April 5, 2018

Outdoor Meets #4 and 5 – Track & Field at the Spec Towns Invitational and Gamecock Invitational

• Live Results — Spec Towns Inv.
• Live Results — Gamecock Inv.
• Meet Schedules (Updated)
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina track & field team splits in two this weekend for the fourth week of the 2018 outdoor season. The majority of the squad will stay home for the 2018 Gamecock Invitational, a one-day meet beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 7 at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track.

Meanwhile, Carolina will send its multi athletes, jumpers and pole-vaulters to Athens, Ga., for the Spec Towns Invitational and Bulldog Multis. A complete breakdown of which Gamecocks are competing can be found here.

South Carolina will welcome over 900 student-athletes to Cregger Track on Saturday. The field includes Alabama State, Allen, Benedict, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coker, College of Charleston, Columbia International, Coppin State, Cornell, Davidson, Francis Madison, George Mason, Georgia State, Hampton, Howard, Johnson C. Smith, Kingsborough CC, Liberty, Limestone, Mt. Olive, Newberry, North Carolina A&T, NC State, Paine, Radford, South Carolina State, USC Beaufort, Tusculum, VMI and Wingate.

ADMISSION

Admission to the 2018 Gamecock Invitational is free.

PARKING

Fan parking is available on the top three levels of the Heyward Street parking garage, located at 1300 Heyward Street, and is also available in the street-level parking spaces located on Heyward Street and adjacent roads. Overflow parking is available in Lot AD9 located at the corner of Whaley and Pickens Streets. Parking is limited in Lot AD9 and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

FOOD & DRINK

Concessions will be available at Cregger Track throughout the meet. Outside food and drink will not be permitted inside of the Cregger Track facility, with the exception of one clear, sealed plastic bottle of water.

FROM THE COACH

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (Click to Expand)

LAST TIME OUT • MARCH 29-31 • TITI, SPRINGS NET VICTORIES AT FLORIDA RELAYS

Two Gamecocks were victorious at the Florida Relays, held March 29-31 in Gainesville, Fla. The most impressive performance came from Ncincilili Titi, who made his season-debut outdoors and ran a blistering-fast 20.36 in the 200m despite cold, rainy conditions. Titi’s time ranks tops in the East Region and second in the NCAA so far this season. There’s still plenty left in the tank for the senior, who ran faster than 20.36 three times last season.

Carolina’s second win came from Alycia Springs, who took the collegiate flight of the shot put. The sophomore’s mark of 51-5 3/4 is a new PR and ranks seventh in Carolina history.

Josh Awotunde made his outdoor shot put season debut in Florida, finishing second with a mark of 64-10 3/4. That’s the fifth-best effort in the NCAA so far this season. Hanifah Abdulqadir competed in the triple jump for the first time outdoors this year, finishing third with an effort of 42-11 3/4. That’s the fourth-best effort in Carolina history and ranks sixth in the nation. The Gamecocks also got podium finishes out of their men’s sprint medley relay and women’s shuttle hurdle relay teams.

LAST SEASON AT THE GAMECOCK INVITATIONAL

Ncincilili Titi made his 2017 200m season debut at the Gamecock Invitational and blazed to the fastest time in school history. Titi stopped the clock in 20.14, 0.2 faster than Carolina’s previous record. At the time, it was the top time in the NCAA and the third-fastest time in the world in 2017.

Titi was one of six Gamecocks to win an individual event at the 2017 Gamecock Invitational, joining current student-athletes Josh Awotunde (shot put and discus), Yann Randrianasolo (long jump) and Armand Woodley (pole vault). Carolina also won both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays.

LAST SEASON AT THE SPEC TOWNS INVITATIONAL/BULLDOG MULTIS

South Carolina was in Athens, Ga., for the Spec Towns Invitational April 7-8, 2017, with Rougui Sow making history to highlight the weekend at Georgia. Sow won the long jump competition with a mark of 6.72m (22-0 ¾), a new South Carolina program record. Sow was the first woman in the NCAA ranks to jump over 22 feet in 2017 and at the time, her mark surged to the top of the world leaderboard.

Sow’s victory was one of four achieved by the Gamecocks in Athens. Josh Awotunde won the shot put, Isaiah Moore grabbed the 110mH, and the women’s 4x100m relay team was victorious. Overall, South Carolina recorded 17 podium finishes and set 20 new personal bests at Georgia. Carolina achieved five new PRs in the women’s 5000m alone, setting the tone for a great weekend.

