March 28, 2015

Results

TUSCALOOSA, ALA. – Led in large part by three top-ten marks in program history in throwing events, the Gamecock track and field team wrapped up a busy weekend Saturday at the Crimson Tide Invitational. The men’s team finished second in the team scoring, and the women finished third at the meet, hosted by Alabama.

In the team’s two Friday events, the women’s javelin and men’s hammer throws, Carolina would be the top scored finisher in each. Shelby Freedman’s first measured throw of the night would hold up as the top mark, as she won the javelin with a throw of 153 feet, one inch. The mark is the second-best mark in program history. Amy Suttmeier and Olivia Hassler finished fourth and fifth, respectively, to also score for the team. In the hammer, Clarence Gallop finished as the top attached competitor, with a toss of 203 feet, six inches. He enters the program record book with the tenth-best mark ever, and it was the best mark in the event by any Gamecock since 2010.

The throwing events also closed out the meet with a win, with Josh Awotunde pulling off a dramatic comeback to win the men’s shot put. He sat in third place through his first five throws, but added almost four feet to his final attempt to vault into first place. The 60 feet, ten inch mark set a meet record, and come in at sixth in the program’s outdoor top ten list.

Fresh off a record-setting weekend of her own at the Shamrock Invite, Jeannelle Scheper won the high jump again Saturday, breaking the meet record with a height of 1.86 meters (6′ 1.25″). Nakita Gray would finish second, jumping five feet, 10.75 inches. Also scoring in the jumps were Michael Wamer Tye Williams and Alexis Murphy. Wamer would win the triple jump and take fourth in the long jump, Murphy finished third in the long jump, and Williams took fourth in the high jump.

The team would have one winner in the track events, with Dondre Echols taking the 110-meter hurdles title. He finished in 13.87 (+2.7), followed by teammate Isaiah Moore in second place (13.94). Echols’ mark also set a new meet record. Chris Walker (100-meter) and Greg Chiles (400-meter hurdles) each finished third to round out the men’s top three track finishers.

For the women, Chalese Davis scored in both hurdle events, taking second in the 100-meter event and third in the 400. Sarah Falta and Allie Whitley finished second and third in the steeplechase, respectively, and Whitley would record the fourth-fastest steeplechase in program history, behind Falta on the list.

In the sprints, Gabby Gray scored with a second place finish in the 100, and Aalayah Faulcon led the team with a third-place time in the 400. The one win for the women’s team came from the 4×400 relay team of Faulcon, Gray, Maya Evans and Briana Haith.

Next up for the team will be the Florida Relays, hosted by the Gators. The meet begins Friday.