Gamecocks Open 2017 Season Against Regional Foes in Carolina Challenge

Sept. 1, 2017

Live Results | Carolina Challenge Info+Map

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Gamecock cross country team starts its 2017 season at home, hosting the Carolina Challenge against a familiar set of regional foes at the Sandhill REC 5K course.

The women’s 5K begins at 9 a.m., with the men’s 5K following 40 minutes later. Both will run the same course that hosts the South Carolina High School League meet annually. Fans attending this free event need to enter the Sandhill REC site at the traffic signal at Promenade Place and Clemson Road. The combined high school race is set to begin at 10:10 a.m.

The Gamecocks return five students who competed in last year’s NCAA Southeast Regional, including the quartet that finished second through fifth on the team. Leading that group is sophomore Anna Kathryn Stoddard, a qualifier for USA Track & Field Junior Nationals at 5000m last spring. Also returning are junior Allison Muller, seniors Allie Sprague and Kaylee Wessel and sophomore Emily Crounse.

Joining that group on this championship-level course on Saturday are five freshman brought to campus by assistant track coach for distance Andrew Allden. Brooke Wilson, a top-15 finishers at the 2016 Foot Locker Midwest Regional while in high school, leads that group that includes Rachel Hensler, Kylee Yturralde, Sarah Riser and Heather Stone.

Competing against the Gamecocks in the Division I portion of Saturday’s race is Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, South Carolina State and Winthrop. Those six schools will also field men’s team for the second race that begins at 9:30 a.m.

Full results will be posted to GamecocksOnline.com after the race, while TimingInc.com will also have live results.

Carolina Challenge Information

Date: Sat., Sept. 2
Times: 9 a.m. (College Women’s 5K); 9:40 a.m. (College Men’s 5K); 10:10 a.m. (Open High School 5K)
Location: Sandhill REC; Columbia, S.C.
Twitter: @GamecockTrack