“This week is a big week for us, even if it is the week before the SECs. We know this is Arinze Chance’s last chance to run in front of the home fans and his friends. We’re so excited for him and we are so thankful to have had him as a part of our team over the past few seasons. We’ve had some exciting results at home, and we know outdoor is coming but this indoor season has been so exciting for our team. We still have to take care of our bodies before the conference meet, but we are just so excited for the opportunity to run at home again.”– Head Coach Curtis Frye

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (click to expand)

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LAST TIME OUT – TIGER PAW INVITE

In a loaded field of competition the Gamecocks picked up two collegiate victories at the 2020 Tiger Paw Invite. Heather Stone was the victor in the 5000m while Alycia Springs was the collegiate winner in the shot put. Both Stone and Springs’ performance were good enough to break into or improve their spot on the indoor program top 10 lists. 

In total the Gamecocks put up 20 personal bests, with Stephanie Davis’ 400m time of 52.60 highlighting Carolina’s performances in Clemson. Davis now is No. 11 in the country in the 400m. Aliyah Abrams made her season debut in the 400m and clocked the 15th-best time in the country at 53.04. Hanifah Abdulqadir also had a great meet, tying her personal best in the triple jump at 13.21m. She now sits at No. 16 in the country this season. 

The men’s throws group had a great outing, highlighted by Eric Favors personal best in the shot put. Favors 19.49m is now No. 16 in the country while Malik Paul’s 20.03 in the men’s weight throw put him in the top 50 in the country. 

JONATHAS WINS USATF INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Four University of South Carolina track and field legends were in action at the 2020 USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., last weekend. Wadeline Jonathas highlighted the successful weekend for the former Gamecocks, winning her first USATF National Championship in the 400m.
 
“All of our athletes on the professional circuit have been workers their entire life,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “We are so proud of their development and it is truly great to see Gamecocks competing so well on this stage heading into the 2020 Olympics.”
 
Jonathas not only captured the national championship, but also set a new world leading time in the semifinals at 51.32. The U.S. indoor championship for Jonathas is the first by a South Carolina track and field athlete since Natasha Hastings captured gold in the 300m back in 2015. Jonathas recently turned pro, but still trains at the University of South Carolina while she completes her degree.

FEB. 7-8 – SOUTH CAROLINA INVITE

It was senior pole vaulter Hailey Sweatman who lit a fire under the Gamecocks at the South Carolina Invitational. To end Friday’s action Sweatman reached a new school record for the Gamecocks (indoor or outdoor) to move into the top 10 in the country this season at 4.35m (14-3 3/4). To read a full story on Sweatman’s accomplishment, click here.

Carolina had six events leap into the NCAA top 20 and had over 40 personal bests at the Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex. The Garnet and Black had seven event winners with four individuals either entering or improving their program top 10 marks. Eric Favors improved his Irish indoor national record in the shot put to win the event and move to No. 16 in the country at 19.43m (63-9). Jordan Fields found herself in the NCAA top 10 after reaching 1.80m (5-10 3/4) in the high jump. Hanifah Abdulqadir eclipsed 13-meters in the triple jump for the first time in two years to sit in the NCAA top 15 while Anna Kathryn Stoddard and Blake Newcomb both put up program top 10 times in the 5000m and the 800m, respctively. 

The women’s 4x400m relay team had a pair of season debuts on its squad, with Knowledge Omovoh and Aliyah Abrams running on the Gamecocks ‘A’ team for the first time this season. The crew put up a time of 3:35.10, the seventh-fastest time in the country this season. 

QUINCY HALL NAMED TO THE BOWERMAN MID INDOOR SEASON LIST

University of South Carolina senior Quincy Hall was named to The Bowerman mid indoor season list, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Thursday afternoon.
 
For Hall, it is his third straight appearance on The Bowerman list. Hall’s first appearance was following an NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 400m hurdles in 2019. He also won the NACAC U23 Championship with Team USA in the 400m hurdles after the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Hall made his 2020 season debut at the Carolina Challenge in the men’s 4x400m relay. The team put up the fifth fastest 4x400m relay time in indoor program history with Hall anchoring the team. The 3:06.63 sits as the fourth-fastest time in the country this season.

Joining Hall on the Bowerman Watch List are Trey Cunningham of Florida State, Northern Arizona’s Tyler Day, Devis Dixon of Texas A&M, Gleb Dudarev of Kansas, Johannes Erm of Georgia, LSU’s JuVaughn Harrison, South Dakota’s Pole Vaulter Chris Nilsen, Tennessee’s Darryl Sullivan and Trevor Stuwart of North Carolina A&T.

Both the University of South Carolina women and men’s track & field team sit in the top-15 for the first time this season in the U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national computer rankings, it was announced Monday. Both programs are ranked at No. 15, with the women moving up one spot and the men moving up five spots.
 
The five spots the Gamecock men moved up was the second-best improvement among teams in top 20 in week three. The Gamecock men feature five events that contribute to their ranking while the women have 11 events that qualify for the ranking.
 
The Carolina women have finished in the top-25 in each of the past four indoor seasons, including a 7th-place result at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships while the men finished 20th last season.
 

FEB. 7-8 – CAROLINA CHALLENGE

It was another weekend filled with personal bests for the University of South Carolina track and field team at the 2020 Carolina Challenge. The Gamecocks combined for 37 personal records between Friday and Saturday and added the fourth best time in the country this season in the men’s 4x400m relay.
 
With a time of 3:06.63, South Carolina’s men’s 4x400m relay team put up the fifth-fastest indoor time in school history with the help of senior Quincy Hall who made his 2020 season debut. Freshman EJ Richardson led off the race followed by senior Arinze Chance, freshman William Spencer Jr. and Hall anchored the impressive Carolina run. Hall’s split of 45.59 was the highlight, and best, of the group while Chance’s 46.59 was the second fastest split.

