Marseille Medals, Others Reach Finals at SEC Championships
“Our team really just did a good job today,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “Jackson got us on the board with the high jump early, those are a huge five points for us. I’m not only proud of Jackson, but this entire freshman class we have for battling on this stage.”
Marseille was the first non-heptathlete to compete on Friday in the men’s high jump. Marseille only had to clear one bar to put himself in a situation to earn a medal, but couldn’t push past 2.13m (6-11 3/4) to earn the bronze medal outright. Due to the three-way tie, the points that normally go to the third, fourth and fifth finishers were divided up and evenly distributed among those student-athlete’s teams, giving Carolina five team points to begin the day.
With the day split up with all of the men competing first, followed by the women in the evening, it was Filip Demsar who next stepped up and impressed for the Gamecocks. The sophomore had to make the final out of the outside lane, but matched his lifetime best of 7.80 to reach the 60m hurdles on Saturday. The final will be the first for Demsar, who will help add to the Gamecocks’ team point total.
Next was the men’s 800m, which did not disappoint. Lexington, S.C. native, Blake Newcomb qualified for his first SEC final with a lifetime best of 1:50.14. The time helped him finish fifth in the preliminary round and will give the Gamecocks four-straight years of scorers in the 800m at the SEC Indoor Championships (Rayon Buttler – 2020, Otis Jones 2018, 2019). Sophomore Hayden Cobbe nearly joined Newcomb in the final with a personal record of his own at 1:50.27 and an eighth-best time overall, but due to the qualifications of top two in each heat plus the next two best times, Cobbe was left out of Saturday’s final despite his impressive performance.
“Our team is full of kids like Blake, and it is just a testament to our coaching staff,” Frye said. “Guys like Blake, and [Bailey Rogers], that are walk ons and end up contributing at the SEC-level is just great for our program and shows how we can develop anyone no matter what kind of talent level they have coming in. It excites me to see those student-athletes taking full advantage of their opportunity.”
Evan Miller matched Newcomb by making his first SEC final with an impressive run in the 200m. The junior clocked a lifetime-best time of 20.87 to reach the final. The time is also the sixth-fastest in program history and ranks him sixth among the finalists on Saturday.
After the men cleared the building it was Carolina’s female freshman high jumper who scored to begin the day. Rachel Glenn leaped 1.80m (5-10 3/4) to match her PR, and earning her a fifth-place finish in her postseason debut.
A short time later Destinee Rocker got the Gamecocks started on the track with a solid run in the prelims of the 60m hurdles, clocking an 8.18. Rocker, who was making her postseason debut for the Gamecocks, will be the first Gamecock to score in the 60m hurdles at the SEC Indoor Championships since 2017 when Taranisha Taylor finished seventh.
Heather Stone capped off the Gamecocks Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center with another PR to wrap up her indoor season in the 5000m. Stone cruised to a time of 17:02.67 to finish 11th overall, improving her previous best time by eight seconds and giving her the fourth-fastest indoor 5000m time in program history.
Other notable PRs on Friday were Rogers in the 400m, dropping his 400m time to 47.04 to finish in 12th. Knowledge Omovoh finished 10th with her fastest 400m time of her career at 53.17 while both Elisha Brooks and Benjamin Womble both posting personal best point totals in the heptathlon.
For more information on the Gamecocks at the 2021 SEC Indoor Championships, including Thursday’s final results, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com. Subscribe to South Carolina on Stanza to get schedule updates directly in your calendars. Keep up with Carolina track and field on Twitter and Instagram (@GamecockTrack) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the 2021 season.
