April 21, 2018

Outdoor Meet #7 ââ’¬” USC Open

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior sprinter Ncincilili Titi smashed his own University of South Carolina record in the 200m dash Saturday as the Gamecocks wrapped up their 2018 home campaign at the USC Open. Titi crossed the line in 20.00, which is the fastest time in the NCAA and the third-fastest time in the world this outdoor season.

A native of Butterworth, South Africa, Titi’s final appearance at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track was his best yet. Titi had already broken new ground before he stepped into the blocks for his heat of the 200m, having run a wind-aided mark of 10.16 to set a new 100m personal best, which ranks fourth in Carolina history.

But when the gun sounded for the 200, Titi left one final incredible mark at Cregger Track. Last season, he set the school 200m record for the first time with a mark of 20.14 at the Gamecock Invitational. He bettered that mark by .14 seconds on Saturday and in the process, moved to the top of the NCAA leaderboard this season.

Titi’s event victory was one of 18 for the Gamecocks, who dominated the action in front of a packed crowd at Cregger Track. That’s a season-high for Carolina, and the Gamecocks also made eight new additions to the program’s all-time top-10 record book.

Carolina’s first win of the day came in the hammer, where Amanda Murphy took the title with an effort of 175-5. That mark ranks seventh in Carolina history, and KD Young came in second with a throw of 172-4, which ranks 10th on the school’s record list.

The Gamecocks also swept the top two spots in the women’s 4x100m relay. Makyla Stanley, Maiya Dendy, Milan Parks and Amecia Pennamon ran 45.73 to win, while Aliyah Abrams, Stephanie Davis, Caitlyn Little and Tatyana Mills were right behind them in 46.33.

Carolina added a third morning victory when Makyla Stanley was victorious in the women’s long jump. The junior’s top attempt was her first, which was measured at 18-7 ¼.

Yann Randrianasolo added a second long jump victory for the Gamecocks, winning the men’s competition. One week after moving up to seventh on the NCAA national leaderboard, Randrianasolo jumped 24-5 for his fourth long jump triumph of the outdoor season.

Senior Precious Holmes earned her first victory of the season in her final home event at Cregger Track. The New Haven, Conn., native took the 400m, with her time of 55.45 nearly two seconds better than the field.

Bryce Simpson earned his first career victory Saturday in the pole vault. The Mechanicsburg, Va., native set a new PR, clearing 15-11.

Junior Milan Parks continues to improve each and every week, and she posted another career day in the 100m Hurdles. Parks ran a wind-aided PR of 13.36 in prelims, which ranks ninth in Carolina history, and she won the final with a wind-legal mark of 13.39 that ranks 40th in the NCAA this season. That’s the fourth time this season Parks has set a new collegiate best in the event. Caitlyn Little finished second and Funlayo Oluwole took the bronze in a Carolina podium sweep.

In the women’s 800m Allie Mueller paced the field with her best-ever time in the event. Mueller stopped the clock in 2:12.71 for the victory, with Sierra Biber coming in second.

Carolina also crossed the line first in the men’s 800m. Sumter, S.C., native Otis Jones took the honors, collecting his first victory of the 2018 outdoor season with a time of 1:52.29.

An NCAA Championships qualifier indoors in the triple jump, Hanifah Abdulqadir continues to make a mark in her first outdoor campaign with the Gamecocks. The junior upped her collegiate best to 43-2 ½ on Saturday, winning the event with the fourth-best mark in Carolina history and the ninth-best effort in the NCAA this season.

One week after making his outdoor season debut in Tennessee, Tye Williams hit an identical mark – 6-9 ½ – in the men’s high jump. That was good enough to earn a victory for the 2017 first-team All-American.

After earning the 400m victory in four of her first five events this season, Abrams switched to the 200m and won again. The redshirt sophomore crossed the line in a wind-aided mark of 23.40, a new collegiate best and just outside of Carolina’s career top-10. Pennamon came in second.

Carolina took the top three spots in the women’s high jump. Lissa Labiche was the winner, jumping 5-10 ½ for the victory. Jordan Fields grabbed the silver, with her mark of 5-8 ½ ranking eighth in Carolina history, and Abdulqadir capped her day with a third-place finish.

Senior Josh Awotunde earned a win in the shot put Saturday in his final Cregger Track appearance. Awotunde threw 64-4 for his fourth win of the outdoor campaign, including his second in the shot put. Teammate Eric Favors came in second.

Sophomore Alycia Springs climbed the Carolina record books Saturday in a winning shot put performance. Springs threw a new PR of 52-2, which ranks eighth in Gamecock history and 32nd nationally this season. KD Young came in second.

Carolina capped the action on the track with a win in the women’s 4x400m relay. Davis, Holmes, Mills and Briana Haith crossed the line in 3:52.00 to take the title by nearly three seconds.

The last victory of the day came from Favors, who brought home the discus title with a mark of 164-0. Awotunde came in second, tallying 161-0.

Though she didn’t win her event Saturday, pole-vaulter Hailey Sweatman had one of the most impressive performances of the day for the Gamecocks. Sweatman cleared 13-9 ¼, a massive personal best that ranks second in Carolina history. The sophomore improved from 59th to 14th on the national leaderboard with that effort.

FROM THE COACH