The Garnet and Black picked up a total of five victories during the weekend. Led by an Irish indoor national record, Eric Favors brought home the win in the men’s shot put. At 19.01m (62-4 1/2) Favors was able to easily win the event and in turn made a splash after a three-week break between competition. Hannah Twine entered the top-10 indoor times in the 5000m, in her first appearance in the event, while Heather Stone did the same in the 3000m. Evan Miller picked up a win in the men’s 200m, shaving off his personal best to reach 21.01. Back in the field it was Jordan Fields (High Jump) and Hanifah Abdulqadir (Triple Jump) who both picked up collegiate wins their respective events. 

JAN. 24-25 – DR. SANDER COLUMBIA CHALLENGE

Led off by Hailey Sweatman in the women’s pole vault, the Gamecocks finished their trip to New York City with a total of four victories in one of the nation’s most competitive indoor meets on the east coast. Jordan Fields (High Jump), Stephanie Davis (200m) and the men’s 4x400m relay team helped capture the other wins for the Gamecocks in the Big Apple. 

Sweatman’s victory is her fourth-straight this season. She improved her indoor personal best to 4.20m (13-9 1/4) and now sits in the top 20 in the nation. For Fields, it was her first competition of the season and the Jacksonville, Fla. native did not disappoint. She leaped her way to 1.75m (5-8 3/4) and the win. Davis continued her impressive season with another 200m victory, the junior clocked 23.94 and helped the Gamecocks finish as the runner-up at the meet as a team. On the men’s side the 4x400m relay team cruised to a 3:10.27 with the squad comprised of Arinze Chance, Rivaldo Leacock, EJ Richardson and William Spencer Jr. 

Carolina also had a trio of runner-up finishers at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. Darrell Singleton Jr. improved his season-best time to 6.75 and finished in second while Destinee Rocker finished in second with a time of 8.268 in a photo finish race. Amanda Murphy’s toss of 18.40m (60-4 1/2) gave her the seventh-best mark in program history and the second place finish in the weight throw. 
 

JAN. 17-18 – GAMECOCK OPENER

The University of South Carolina track and field team claimed six victories at the squad’s first action at home. Hailey Sweatman (Pole Vault) and Destinee Rocker (60m hurdles) were the two victors on the women’s side while Arinze Chance (300m) and Stephon Torrence (60m hurdles) added two victories on the men’s side for Carolina. Malik Paul (Weight Throw) and the Gamecocks Distance Medley Relay team consisting of Maryah Nasir, Macie Kavanaugh, Isabella Pisani and Anna Kathryn Stoddard added a pair of victories for the Gamecocks on Saturday. 

For Sweatman, the victory is her third in as many meets during the young 2019-20 campaign. She reached at least 4.05m (13-3 1/2) for the third time this season. Sweatman’s best mark of the season (4.10m) still has her in the top 10 in the country. In his first race back with the Gamecocks, senior Arinze Chance demolished the field in the 300m, nearly winning the event by a full second with a time of 33.08, just 0.08 off of his personal record.
 
After two preliminary rounds for the hurdles, Stephon Torrence and Destinee Rocker both found themselves in a highly competitive final in the 60m hurdles. For Rocker, her 8.30 was good enough for second place overall, but the top collegiate time. Torrence took down his personal record he recorded at the junior college championships last season by 0.01 to take second place overall and the top collegiate time at 7.86. Paul tossed a pair of personal record marks during the weight throw with his 19.27m (63-2 ¾) enough to claim the win. For the Distance Medley Relay, it was their first chance at putting up a mark this season. The team of Nasir, Kananaugh, Pisani and Stoddard nearly reached a top-10 program mark and their time of 11:49.88 now sits as the No. 12 time in the country.

JAN. 11 – ORANGE AND PURPLE ELITE

The Gamecocks picked up three total victories at the first meet of the 2020 campaign with three different athletes contributing to three new program top 10 performances.
 
South Carolina’s first victory came via Malik Paul in the men’s weight throw. Paul’s toss of 18.48m (60-7 3/4) was good enough to claim the top spot by nearly two full meters. Evan Miller continued his winning ways in the 200m with his second victory in as many attempts this season. His 21.19, just 0.08 slower than his season opening time back in December, was good enough for another Gamecock victory. 

Back in the field events, senior pole vaulter Hailey Sweatman captured her second victory of the season with a 4.05m (13-3 1/2) vault. The senior waited patiently and didn’t enter the competition until the height reached 4.05m (13-3.5), a mark good enough for the victory. 
 

DECEMBER 7 – CLEMSON OPENER

South Carolina has already competed once in the 2019-20 season, taking its sprinters, hurdles and pole vaulters to the Clemson Opener on Dec. 7. The Gamecocks dominated, winning six of the 11 events they entered.
 
On the women’s side the Gamecocks picked up three victories with Stephanie Davis’ 37.10 in the 300m highlighting them. Her time was good enough for the third fastest in program history and is now the 14^th fastest time in collegiate history. Other victories included the mile relay consisting of Davis, Pearl Nagbe, Shaianne Sipsey and De’Andreah Young. Hailey Sweatman also started her season with a strong performance in pole vault with a winning mark of 4.10m.
 
The men picked up the remaining three victories, with freshman EJ Richardson claiming the victory in the 400m while Evan Miller’s 21.16 was good enough for the top spot in the 200m. The men’s 4x400m relay team of Richardson, William Spencer Jr., Jordan Sessom and Rivaldo Leacock claimed the final victory of the meet with a strong time of 3:10.05.

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