April 25, 2018
Outdoor Meet #8 — Penn Relays
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina track & field team makes its annual journey to Philadelphia this weekend for the 124th running of the Penn Relays. This year’s meet will be contested April 26-28 at Franklin Field.
The Gamecocks will once again be joined by a large, nationally-recognized field in Philadelphia. Over 200 colleges and universities are part of the event, including entrants from SEC rivals Auburn, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt along with NCAA Division I institutions Army, Harvard, Houston, Michigan, Navy, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Princeton, Stanford, Villanova and others.
WATCH THE GAMECOCKS LIVE ON NBCSN
Carolina fans will be able to watch the Penn Relays throughout the week with a USATF.TV subscription. NBCSN will show live television coverage Friday from 5-6 p.m. ET and Saturday from 12:30-3 p.m. ET.
FROM THE COACH
“Going to Penn Relays, to be rewarded and to be in that kind of atmosphere is great for our kids. Many times, the sport of track & field, for people who go through the spot and pay the price, there not a lot of recognition. Track & field really gets followed once every four years, at the Olympic Games, but every track athlete doesn’t get to feel that and feel what it’s like to be surrounded by 80,000 fans. But at Penn Relays, people know who you are. Nowhere else in America can you get that feeling in our sport. So I want my kids to have that quality student-athlete experience.” — Head Coach Curtis Frye
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (Click to Expand)
LAST TIME OUT • APRIL 21 • TITI’S RECORD ONE OF 18 VICTORIES AT USC OPEN
South Carolina won 18 events in its final regular-season home meet of 2018, the USC Open. Though the fantastic performances were not hard to come by, one in particular stood out: Ncincilili Titi‘s new school record in the 200m dash. Titi turned in a time of 20.00, which in addition to topping the Carolina leaderboard ranks tops in the NCAA and third in the world this season.
For his efforts, Titi was named SEC Men’s Runner of the Week for the second time this season.
Additional victories came from Hanifah Abdulqadir (Triple Jump), Aliyah Abrams (200m), Josh Awotunde (Shot Put), Eric Favors (Discus), Precious Holmes (400m), Otis Jones (800m), Lissa Labiche (High Jump), Allie Mueller (800m), Amanda Murphy (Hammer), Milan Parks (100m Hurdles), Yann Randrianasolo (Long Jump), Bryce Simpson (Pole Vault), Alycia Springs (Shot Put), Makyla Stanley (Long Jump), Tye Williams (High Jump), and the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Abdulqadir moved up to fourth in Gamecock history in the triple jump, Murphy now ranks seventh in the hammer, Parks is listed eighth in the 100mH and Springs is now eighth in the shot put. Carolina also got a great performance from Hailey Sweatman, whose 13-9 1/4 ranks second in school history in pole vault.
LAST YEAR AT THE PENN RELAYS
South Carolina had a huge weekend at the 2017 Penn Relays, including the team’s 21st Wagon Wheel. The Gamecocks won the women’s 4x200m relay, with the quartet of Precious Holmes, Tyler Brockington, Aalayah Sanders and Maiya Dendy grabbing the title with a time of 1:33.79.
Carolina also won six individual titles at the 2017 Penn Relays. Leading the way was Tye Williams, who broke Carolina’s 29-year-old high jump record with a mark of 7-4 ½. Other current Gamecocks to earn a title last season in Philly include Armand Woodley in the pole vault, who was victorious with a mark of 16-6 3/4. Josh Awotunde took the shot put; his top effort of 65-6 was his best ever in a collegiate competition. Yann Randrianasolo won the men’s long jump with a then-PR of 25-5 1/2. Last but not least, Rougui Sow was the women’s long jump champion at 20-8 1/2.
GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA EAST REGION INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Through six weeks of outdoor competition, the Gamecocks have 23 individual student-athletes and two relay teams accounting for 29 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 the fastest 200m time in the NCAA this season at the USC Open, checking in with a time of 20.00. He also ranks eighth in the region and 14th nationally in the 100m, at 10.16.
• Rougui Sow jumped a season-best 21-6 at the Spec Towns Invitational, fourth in the region and fifth in the NCAA. Makyla Stanley holds the No. 35 spot at 19-11 ¾.
• Josh Awotunde is ranked fourth in the men’s shot put at 65-2 ¼, which is listed as the No. 6 mark in the NCAA, while Eric Favors checks in 12th at 61-5 ½.
• Yann Randrianasolo has been on fire as of late, and his long jump mark of 26-2 ¾ from the Tennessee Relays is the fifth-best mark regionally and the No. 8 mark in the NCAA.