Markus Leemet competed in his lone 2017 regular-season decathlon in Athens, finishing fourth against a very strong field. Leemet set then-PRs in four of the 10 events and totaled 7,382 points.

GAMECOCK MEN RANKED 16th IN LATEST USTFCCCA POLL

The Carolina men’s team is ranked No. 16 in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, which was released April 2. The Gamecocks opened the outdoor season at the No. 13 spot, their highest spot in the national poll since the third week of 2016, when the Gamecocks were listed 11th.

On the women’s side, Carolina is ranked 34th this week. The Gamecocks opened the year at No. 30.

This week’s USTFCCCA national polls utilize previous personal bests from last season as well as new PRs set during the first three weeks of the 2018 campaign. A complete listing of the marks used to determine this week’s poll can be found here.

GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA EAST REGION INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Through two weeks of outdoor competition, the Gamecocks have 19 individual student-athletes and two relay teams accounting for 23 NCAA Division I East Regional top-50 marks in their respective events. The top-48 in each event at the conclusion of the SEC Championships will qualify for the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round, May 24-26 in Tampa, Fla.
• Ncincilili Titi ran an East Region-leading time of 20.36 in his 200m season debut at the Florida Relays. His time ranks second in the NCAA this season.
• Rougui Sow opened her long jump campaign at the Weems Baskin Invitational with a mark of 20-10 ¾, which is ranked second in the region and third in the NCAA. Makyla Stanley is not far behind, holding the No. 15 spot at 19-11 ¾.
• Two Gamecocks hold regional top-10 rankings in men’s shot put. Josh Awotunde locks down the No. 3 spot (64-10 ¾) and Eric Favors is ranked seventh (61-5 ½). Awotunde’s mark is fifth-best in the NCAA.
• Hanifah Abdulqadir made her triple jump debut at the Florida Relays, and she ranks third in the East at 42-11 ¾. That’s sixth-best in the NCAA.
• Yann Randrianasolo is ranked fourth regionally and seventh in the country in the long jump, setting a PR of 25-9 ½ at the Weems Baskin Invitational. He’s also ranked 28th regionally in the triple jump, with a mark of 49-2 ½.
• Otis Jones ran a time of 1:49.37 in his 800m effort at Florida Relays, ninth-best in the region.
• Rivaldo Leacock is listed 10th in the 400mH with a time of 51.60.
• Two Gamecocks are ranked in women’s shot put after setting PRs at the Florida Relays: Alycia Springs (51-5 ¾; 10th) and KD Young (50-8; 17th)
• Aliyah Abrams returned from a redshirt season to run a 400m time of 52.90 at the Black & Gold Challenge. That’s currently ranked 11th regionally and 12th nationally. Teammates Stephanie Davis (54.41; 43rd) and Precious Holmes (54.62; 47th) are also listed in the region rankings.
• Hailey Sweatman‘s pole vault PR of 13-1 ½, set in chilly conditions at the Weems Baskin Invitational, is ranked 14th in the East.
• Awotunde is currently 19th regionally in the discus, at 178-4.
• In the pole vault, Armand Woodley is ranked 21st in the East with a mark of 16-10 ¾.
• Shelby Freedman is ranked 22nd in javelin, throwing 153-2 in her season-opener.
• Caitlyn Little moved up to 25th in the East standings in the 100mH at the Weems Baskin Invitational with a mark of 13.59.
• Ty Jaye Robbins ran a 400m PR in Florida and is listed 32nd with a time of 47.52.
• Two Carolina women’s relays are highly-ranked; the Gamecock 4x100m squad is listed 14th (44.90) and the 4×4 squad is slotted 22nd this week (3:39.95).

MARCH 23-24 • GAMECOCKS DOMINATE WEEMS BASKIN INVITATIONAL

South Carolina hosted the Weems Baskin Invitational March 23-24 and won 10 events, the most of the 50 teams in Columbia. Over 1,500 student-athletes competed at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track, setting a new meet record.

Individually, Yann Randrianasolo led the way; his long jump mark of 25-9 1/2 ranks fifth in Carolina history and fourth in the NCAA East Regional. Eric Favors also had a career day in the shot put. His mark of 61-5 1/2 ranks sixth in Carolina history and fifth in the region. Last but not least on the men’s side, Josh Awotunde earned a win; he threw 178-3 in the discus in his first outdoor meet of 2018.

