April 20, 2018
Outdoor Meet #7 — USC Open
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 2018 home schedule comes to an end on Saturday for the University of South Carolina track & field team as the Gamecocks host the 2018 USC Open. Events begin at 9 a.m. ET at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track.
In addition to Saturday’s competition, the Gamecocks will honor their 2018 senior class at their final home collegiate competition. Senior Day ceremonies will begin at approximately 4 p.m. ET.
The Gamecocks will once again welcome a large field to Cregger Track on Saturday. Allen, Belmont Abbey, Bob Jones, Campbell, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Coastal Carolina, Columbia College, Columbia International, Converse, Florida A&M, Furman, Johnson C. Smith, Limestone, Livingstone, Methodist, Montreat, Morris, St. Andrews, Savannah State, USC Upstate, South Carolina State, Southern Connecticut State, Southern Wesleyan, Voorhees and Wofford are scheduled to compete at this week’s meet.
ADMISSION
Admission to the 2018 USC Open is free.
PARKING
Fan parking is available on the top three levels of the Heyward Street parking garage, located at 1300 Heyward Street, and is also available in the street-level parking spaces located on Heyward Street and adjacent roads. Overflow parking is available in Lot AD9 located at the corner of Whaley and Pickens Streets. Parking is limited in Lot AD9 and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
FOOD & DRINK
Concessions will be available at Cregger Track throughout the meet. Outside food and drink will not be permitted inside of the Cregger Track facility, with the exception of one clear, sealed plastic bottle of water.
FROM THE COACH
“We expect to go to Penn Relays (next week) and have a good showing, so we need to get some things ironed out before we go, particularly the 4x100m relay. We need to see if we can make the Championship of America section on both sides. We’re also looking at the 4x400m relay. We need to see if we can get our men to run a time that gets us into the `A’ section of the conference meet. The last opportunity for a lot of our kids to get a qualifying time is here at the USC Open.” — Head Coach Curtis Frye
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (Click to Expand)
LAST TIME OUT • APRIL 12-14 • SIX GAMECOCKS EARN TENNESSEE RELAYS VICTORIES
Six Gamecocks were victorious at the Tennessee Relays as Carolina got its first look at this season’s SEC Championship venue. Aliyah Abrams (400m), Josh Awotunde (shot put), Shelby Freedman (javelin), Yann Randrianasolo (long jump), Ncincilili Titi (200m) and Armand Woodley (pole vault) each topped the leaderboard in a single event at Tom Black Track. In addition to the six wins, the Gamecocks etched five new marks into the program’s top-10 records list.
Randrianasolo was perhaps the top Gamecock in action, jumping 26-2 ¾. That’s the second-best long jump effort in Carolina outdoor history. Titi also logged a big PR, supplementing his 200m victory with a run of 10.19 in the 100. That’s the fifth-fastest time in school history.
In addition to the victorious Gamecocks, several additional Carolina student-athletes moved up the school’s all-time record list. Otis Jones finished fourth in the 800m, and he did so in 1:48.38; that’s the sixth-fastest time in Carolina history. Lissa Labiche jumped 5-11 ¼ in the high jump, fourth on the school’s records list, while Hanifah Abdulqadir jumped 5-8 ¾, the program’s six-best mark.
LAST YEAR AT THE USC OPEN
The Gamecocks led the field with 11 victories last season at the USC Open. Among current Gamecocks, Allie Mueller (1500m), Yann Randrianasolo (long jump), Rougui Sow (long jump), Otis Jones (800m), Eric Favors (shot put) and Tye Williams (high jump) earned individual victories. For the relays, the men’s 4x100m and the women’s 4×400 won at home in the final tune-ups before last season’s Penn Relays.
For Favors and Mueller, the victories were the first of their collegiate careers. Carolina also recognized their 2017 senior class last season at the USC Open.
GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA EAST REGION INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Through five weeks of outdoor competition, the Gamecocks have 20 individual student-athletes and two relay teams accounting for 25 NCAA Division I East Regional top-50 marks in their respective events. The top-48 in each event at the conclusion of the SEC Championships will qualify for the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round, May 24-26 in Tampa, Fla.
• Ncincilili Titi is a contender in two events. His 200m time of 20.36 is listed second in the region (fourth in the NCAA), and his 100m season best, 10.19, ranks ninth regionally (14th nationally).
• Rougui Sow jumped a season-best 21-6 at the Spec Towns Invitational, fourth in the region and fifth in the NCAA. Makyla Stanley holds the No. 30 spot at 19-11 ¾.
• Josh Awotunde is ranked fourth in the men’s shot put at 65-2 ¼, which holds the No. 6 mark in the NCAA, while Eric Favors checks in 11th at 61-5 ½.
