Jan. 27, 2018

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

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NEW YORK CITY — The University of South Carolina put forth a great performance on one of track & field’s biggest stages Saturday afternoon as the 2018 Columbia Challenge concluded at the Armory Track & Field Center. Three Gamecocks earned individual victories on Saturday, as Hanifah Abdulqadir, Josh Awotunde and Rougui Sow each won their event at The Armory.

Abdulqadir took the women’s triple jump title and posted the third-best effort in Carolina history, while Awotunde went over 65 feet indoors for the first time as a collegian to win the men’s shot put. Sow was also outstanding, earning 10 points for Carolina in the women’s long jump

South Carolina’s women finished fourth with 46 points for the weekend, while the men tallied 44 points to also place fourth. Oregon took the title in both team competitions.

Carolina’s first victory of the weekend came from Sow in the long jump. The French international stepped up when it mattered, jumping 20-1 on her fourth attempt to come from behind and claim the title.

Abdulqadir came out of the gates strong, jumping 43-4 ¼ on her first triple jump attempt of the day. That’s the third-best indoor mark in program history, and it won Saturday’s competition. It’s also the seventh-best mark in the NCAA this season.

Awotunde was in second place when he stepped in for his final shot put attempt, and the senior produced something truly special on the sixth effort. His mark of 65-0 ¾ was not only good enough to take the meet title; it was also a new indoor PR, the second-best attempt in school history and the second-best effort in the NCAA this season. Eric Favors also scored in the shot put, finishing sixth.

Tye Williams finished on the podium for the third straight week in the high jump. The school record-holder in the event, Williams jumped 6-11 ½ Saturday.

Yann Randrianasolo set a new PR in the long jump as he continues to improve each week of the season. Randrianasolo finished third in the competition Saturday, and his mark of 25-1 ¾ is listed fifth in Carolina history and 14th on the NCAA leaderboard.

Two Gamecocks tallied scoring efforts in the women’s shot put. KD Young finished fourth overall, and her top mark of 52-3 ¼ ranks seventh in Carolina history. Alycia Springs added a point, finishing eighth with a mark of 48-0 ¾.

Two-time Olympian Lissa Labiche made her Carolina debut Saturday, placing third in the high jump. The Seychelles native cleared 5-9 ¾, the seventh-best effort in Carolina history. Abdulqadir finished eighth.

Young provided the last scoring performance of the weekend for Carolina. Her weight throw effort of 57-5 ½ was good for sixth place in New York and stands 10th on Carolina’s all-time top-10.

NOTABLE

– Otis Jones finished 11th in the 800m but second among collegiate entrants. His time of 1:50.70 was good for a heat victory.

FROM THE COACH