| FEB. 25-27 • SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS • MEN’S LINEUP | ||
| 60m | ||
| Gatlin Lawson | 16th. 6.95 | |
| 200m | ||
| Evan Miller | 6th. 20.87 (PR) | |
| 400m | ||
| Jackson Junkins | 17th. 48.20 | |
| EJ Richardson | 15th. 47.74 | |
| William Spencer Jr. | DQ | |
| Bailey Rogers | 12th. 47.04 (PR) | |
| 800m | ||
| Hayden Cobbe | 8th. 1:50.27 (PR) | |
| Blake Newcomb | 5th. 1:50.14 (PR) | |
| Mile Run | ||
| Sean Petersen | 17th. 4:13.99 | |
| 60m Hurdles | ||
| Filip Demsar | 6th. 7.80 (T-PR) | |
| Stephon Torrence | 14th. 8.36 | |
| DMR | ||
| Newcomb, Leacock, Cobbe, Petersen | 12th. 9:54.99 (SB) | |
| 4x400m | ||
| Team A | Saturday 4:20 p.m. | |
| Weight | ||
| Malik Paul | 10th. 20.16m (66-0 1/2) | |
| High Jump | ||
| Kobe Franklin | 10th. 2.03m | 6-8 (T-PR) | |
| Jackson Marseille | T3. 2.08m | 6-9 3/4 | |
| Long Jump | ||
| Christian Lewis | 13th. 7.24m | 23-9 | |
| Pole Vault | ||
| Jonathan Togami | Saturday 1:30 p.m. | |
| Dillon McCarthy | Saturday 1:30 p.m. | |
| Heptathlon 60m | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 1st. 6.88 (PR) | |
| Benjamin Womble | 14th. 7.32 (PR) | |
| Heptathlon Long Jump | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 13th. 6.68m (PR) | |
| Benjamin Womble | 17th. 6.24m | |
| Heptathlon Shot Put | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 12th. 11.40m | |
| Benjamin Womble | 10th. 11.49m | |
| Heptathlon High Jump | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 15th. 1.72m | |
| Benjamin Womble | 16th. 1.69m (PR) | |
| Heptathlon 60m Hurdles | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 6th. 8.28 (PR) | |
| Benjamin Womble | 16th. 9.48 (PR) | |
| Heptathlon Pole Vault | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 15th. 3.25m | |
| Benjamin Womble | 12th. 4.05m (PR) | |
| Heptathlon 1000m | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 11th. 2:51.23 (PR) | |
| Benjamin Womble | 14th. 3:04.46 | |
| Heptathlon (Through Four Events) | ||
| Elisha Brooks | 12th. 4878 points (PR) | |
| Benjamin Womble | 15th. 4442 points (PR) | |
| FEB. 25-27 • SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS • WOMEN’S LINEUP | ||
| 400m | ||
| Stephanie Davis | 11th. 53.29 | |
| Angel Frank | 17th. 56.46 | |
| Ashton Lindley | 13th. 54.48 | |
| Knowledge Omovoh | 10th. 53.17 (PR) | |
| Shaianne Sipsey | 18th. 59.38 | |
| 5000m | ||
| Brooke Wilson | 11th. 17:02.67 (PR) | |
| Heather Stone | 15th. 17:29.64 | |
| 60m Hurdles | ||
| Caitlyn Little | 15th. 8.49 | |
| Destinee Rocker | 5th. 8.18 | |
| 4x400m | ||
| Team A | Saturday 8:20 p.m. | |
| Pole Vault | ||
| Hailey Sweatman | 10th. 4.05m | 13-3 1/2 | |
| Kelsey Worthington | –. NH | |
| High Jump | ||
| Dymier Jeffery | –. NH | |
| Rachel Glenn | 5th. 1.80m | 5-10 3/4 | |
| Long Jump | ||
| Synclair Savage | 13th. 5.50m | 18-0 1/2 | |
| Shot Put | ||
| Alycia Springs | Saturday 5:30 p.m. | |
| KD Young | Saturday 5:30 p.m. | |
| Carisma Holland | Saturday 5:30 p.m. | |
| Weight | ||
| KD Young | 13th. 18.19m | 59-8 1/4 | |