• Yann Randrianasolo has been on fire as of late, and his long jump mark of 26-2 ¾ from the Tennessee Relays is the fourth-best mark regionally and holds the No. 7 mark in the NCAA In the triple jump, he ranks 44th with an effort of 49-2 ½.
• Lissa Labiche shot up 30 spots with her high jump mark of 5-11 ¼ at Tennessee Relays. That is listed fifth regionally and eighth nationally. Hanifah Abdulqadir is listed 21st in the region, at 5-8 ¾.
• Abdulqadir made her triple jump debut at the Florida Relays, and she ranks sixth in the East at 42-11 ¾. That’s 11th-best in the NCAA.
• Otis Jones posted a new 800m PR at the Tennessee Relays; his time of 1:48.38 ranks eighth in the region.
• Two Gamecocks are listed in the 400m. Aliyah Abrams ranks eighth, at 52.78, and Stephanie Davis holds the 50th spot, at 54.41.
• Two Gamecocks are ranked in women’s shot put listings: KD Young (52-4 ½; 12th) Alycia Springs (51-5 ¾; 18th).
• Rivaldo Leacock is listed 13th in the 400mH with a time of 51.60.
• Awotunde is currently 21st regionally in the discus, at 179-1, a mark achieved at the Gamecock Invitational.
• Shelby Freedman is ranked 26th in javelin, throwing 153-2 in her season-opener.
• In the men’s pole vault, Armand Woodley is ranked 26th in the East with a mark of 16-10 ¾.
• The Gamecocks have two 100mH athletes listed: Milan Parks (13.49; 31st) and Caitlyn Little (13.50; 33rd)
• Hailey Sweatman‘s pole vault PR of 13-1 ½, set in chilly conditions at the Weems Baskin Invitational, is ranked 32nd in the region. Adele Blalock set a personal best of 12-9 ½ at the Tennessee Relays, listed 47th.
• Abrams is also ranked 42nd in the 200m, with a time of 23.55.
• Tye Williams made his outdoor high jump season debut at the Tennessee Relays, with his mark of 6-9 ½ ranking 46th in the East.
• Markus Leemet is ranked 11th nationally in the decathlon, with 7,351 points. The top-16 in the nation at the end of the conference championship weekend advance to the NCAA Championships regardless of region.
• Two Carolina women’s relays are highly-ranked; the Gamecock 4x100m squad is listed 24th (44.90) and the 4×4 squad is slotted 36th this week (3:39.95).
APRIL 6-7 • CAROLINA FINDS SUCCESS AT SPEC TOWNS INVITATIONAL, GAMECOCK INVITATIONAL
Three Gamecocks won their events April 7 at the Gamecock Invitational, the team’s second home meet of the season. Aliyah Abrams won the 400m, while Josh Awotunde took home the discus title and KD Young captured the shot put. Young’s performance was perhaps the most significant; her mark of 52-4 ½ ranks sixth in Carolina history.
Several Gamecocks also took part in the Spec Towns Invitational, April 6-7 in Athens, Ga. Yann Randrianasolo won the long jump competition at Georgia, while Lissa Labiche took third in her outdoor high jump collegiate debut.
Two-time NCAA qualifier Markus Leemet made his season debut in the decathlon. The senior scored 7,351 points, the 10th-best mark in the NCAA this season.
MARCH 29-31 • TITI, SPRINGS NET VICTORIES AT FLORIDA RELAYS
Two Gamecocks were victorious at the Florida Relays, held March 29-31 in Gainesville, Fla. The most impressive performance came from Ncincilili Titi, who made his season-debut outdoors and ran a blistering-fast 20.36 in the 200m despite cold, rainy conditions. Titi’s time ranks tops in the East Region and second in the NCAA so far this season. There’s still plenty left in the tank for the senior, who ran faster than 20.36 three times last season.
Carolina’s second win came from Alycia Springs, who took the collegiate flight of the shot put. The sophomore’s mark of 51-5 3/4 is a new PR and ranks seventh in Carolina history.
Josh Awotunde made his outdoor shot put season debut in Florida, finishing second with a mark of 64-10 3/4. That’s the fifth-best effort in the NCAA so far this season. Hanifah Abdulqadir competed in the triple jump for the first time outdoors this year, finishing third with an effort of 42-11 3/4. That’s the fourth-best effort in Carolina history and ranks sixth in the nation. The Gamecocks also got podium finishes out of their men’s sprint medley relay and women’s shuttle hurdle relay teams.
MARCH 23-24 • GAMECOCKS DOMINATE WEEMS BASKIN INVITATIONAL
South Carolina hosted the Weems Baskin Invitational March 23-24 and won 10 events, the most of the 50 teams in Columbia. Over 1,500 student-athletes competed at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track, setting a new meet record.
