Jan. 26, 2018

Indoor Meet #3 – Track & Field at the Columbia Challenge

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NEW YORK CITY — The University of South Carolina track & field team returned to one of its favorite competitions Friday night as the Gamecocks opened the 2018 Columbia Challenge at the Armory Track & Field Center. Freshman Caitlyn Little was Carolina’s top performer, earning a podium finish in the 60mH.

Little was one of four Gamecocks to score on Friday. Ncincilili Titi finished fifth in the men’s 60m, Milan Parks joined Little in the women’s 60mH final, where she finished sixth, and Matt Froschauer took sixth in the men’s 60mH race.

Through one day of competition, Oregon leads the men’s team standings with 46 points and the women’s table with 40 points. The Gamecocks stand in fourth place on the women’s side, with nine points, and they hold the fifth spot in the men’s competition, with seven points. The vast majority of the Columbia Challenge will be held Saturday.

Two Gamecocks made it to the finals of the women’s 60mH, as Little won her heat in 8.56 and Parks posted the fastest time of the non-winners, 8.53. The freshman found another gear in the final; her time of 8.37 was good for third place and just .02 outside of a spot on Carolina’s all-time top-10. Parks came home in sixth with a run of 8.51.

Titi entered the weekend fresh off his best indoor meet as a collegian after he set a PR in the 60m and ran the world’s fastest time of the season in the 200m at Clemson. His 60m prelims time of 6.77 was a shade higher than last week’s effort but still plenty good enough to win his heat and punch a ticket to the finals. In the finals, Titi ran 6.80. That time was good for fifth place.

On the men’s side of the 60mH, Froschauer won his preliminary heat by .01 with a time of 8.25. He went even lower in the final, just missing a PR and finishing sixth overall with a time of 8.21.

Precious Holmes competed Friday night in the 500m as part of the Dr. Sander Armory Challenge, the second meet running this weekend at The Armory. The senior ran well, finishing sixth with a time of 1:16.97

Carolina’s distance crew also took part in the Dr. Sander meet, where they ran the 5000m. On the women’s side, Heather Stone led the way, finishing fifth in a time of 17:37.21. Colleen Openshaw added a seventh-place finish, stopping the clock in 17:46.31.

NOTABLE

• Carson Strom also ran in the Dr. Sander 5000m. His time of 15:24.11 was a new PR and the 10th-fastest time in Carolina history.

FROM THE COACH