted the school record in the event just last weekend, finished second overall in a solid time of 4:28.36. KD Young also captured a top-three finish in the women’s hammer, posting a mark of 53.22m (174-7). 

South Carolina continues competition tomorrow starting with Womble in the men’s decathlon 110m hurdles at 9 a.m. Field events will begin at 11 a.m. while track events will begin at 12 p.m. with the men’s 4x100m relay. 

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