Gamecocks Finish Strong Week at Razorback Invitational

Jan. 28, 2017

Photo Gallery

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The last day of the 2017 Razorback Invitational brought more success for the University of South Carolina track & field program. Guided by podium finishes from individuals Josh Awotunde, Natasha Dicks and Isaiah Moore and a breakout performance from the women’s 4x400m relay team, Carolina finished ninth in both the men’s and women’s standings at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

The Gamecock men finished with 34 points, and the women ended the meet with 28. Host Arkansas took the men’s team title, with 99.5 points, and the women’s championship went to LSU with 84.33 points.

Awotunde placed second in the shot put, while Dicks earned a third-place result in the triple jump and Moore took third in the 60mH. Aliyah Abrams, Eric Favors, Precious Holmes, Markus Leemet, Taranisha Taylor and Michael Wamer also earned top-eight finishes for Carolina, and the women’s 4×4 squad took second place in the 4x400m Invitational with one of the fastest times in the NCAA this season.

Carolina’s first highlight of the day came in the 400m, with Holmes and Abrams both scoring. Holmes was one of the fastest runners in the early heats, stopping the clock in 54.17 to eventually finish eighth. Abrams placed fourth in the fastest heat of the Invitational portion of the event, coming in fifth overall with a time of 53.68.

Soon the Carolina shot put crew was hard at work for the men’s squad. Awotunde continued his run of podium finishes by placing second in the event, with a throw of 60-10. Favors was right behind him; the nation’s top freshman in the event set a new PR with a mark of 59-7 ½ to post a fourth-place result.

After winning his heat in the prelims of the men’s 60mH, Moore was on to the finals. The junior recovered from a tough start and finished third, with a time of 7.83, and he earned six points for the Gamecocks.

Just minutes later, Taylor was on the track for the women’s 60mH final. The senior finished in 8.40, earning four points with a fifth-place result.

Wamer has been one of Carolina’s breakout performers this season, setting new personal bests and ranking in the top-10 nationally in the triple jump. The senior continued his strong season with a sixth-place finish in Fayetteville; his mark of 49-11 earned three points.

Leemet began the day listed sixth in the heptathlon and was in range of another scoring chance. The senior set a new personal record in the 60mH, at 8.34, and that propelled him to an eighth-place result. His final tally was 5,274 points.

Right as Leemet was finishing the heptathlon, Dicks was putting the finishing touches on another good day in the triple jump. The All-American set another season best, at 42-11, and scored six points with a third-place result.

The Gamecock women finished the day running in the fastest heat of the 4x400m relay. Abrams, Holmes, Tyler Brockington and Briana Haith combined to post a time of 3:32.77 and finish second overall.

NOTABLE

The Carolina women’s 4×4 relay team improved all the way up to third in the country with their time. They finished just behind Southern Cal, whose time of 3:30.66 is tops in the nation.

QUOTING HEAD COACH Curtis Frye

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks are in New York City next week for the Armory Invitational. The premier indoor event will be held Feb. 3-4 at The Armory, one of the nation’s most revered track facilities.