• Lissa Labiche shot up 30 spots with her high jump mark of 5-11 ¼ at Tennessee Relays. That is listed sixth regionally and 13th nationally. Hanifah Abdulqadir is listed 25th in the region, at 5-8 ¾, and Jordan Fields is 34th at 5-8 ½.
• In the triple jump. Abdulqadir’s mark of 43-2 ½ ranks seventh in the East and 14th in the NCAA.
• Hailey Sweatman is one of Carolina’s biggest movers this week, moving up more than 20 spots to No. 9 regionally (17th in the NCAA) in the pole vault at 13-9 ¼. Adele Blalock is listed 48th, at 12-9 ½.
• Aliyah Abrams holds a pair of regional top-40 spots; she’s 11th in the 400m (52.78) and 36th in the 200m (23.40).
• Otis Jones posted a new 800m PR at the Tennessee Relays; his time of 1:48.38 ranks 13th in the region.
• Two Gamecocks are ranked in women’s shot put listings: KD Young (52-4 ½; 13th) Alycia Springs (2-2; 15th).
• Rivaldo Leacock is listed 13th in the 400mH with a time of 51.60.
• Awotunde is currently 23rd regionally in the discus, at 179-1, a mark achieved at the Gamecock Invitational.
• Shelby Freedman is ranked 26th in javelin, throwing 153-2 in her season-opener.
• In the men’s pole vault, Armand Woodley is ranked 27th in the East with a mark of 16-10 ¾.
• Milan Parks is up to No. 28 in the 100mH this week, at 13.36, and Caitlyn Litte’s 13.50 is ranked 37th.
• Darrell Singleton Jr. is ranked for the first time regionally, checking in 48th in the 100m with a time of 10.41.
• Tye Williams made his outdoor high jump season debut at the Tennessee Relays, with his mark of 6-9 ½ ranking 50th in the East.
• Markus Leemet is ranked 18th nationally in the decathlon, with 7,351 points. The top-16 in the nation at the end of the conference championship weekend advance to the NCAA Championships regardless of region.
• Two Carolina women’s relays are highly-ranked; the Gamecock 4x100m squad is listed 27th (44.90) and the 4×4 squad is slotted 42nd this week (3:39.95).
APRIL 12-14 • SIX GAMECOCKS EARN TENNESSEE RELAYS VICTORIES
Six Gamecocks were victorious at the Tennessee Relays as Carolina got its first look at this season’s SEC Championship venue. Aliyah Abrams (400m), Josh Awotunde (shot put), Shelby Freedman (javelin), Yann Randrianasolo (long jump), Ncincilili Titi (200m) and Armand Woodley (pole vault) each topped the leaderboard in a single event at Tom Black Track. In addition to the six wins, the Gamecocks etched five new marks into the program’s top-10 records list.
Randrianasolo was perhaps the top Gamecock in action, jumping 26-2 ¾. That’s the second-best long jump effort in Carolina outdoor history. Titi also logged a big PR, supplementing his 200m victory with a run of 10.19 in the 100. That’s the fifth-fastest time in school history.
In addition to the victorious Gamecocks, several additional Carolina student-athletes moved up the school’s all-time record list. Otis Jones finished fourth in the 800m, and he did so in 1:48.38; that’s the sixth-fastest time in Carolina history. Lissa Labiche jumped 5-11 ¼ in the high jump, fourth on the school’s records list, while Hanifah Abdulqadir jumped 5-8 ¾, the program’s six-best mark.
APRIL 6-7 • CAROLINA FINDS SUCCESS AT SPEC TOWNS INVITATIONAL, GAMECOCK INVITATIONAL
Three Gamecocks won their events April 7 at the Gamecock Invitational, the team’s second home meet of the season. Aliyah Abrams won the 400m, while Josh Awotunde took home the discus title and KD Young captured the shot put. Young’s performance was perhaps the most significant; her mark of 52-4 ½ ranks sixth in Carolina history.
Several Gamecocks also took part in the Spec Towns Invitational, April 6-7 in Athens, Ga. Yann Randrianasolo won the long jump competition at Georgia, while Lissa Labiche took third in her outdoor high jump collegiate debut.
Two-time NCAA qualifier Markus Leemet made his season debut in the decathlon. The senior scored 7,351 points, the 10th-best mark in the NCAA this season.
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.
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. Hanifah Abdulqadir competed in the triple jump for the first time outdoors this year, finishing third with an effort of 42-11 3/4. The Gamecocks also got podium finishes out of their men’s sprint medley relay and women’s shuttle hurdle relay teams.
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 postseason begins May 11-13 for the Gamecocks as Carolina travels to the 2018 SEC Outdoor Championships. The meet will be held at Tom Black Track in Knoxville, Tenn.