Individually, Yann Randrianasolo led the way; his long jump mark of 25-9 1/2 ranks fifth in Carolina history and fourth in the NCAA East Regional. Eric Favors also had a career day in the shot put. His mark of 61-5 1/2 ranks sixth in Carolina history and fifth in the region. Last but not least on the men’s side, Josh Awotunde earned a win; he threw 178-3 in the discus in his first outdoor meet of 2018.
On the women’s side, Aliyah Abrams was part of three wins, including an individual victory in the 400m, her second week in a row winning the event. Shelby Freedman (javelin) and Hailey Sweatman (pole vault) also won for the second-straight week. Sweatman set a new PR with a vault of 13-1 1/2, which is listed ninth in the region. Amanda Murphy earned her first collegiate victory, taking the open hammer throw. Finally, the Carolina women earned victories in the 4×300, 4×400 and 4×800 relays, with Abrams running the first leg on the 4×3 and 4×4.
MARCH 16-17 • FOUR GAMECOCKS VICTORIOUS AT BLACK & GOLD CHALLENGE
The South Carolina track & field team opened the 2018 outdoor season at the Black & Gold Challenge, hosted in Orlando, Fla., by UCF. Following several weeks of indoor postseason competition plus a week of training in the Florida sun, Carolina sent a slimmed-down lineup to compete over the weekend, but those that were in action started the outdoor season on the right foot.
Four Gamecocks tallied an event win. On Friday, Hailey Sweatman won the pole vault; her mark of 12-11 1/2 was a new PR and the seventh-best mark in Gamecock history. Shelby Freedman also was victorious, winning the javelin in her first collegiate meet since the 2016 outdoor season.
On Saturday, another returning Gamecock earned a victory, as Aliyah Abrams returned for her first event since the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships to take the 400m. Her time of 52.90 was her best season-opener yet. Rivaldo Leacock also got into the winner’s circle with a victory in the 400mH on the men’s side.
TITI NAMED SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
University of South Carolina senior Ncincilili Titi earned SEC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors on Feb. 21. Titi is the fourth Gamecock in history to win the league’s Scholar-Athlete honor in track & field, joining Natasha Hastings (2007), Marvin Reitze (2012) and Jeannelle Scheper (2015). Titi finished fifth nationally in the 200m and holds a 3.400 GPA.
SEVEN GAMECOCKS EARN ALL-AMERICA LAURELS AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Carolina sent seven student-athletes to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas. Josh Awotunde (shot put), Ncincilili Titi (200m) and Rougui Sow (long jump) earned First-Team All-America honors, with Awotunde’s bronze-medal finish leading the way. Titi placed fifth in his event, and Sow eighth. The All-America honor was Titi’s seventh, while Sow became a three-time First-Team honoree.
Four additional Gamecocks qualified for the meet and left as Second-Team All-Americans: Hanifah Abdulqadir (triple jump), Jordan Fields (high jump), Lissa Labiche (high jump) and Yann Randrianasolo (long jump). All four Gamecocks left College Station with their first career All-America honor.
The South Carolina men finished tied for 21st, their best finish since 2010.
QUARLES EARNS USTFCCCA REGION ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR LAURELS
Assistant head coach Delethea Quarles was named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced at the conclusion of the indoor season. Quarles, who is in charge of Carolina’s jumpers and multi athletes, guided five of her student-athletes to NCAA Indoor Championships berths.
“This is long overdue. This award hasn’t existed for very long, but in my opinion Coach Dee has been a coach of the year for 20 years,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “Coach Dee could have won this award many times before, but there are a lot of great teams and great coaches in our region. She’s a mentor to so many young coaches in our business, and so many coaches around the business are excited to see Coach Dee get her due. I’m so happy she’s finally being recognized by her peers; it says a tremendous amount about how well-respected she is in our profession.”
FOUR GAMECOCKS NAMED INDOOR ALL-SEC PICKS
Four members of the University of South Carolina track & field team were honored as All-Southeastern Conference selections for the 2018 indoor season. Josh Awotunde earned First-Team All-SEC laurels, Lissa Labiche and Yann Randrianasolo were Second-Team honorees and KD Young was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Awotunde was honored as a First-Team selection after winning the shot put at the 2018 SEC Indoor Championships. The senior from Franklinville, N.J., dominated the field, and his mark of 21.33m (69-11 ¾) set a new SEC meet record and a new Carolina program record. It’s ranked as the 10th-best mark in collegiate history.
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
The Gamecocks open the championship section of their 2018 season next week at the Penn Relays. The meet runs April 26-28 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