On the women’s side, Aliyah Abrams was part of three wins, including an individual victory in the 400m, her second week in a row winning the event. Shelby Freedman (javelin) and Hailey Sweatman (pole vault) also won for the second-straight week. Sweatman set a new PR with a vault of 13-1 1/2, which is listed ninth in the region. Amanda Murphy earned her first collegiate victory, taking the open hammer throw. Finally, the Carolina women earned victories in the 4×300, 4×400 and 4×800 relays, with Abrams running the first leg on the 4×3 and 4×4.

MARCH 16-17 • FOUR GAMECOCKS VICTORIOUS AT BLACK & GOLD CHALLENGE

The South Carolina track & field team opened the 2018 outdoor season at the Black & Gold Challenge, hosted in Orlando, Fla., by UCF. Following several weeks of indoor postseason competition plus a week of training in the Florida sun, Carolina sent a slimmed-down lineup to compete over the weekend, but those that were in action started the outdoor season on the right foot.

Four Gamecocks tallied an event win. On Friday, Hailey Sweatman won the pole vault; her mark of 12-11 1/2 was a new PR and the seventh-best mark in Gamecock history. Shelby Freedman also was victorious, winning the javelin in her first collegiate meet since the 2016 outdoor season.

On Saturday, another returning Gamecock earned a victory, as Aliyah Abrams returned for her first event since the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships to take the 400m. Her time of 52.90 was her best season-opener yet. Rivaldo Leacock also got into the winner’s circle with a victory in the 400mH on the men’s side.

TITI NAMED SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

University of South Carolina senior Ncincilili Titi earned SEC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors on Feb. 21. Titi is the fourth Gamecock in history to win the league’s Scholar-Athlete honor in track & field, joining Natasha Hastings (2007), Marvin Reitze (2012) and Jeannelle Scheper (2015). Titi finished fifth nationally in the 200m and holds a 3.400 GPA.

SEVEN GAMECOCKS EARN ALL-AMERICA LAURELS AT NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

South Carolina sent seven student-athletes to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas. Josh Awotunde (shot put), Ncincilili Titi (200m) and Rougui Sow (long jump) earned First-Team All-America honors, with Awotunde’s bronze-medal finish leading the way. Titi placed fifth in his event, and Sow eighth. The All-America honor was Titi’s seventh, while Sow became a three-time First-Team honoree.

Four additional Gamecocks qualified for the meet and left as Second-Team All-Americans: Hanifah Abdulqadir (triple jump), Jordan Fields (high jump), Lissa Labiche (high jump) and Yann Randrianasolo (long jump). All four Gamecocks left College Station with their first career All-America honor.

The South Carolina men finished tied for 21st, their best finish since 2010.

QUARLES EARNS USTFCCCA REGION ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR LAURELS

Assistant head coach Delethea Quarles was named USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced at the conclusion of the indoor season. Quarles, who is in charge of Carolina’s jumpers and multi athletes, guided five of her student-athletes to NCAA Indoor Championships berths.

“This is long overdue. This award hasn’t existed for very long, but in my opinion Coach Dee has been a coach of the year for 20 years,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “Coach Dee could have won this award many times before, but there are a lot of great teams and great coaches in our region. She’s a mentor to so many young coaches in our business, and so many coaches around the business are excited to see Coach Dee get her due. I’m so happy she’s finally being recognized by her peers; it says a tremendous amount about how well-respected she is in our profession.”

FOUR GAMECOCKS NAMED INDOOR ALL-SEC PICKS

Four members of the University of South Carolina track & field team were honored as All-Southeastern Conference selections for the 2018 indoor season. Josh Awotunde earned First-Team All-SEC laurels, Lissa Labiche and Yann Randrianasolo were Second-Team honorees and KD Young was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Awotunde was honored as a First-Team selection after winning the shot put at the 2018 SEC Indoor Championships. The senior from Franklinville, N.J., dominated the field, and his mark of 21.33m (69-11 ¾) set a new SEC meet record and a new Carolina program record. It’s ranked as the 10th-best mark in collegiate history.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks get their first look at the 2018 SEC Outdoor Championships venue next week when they compete at the Tennessee Relays. The meet runs April 12-14 in Knoxville, Tenn., approximately one month before Carolina is back at UT to start the outdoor postseason.