NEW YORK CITY — Three Gamecocks stood on top of the podium Friday as the University of South Carolina opened competition at the 2019 Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. Yann Randrianasolo started the meet with a men’s long jump victory, while Makyla Stanley (women’s long jump) and Eric Favors (men’s shot put) capped the day with afternoon wins.

Favors’ performance was one of two for the Gamecocks that notched a new mark on the program’s all-time top-10 leaderboard. He moved into fourth in Carolina history in the indoor shot put, while the women’s distance medley relay crew also improved to fourth in school history in their event.

Through one day of competition, both Gamecock squads sit in third place at the scored event. The Carolina women have 32 points, seven behind Florida State, while the Gamecock men earned 31 points Friday, nine less than BYU.

Carolina’s first victory of the weekend came from Randrianasolo, who towered over the men’s long jump. The senior nabbed his first-ever victory at The Armory and his third win of 2019 with an effort of 7.59m (24-11), which came on his second attempt.

Stanley is an Armory veteran, having made the trip to the Big Apple four times, and she used that experience to post one of the best days of her career on Friday. The senior won the long jump with a mark of 5.96m (19-6 ¾), her first-career Armory win. She also ran a PR in the 60m, finishing fifth with a time of 7.48.

Favors ended the afternoon with the most impressive individual performance of the day by a Gamecock. The redshirt junior set a new shot put PR, tallying an impressive mark of 19.38m (63-7) on his final attempt. That’s the fourth-best indoor shot put mark in Carolina history and the ninth-best mark in the NCAA this season. Ben Bonhurst tied for seventh with a throw of 16.88m (55-4 ¾) in his season debut.

The Gamecocks once again made progress in the women’s distance medley relay. The team of Allie Mueller, Jhari Williams, Macie Kavanaugh and Anna Kathryn Stoddard finished in 11:46.08, a two-second improvement over last week’s time. That’s the fourth-best mark in school history and ranks 11th in the NCAA this season. Mueller’s leadoff leg was 3:30.40, and Stoddard’s anchor came in at 4:57.60.

Two Gamecocks scored in the top-eight in women’s shot put. KD Young led the way, finishing seventh with a mark of 14.75m (48-4 ¾). Alycia Springs came in eighth, throwing 14.36m (47-1 ½).

A pair of Gamecocks made it through to the final of the women’s 60m hurdles. Caitlyn Little placed fourth, running 8.37 in the final, and Milan Parks was fifth with a time of 8.50. Parks was stellar in prelims, running 8.36, just off a season best.

In the men’s 60m final, two Gamecocks matched up well with one of the best fields in the nation. Evan Miller finished just off a PR, with his mark of 6.75 in the final good for third place, just behind the winner, five-time All-American Nick Gray of Ohio State. Darrell Singleton Jr. came in fifth, running 6.83.

Carolina got one last personal record Friday from Adele Blalock in the pole vault. The Charleston, S.C., native cleared 3.75m (12-3 ½) on her first try to finish sixth and score for the Gamecocks.

FROM THE COACH