Gamecocks Begin 2020 With a Bang at Orange and Purple Elite

CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of South Carolina track and field team was back in action to begin the 2020 season at the Orange and Purple Elite. The Gamecocks picked up three total victories and three different athletes contributed to three new program top 10 performances.
 
“Our team gave a good effort today,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “It was a great track meet with a lot of top teams in the country running. Our team did not back off, they competed and we had a few top 10 performances that we are proud of.”
 
A pair of the Gamecocks victories came early in the day with Malik Paul picking up the first one in the men’s weight throw. Paul’s throw of 18.48m (60-07.75) was good enough to claim the top spot by nearly two full meters.
 
Shortly after Paul’s victory, Hailey Sweatman was able to claim a victory in the women’s pole vault. The senior waited patiently and didn’t enter the competition until the height reached 4.05m (13-3.5). She was able to clear that mark with just one miss and her closest competitor had more misses previously so Sweatman, with the victory secured, moved up to 4.30m to attempt a new program record. She missed all three attempts but got her 2020 season off on the right foot with the victory.
 
The final individual victory came later in the meet when Evan Miller picked up his second straight victory at the Clemson Indoor Track Complex. Miller posted a 21.19, just 0.08 slower than his season opening time back in December in Clemson. Miller’s 21.16 is still the third fastest time in the country.

“To come off of the holidays, without the personal attention and having to work himself out, to come back with another time close to his season opener is a really good effort,” Frye said of Miller. “And to make the finals in the 60m, he and Singleton Jr., that was a good effort to get into that final.”
 
With the squad consisting of Stephanie Davis, Pearl Nagbe, Shaianne Sipsey and De’Andreah Young the Gamecocks were able to claim second place in the 4x400m relay. Their 3:42.12 is good enough for the fourth fastest time in the country this season.
 
A few of South Carolina’s top 10 were broken into throughout the meet. The 1000m was broken into on both the men’s and women’s side. Sierra Biber posted a 3:00.15 to give her the seventh fastest time in program history while Blake Newcomb’s first ever attempt at the 1000m put him at No. 10 in program history with his time of 2:30.08. For Newcomb, the time was good enough to finish in seventh.
 
After ending the Clemson Opener with a false start in the final, newcomer Destinee Rocker made up for that with a top 10 performance in the 60m hurdles. She pushed her new personal record to 8.25 which also propelled her to No. 7 on the all-time top 10 in Gamecock history. Her time was good enough to finish in fourth overall.

“Rocker had a great run today,” Frye added. “She had the second fastest collegiate time of the meet with a couple of unattached athletes running as well.”
 
In the shot put, Eric Favors made his season debut by posting a second-place finish with a toss of 18.91m (62-0.5). Stephanie Davis moved from the 300m in the Clemson Opener to the 200m in the Orange and Purple Elite and claimed third place with a solid time of 23.60. Rivaldo Leacock improved his personal record in the 400m with an impressive time of 48.22m to take third and also finished as the top attached 400m athlete at the meet.
 
South Carolina will return to action on Jan. 17-18 when they host their first meet of the season, the Gamecock Opener. For more information on the Gamecocks, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com.

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