March 24, 2018

Outdoor Meet #2 — Weems Baskin Invitational

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – The second day of the Weems Baskin Invitational brought more success for the University of South Carolina track & field team as the Gamecocks notched four more event victories at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track. In addition to the wins, Carolina welcomed a standing-room only crowd to Cregger Track, providing an incredible atmosphere throughout the day.

Individual student-athletes Aliyah Abrams, Josh Awotunde and Hailey Sweatman each earned wins on Saturday. Carolina also found the winner’s circle in the women’s 4x400m relay.

For the weekend, the Gamecock women took the title in the 4x300m, 4x400m and 4x800m relays. Abrams was part of the 4×3 and 4×4 wins and finished with three victories overall for the weekend; as a team, the Gamecocks won 10 events over two days.

Sweatman set an outdoor PR for the second week in a row in the pole vault as she was able to clear 4.00m in the for the first time outdoors. Her mark of 13-1 ½ is the sixth-best effort in the NCAA this season and listed fifth on Carolina’s all-time record book.

Abrams returned from a redshirt year to win the 400m last week at the Black & Gold Challenge, and she duplicated the feat Saturday at Cregger Track. The 2016 Olympian was victorious in 53.62, while Stephanie Davis finished third in 54.41 and Precious Holmes came in fourth, at 54.62.

After finishing third nationally and winning the SEC title indoors in the shot put, Awotunde started his outdoor campaign Saturday by winning the discus invitational. The senior just missed a PR but beat the field by more than 13 feet with a mark of 178-3.

The Gamecocks finished the day with a win in the women’s 4x400m relay. Abrams, Holmes, Davis and Tatyana Mills turned in a time of 3:39.95, ninth-fastest in Division I this season.

Caitlyn Little qualified for the 100mH finals and finished third overall. The freshman placed second in the prelims with a time of 13.63, then she came back with a final run of 13.59 for the podium spot. That’s the 16th-best mark nationally so far this outdoor season.

Otis Jones ran an 800m competitively for the first time since the SEC Indoor Championships final, and he finished third on Saturday. The junior turned in a time of 1:50.98, 14th-best in the NCAA this year.

Eric Favors finished second in the shot put invitational and tops among collegiate entrants. His mark of 61-5 ½ ranks sixth in Carolina history, and it’s the fourth-best mark in the NCAA this season.

Armand Woodley continued his quest for a second-straight NCAA Championships bid with a second-place finish Saturday in the pole vault invitational. Woodley cleared 16-10 ¾ to nab a podium spot.

Three Gamecocks finished in the top-five of the women’s 3000m. Colleen Openshaw posted a PR with a time of 10:08.84 to finish second, while Kaylee Wessel finished fourth and Heather Stone came in fifth.

NOTABLE

• Rivaldo Leacock finished fourth in the 400mH with a time of 51.60. That’s a collegiate best for the freshman and placed him as the top collegian at Saturday’s meet.

FROM THE COACH