April 28, 2017

Photo Gallery

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The South Carolina track and field team continued to show its dominance in the field events Friday, as the men’s team joined the fold at the Penn Relays and recorded three wins. The team also saw the men’s and women’s 4x200m relay teams qualify for the Championship of America final.

In the early afternoon, Josh Awotunde scored a win in the shot put championship, reaching a season best on the way to earning his gold watch. The junior threw 19.96 meters (65-6), a mark that is second only to his 65-11.75 distance that he threw over the summer in Olympic qualifiers. Awotunde’s mark, coming on his fifth throw, was two feet further than any other competitor Friday.

The men’s field athletes weren’t done there, as Yann Randrianasolo also hit a big PR en route to a win in the long jump championship. The first-year Gamecock hit 7.76m (25-5.5) on his fifth attempt, helping him hold off a strong field for the win. The mark added almost an inch to his previous best, and he strengthens his place at number five in the program’s record book.

Capping off the win streak was Armand Woodley in the pole vault collegiate competition. The Sophomore also pulled off a new personal best, as he cleared the bar at 5.05m (16-5.75) on his very first attempt to clinch the win over Penn State’s Patrick Anderson and Navy’s Stefano Pineda. It’s a five-inch improvement over his previous best, set two weekends ago at the Gamecock Invitational.

For the women, Natasha Dicks kicked the day off with a second place showing in the triple jump championship. The senior leader hit her best distance of 13.16m (43-2.25) on her fifth attempt, moving her up to the runner-up position as the competition reached its end.

On the track at Franklin Field, the relay teams were the center of attention Saturday. The South Carolina women’s shuttle hurdle relay team finished second in a nailbiter, missing out on a Wagon Wheel by just .06 seconds to San Diego State.

The women’s 4x200m relay group of Precious Holmes, Tyler Brockington, Aalayah Sanders and Maiya Dendy finished with the top qualifying time in the field of 43 teams, running a time of 1:34.99. The men’s 4×200 — the defending Penn Relay champions — finished second in the qualifying round, with the team of Darrell Singleton Jr., Ncincilili Titi, David Winters and Ryan Bermudez crossing in 1:22.77. The 4x100m relay team of Singleton, Winters, Titi and DeVon Lewis also qualified for the Championship of America final, as they ran 39.92 to finish seventh overall.

Quotable: Head Coach Curtis Frye