Feb. 20, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In a busy weekend for South Carolina track and field, the program will host the Gamecock Indoor Invitational at the USC Indoor Complex Saturday, while also sending a contingent to the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg, Va., on Friday and Saturday.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
Virginia Tech Challenge
Date: Fri., Feb. 21 – Sat., Feb. 22
Time: Fri. – 5 p.m. | Sat. – 11 a.m.
Location: Blacksburg, Va.
Facility: Rector Fieldhouse
Meet Schedule: Final Meet Schedule
Live Results: www.flashresults.com

Gamecock Indoor Invitational
Date: Sat., Feb. 22
Time: Field – 9 a.m. | Running – 12 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Facility: USC Indoor Complex
Meet Schedule: Final Meet Schedule
Live Results: www.timinginc.com

The Gamecock Indoor Invitational is South Carolina’s final home indoor meet of the season. Field events start the day at 9 a.m., with running set to start at noon. Fans are welcome with free parking and admission.

After winter weather forced South Carolina to miss out on last weekend’s Tyson Invitational, the Gamecocks made a late schedule addition to give athletes another chance to prepare for next week’s SEC Indoor Championships. Friday’s events are set to begin at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the action gets going again at 11 a.m.

Last Time Out
The Gamecocks last competed at the prestigious Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York City on Feb. 7-8. The women’s squad took third place in the team’s first scored meet of the season. Senior high jumper Jeannelle Scheper stayed undefeated in 2014 and was awarded the Evelyn Lawler Lewis Award as the meet’s outstanding female competitor. Scheper easily bested the field and set a new meet record at 6’2″ (1.88m).

The women’s team also captured the 4×400-meter and 4×200-meter relay crowns and freshman Marisa Bellamy won the 400-meter dash collegiate division. Fellow freshman Precious Holmes followed up a collegiate best in the prelims with a new personal best in the finals of the 400-meter dash championship division. Holmes finished second overall and was recognized by the SEC as Freshman of the Week, the first such honor for the Gamecocks this season.

The Gamecocks faced injuries throughout the weekend on the men’s side. South Carolina sent two athletes to the 60-meter dash finals in juniors Kendall Kee and Eric Winfrey. The pair finished fourth and seventh, respectively.

Gamecocks in the Top 30
The top 16 marks/times for each individual event qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. For the relay events, the top 12 teams will qualify for the championships. The 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships are Mar. 14-15, in Albuquerque, N.M.

Up Next
Championship season beings next week with the 2014 SEC Indoor Championships. This year’s event is slated for Thurs., Feb. 27 – Sat., Mar. 1, at Texas A&M’s Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas.