May 17, 2018
2018 NCAA East Regional Qualifiers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The 2018 postseason continued Thursday for the University of South Carolina track & field team, as 2018 NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round qualifiers were announced. The Gamecocks will send 18 individuals and two relay squads to the regional meet to compete May 24-26 at the USF Track & Field Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
In order to qualify for the meet, student-athletes must rank inside of the region’s top-48 in an individual event or top-24 in a relay after scratches. Once in Tampa, the top-12 finishers in both individual and relay competitions will qualify for the NCAA Championships, to be held June 6-9 in Eugene, Ore.
On the men’s side, the Gamecocks are led by seniors Ncincilili Titi and Josh Awotunde. Titi ranks second in the region in the 200m, with a time of 20.00, while Awotunde’s shot put mark of 68-1 ¾ is also listed second in the East.
Penn Relays high jump champion Lissa Labiche is the top Gamecock on the women’s side, beginning the regional meet ranked fifth in her primary event, at 5-11 ½. Three-time first-team All-American Rougui Sow is listed sixth regionally in the long jump, at 21-6 ¾.
The Gamecocks will send eight first-time individual regional qualifiers to Tampa. Rivaldo Leacock (400mH) will make his first NCAA appearance on the men’s side, while Labiche, Caitlyn Little (100mH), Milan Parks (100mH), Hanifah Abdulqadir (triple jump), Jordan Fields (high jump), Hailey Sweatman (pole vault) and KD Young (shot put) will compete on the women’s side for the first time at the regional meet.
A full list of Gamecock qualifiers along with their qualifying marks is below.
FROM THE COACH
“We’re thrilled to send such a big group of entries to Tampa and excited to begin the regional meet. We are very proud to get both of our women’s relays to regionals; we think both of them are peaking at the right time and have a great chance to qualify for Eugene. To be honest, that’s how we feel about our entire list of qualifiers; there’s not a single athlete going to Tampa next weekend that we don’t think can make it through to nationals. I can’t wait to get to Tampa and start the NCAA portion of the postseason.”- Head Coach Curtis Frye
| MAY 24-26, 2018 • 2018 NCAA EAST REGIONAL • MEN’S QUALIFIERS |
| 200m |
| Ncincilili Titi |
20.00 |
| Shot Put |
| Josh Awotunde |
20.77m | 68-1 3/4 |
| Eric Favors |
18.73m | 61-5 1/2 |
| MAY 24-26, 2018 • 2018 NCAA EAST REGIONAL • WOMEN’S QUALIFIERS |
| 4x100m Relay |
| Dendy, Davis, Mills, Pennamon |
44.49 |
| 4x400m Relay |
| Davis, Holmes, Mills, Haith |
3:37.30 |
