March 23, 2018
Outdoor Meet #2 — Weems Baskin Invitational
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina track & field team began its 2018 home schedule Friday with the opening day of the Weems Baskin Invitational. Over 1,500 student-athletes were in action at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track, including four individual Carolina winners and two winning Gamecock relay teams.
Yann Randrianasolo‘s personal-record effort in the men’s long jump was the highlight of the day for the Gamecocks, and the senior was joined at the top of the podium by teammates Rougui Sow (women’s long jump invitational), Shelby Freedman (women’s javelin invitational) and Amanda Murphy (women’s open hammer throw). Carolina also took home titles in the women’s 4×300 and 4×800 relay events.
Randrianasolo took the long jump invitational, with his sixth attempt stacking up as the best of his collegiate career. The senior jumped 25-9 ½ (7.86m), the top long jump mark in the NCAA this season and the third-best mark in Carolina history.
Murphy was Carolina’s first winner of the weekend, earning the triumph in the open division of the women’s hammer throw. The redshirt freshman picked up her first collegiate victory with her first attempt, a mark of 169-8. That throw was just five inches short of a spot on Carolina’s all-time top-10 list.
Freedman earned a win for the second week in a row as she captured the javelin invitational. The 2016 All-American threw 151-11 on her first attempt, which was more than four feet better than the field.
Sow opened her outdoor long jump season with an invitational win on Friday. The three-time All-American jumped 20-10 ¾ to open her campaign. Teammate Makyla Stanley set a PR and finished fourth; her mark of 19-11 ¾ ranks 10th in Carolina history.
Carolina trailed three-quarters of the way through the women’s 4x800m relay, but Allie Mueller‘s fourth-leg comeback guided the Gamecocks to victory. Mueller was joined by Sierra Biber, Kelsey Larkin and Allie Sprague on the winning squad; their time was 9:28.63.
The Gamecocks swept the women’s relays on Friday with a victory in the 4x300m. Aliyah Abrams, Caitlyn Little, Amecia Pennamon and Precious Holmes turned in a time 2:34.29 to claim the title.
FROM THE COACH
“It was truly a great day, having teams that have been with us for years, and we added a few teams on to come in here this week to give us the best atmosphere we’ve ever had. Out facility is just incredible, and people have run really fast today. Everybody that comes up to me, they’re having personal bests. We had a 25-9 long jump today (from Yann Randrianasolo), and then Rougui (Sow) had a good jump today. Our girls ran the 4×3 and broke one of the Barber twins’ records. For us, it was a fantastic day running, a fantastic day jumping, and we won the javelin throw, which was outstanding. We had a lot of good things going on.” – Head Coach Curtis Frye
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
Carolina finishes up the Weems Baskin Invitational on Saturday, with action starting at 9 a.m. ET at Cregger Track.
| 5000m |
| 20. Chad Evans |
16:06.50 |
| 26. Justin Reed |
16:13.62 |
| FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2018 • WEEMS BASKIN INVITATIONAL • WOMEN’S RESULTS |
| 4×800 Relay |
| 1. Biber, Larkin, Sprague, Mueller |
9:28.63 |
| 4×300 Relay |
| 1. Abrams, Little, Pennamon, Holmes |
2:34.29 |
