Feb. 9, 2018

Indoor Meet #5 — Tiger Paw Invitational

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CLEMSON, S.C. — Josh Awotunde set a new shot put school record on Friday night as the University of South Carolina track & field team opened the weekend at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Awotunde notched an effort of 66-10 ½ on his final attempt of the evening, the best indoor mark in Carolina history.

Awotunde is the second Gamecock to establish a school record in 2018, joining Tye Williams, whose high jump mark of 7-2 ½, set Jan. 13 at the Navy Winter Invitational, set a new program standard. The previous indoor shot put record of 66-8 was set in 1998 by Olympian Brad Snyder.

Awotunde was one of six Gamecocks to make a new entry into the program’s indoor top-10 record book on Friday in what was a very successful evening.

Carolina’s first top-eight finish of the weekend came from senior Kaylee Wessel in the 5000m. The St. Charles, Ill., native ran a time of 17:31.78 to finish seventh and post the eighth-best time in Gamecock history.

Yann Randrianasolo has finished in the top-five of the long jump in each event this season, a streak that continued Friday. The junior’s mark of 24-5 ½ was good for fifth place in Clemson.

KD Young also continued her top-five streak Friday in the shot put. The freshman finished in the top-five for the fifth-straight week with a top effort of 51-4 ½, good for fifth place.

Hailey Sweatman took seventh place in the pole vault. The sophomore cleared 3.95m on her first try, advancing on to 4.10m, which would have been a new personal best. The Charleston, S.C., was unable to get over the second height but still cleared 3.95m for the second straight week.

Rougui Sow had her best day of the year so far, jumping 20-11 1/4, the seventh-best mark in the NCAA this season. That was good for a sixth-place finish Friday night, fourth among collegiate entrants.

Sow also ran a pair of personal bests in the 60m hurdles on Friday. She finished fourth in the preliminary round with a time of 8.35, then she posted a time of 8.34 in the semifinal round. Though she did not qualify for the final, that time ranks 10th in Carolina history.

Carson Strom also posted a Carolina top-10 performance Friday. The Greenwood, S.C., native ran 15:23.55 in the 5000m, his second PR in three weeks and the 10th-best time in school history.

Ncincilili Titi ran the 60m twice on Friday, including a time of 6.69 on the semifinals to match his PR and rank seventh in Carolina history. The senior earned a spot in the 60m final, which he elected not to run.

NOTABLE

• Awotunde finished second on Friday, trailing only Georgia’s Denzel Comenentia, who threw 67-0 ¾. Comenentia’s mark ranks second in the NCAA this season, and Awotunde is listed third.

FROM THE COACH