COLUMBIA, S.C. — Championship glory is on the line this weekend as the University of South Carolina track & field program heads to Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2019 SEC Indoor Championships. The Gamecocks will face off with the toughest and deepest conference in all of collegiate track & field beginning Friday at 11 a.m. CT and continuing Saturday at 10:45 a.m. CT.

As usual, the SEC Championships features the strongest field in all of college track & field. On the men’s side, top-25 teams include No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 Florida, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Georgia, No. 13 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 19 Ole Miss. The women’s field features No. 1 Arkansas, No. 4 LSU, No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 Florida, No. 14 Alabama, No. 17 South Carolina, No. 23 Georgia and No. 24 Tennessee.

The men’s field includes seven NCAA individual event leaders, and five national leaders headline the women’s competition.

WATCH THE GAMECOCKS LIVE ON SEC NETWORK+

On SEC Network+, fans can watch a live broadcast of the 2019 SEC Indoor Championships on both days of the meet. Friday’s coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET and Saturday’s broadcast starts at 3:55 p.m. ET.

Also, SEC Network will show tape-delayed television coverage of Saturday’s finals. The broadcast will run Sunday at 8 p.m. ET and Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

FROM THE COACH

“Championships are what you run for. That’s the reason you come to the SEC, to compete in the premier event in the country. Our student-athletes are part of that aura. Right now, the anxiety and fear are high, and so is the anticipation, but the preparation has already happened. There’s not a lot we can do at this point except go to the meet, and the fruits of our labor will express itself.”

“Our kids follow the sport very closely. They know who the favorites are. They know who’s in the top eight, and they have a confidence that they can do anything. They’re prepared to accomplish anything, and you never know when their best is going to come out. They have confidence, and they know it’s inside of them.”– Head Coach Curtis Frye

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (Click to Expand)

LAST SEASON AT THE SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Last season’s SEC Indoor Championships were held in College Station, Texas, and then-senior Josh Awotunde stole the show for Carolina. Awotunde won the men’s shot put title with a school- and meet-record throw of 21.33m (69-11 ¾), the ninth-best indoor throw in collegiate history. He was the first Gamecock to win a men’s SEC indoor title since 2010.

Awotunde was one of three Gamecocks to earn Indoor All-SEC laurels last season, joining silver medalists Lissa Labiche (women’s high jump) and Yann Randrianasolo (men’s long jump). Both Labiche and Randrianasolo are back for this season, as are 2019 scorers Otis Jones (fifth; men’s 800m), Armand Woodley (fifth; men’s pole vault), Alycia Springs (sixth; women’s shot put), KD Young (seventh; women’s shot put) and Jordan Fields (eighth; pentathlon). Young was an SEC All-Freshman selection last season, as was Springs in 2017. Eric Favors also owns an SEC All-Freshman Team nod after finishing fifth in the shot put in 2017.

Overall, the Gamecock men finished ninth last season with 34 points. On the women’s side, Carolina placed 12th, with 17 points.

GAMECOCK HISTORY AT THE SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

South Carolina has produced 24 SEC indoor titles on the men’s side and 22 women’s champions since joining the league for the 1992 postseason. The best team performance by the men’s team came in 1999, when Curtis Frye’s squad finished second. The Gamecock men added a third-place effort in 2003 and fourth-place results in 2009 and 2010. The Gamecock women placed second in 2003 and have finished third four separate times.

An illustrious group of Gamecocks have earned the title of SEC Indoor Champion during their collegiate careers. The first SEC champion in program history came in 1993, when Ron Willis captured the first of his two weight throw titles. Olympian Terrance Trammell was a five-time champion across four different events from 1998-2000, and Brad Snyder won the shot put four consecutive years from 1996-99.

Carolina’s first SEC Indoor women’s titles came in 1996, when Crystal Brownlee won the shot put and Dawn Ellerbe captured the weight throw. Both Gamecocks ended their collegiate careers as two-time SEC indoor medalists, as did Carolina alum Lakya Brookins. Demetria Washington holds the program record with five indoor SEC crowns, while Miki Barber won three.

The Gamecock women snapped a four-year drought at the SEC Indoor Championships when Nakita Gray won the high jump in 2016. For the men, the last SEC indoor gold came last season, when Josh Awotunde broke an eight-year streak with his shot put championship.

LAST TIME OUT • FEBRUARY 16 • MOORE, RANDRIANASOLO STRENGTHEN NCAA BIDS AT USC INDOOR OPEN

Carolina’s indoor regular-season finale came Feb. 16 when the Gamecocks hosted the USC Indoor Open. Four Gamecocks won their events, with Malik Paul (men’s weight throw), Yann Randrianasolo (men’s long jump), Armand Woodley (men’s pole vault) and KD Young (women’s shot put) heading into the postseason with victories.

Randrianasolo and fellow senior Isaiah Moore posted the most impactful performances of the meet for the Gamecocks. In the long jump, Randrianasolo moved from No. 16 to No. 5 on the 2019 NCAA leaderboard with a leap of 7.94m (26-0 ¾). Moore, who’s battled injuries over the last two seasons, ran a 60m hurdles time of 7.76, which ranks 15th in the nation.

Overall, the Gamecocks combined for 28 new personal bests at their final full-field meet of the 2019 indoor campaign.

RANDRIANASOLO NAMED SEC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Senior Yann Randrianasolo was named SEC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week Feb. 19, his first-career conference weekly award. The Toulouse, France, native tallied a mark of 7.94m (26-0 ¾) at the USC Indoor Open, the third-best mark in the conference this season.

The Gamecocks now own four SEC weekly honors this season. Aliyah Abrams was named Women’s Runner of the Week Jan. 15 and Feb. 6, Arinze Hall was the Jan. 22 Men’s Runner of the Week and Quincy Hall was the Feb. 6 Men’s Runner of the Week. Carolina’s five indoor SEC weekly awards are the most for the program since 2006.

BOTH GAMECOCK SQUADS ENTER POSTSEASON RANKED IN NATIONAL TOP 20

Both Carolina track & field squads were listed. in the top 20 of the final USTFCCCA nationals rankings of the indoor regular season. The Gamecock women are ranked 17th while the Carolina men are 18th, their first top-25 mark of the season.

In the USTFCCCA’s #EventSquad rankings, the Gamecock women are listed third nationally in the 400m, ninth in the high jump, 12th in the 200m and 13th in the 60m. The Gamecock men are ranked fourth in the 400m and 11th in the 60m.

GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Through six weeks of the 2019 season, the Gamecocks feature 15 student-athletes and two relays with NCAA top-50 rankings in their individual events. The top-16 student-athletes in each event will qualify for the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships, to be held March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala. If the cutoff was today, the Gamecocks would send eight individuals and two relay squads to Birmingham.

• CURRENTLY IN THE TOP 16

• The Gamecocks have three women poised to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 400m: Aliyah Abrams (third; 52.58), Wadeline Jonathas (ninth; 52.86) and Stephanie Davis (14th; 53.07). Abrams’ time currently leads the SEC.

• Two Gamecocks currently hold qualifying spots in the men’s 400m: Quincy Hall (fifth; 45.72) and Arinze Chance (13th; 46.15).

• Senior Yann Randrianasolo is in great shape in the men’s long jump after posting a mark fo 7.94m (26-0 ¾) last week. That’s fifth-best in the nation this season.

• Senior Isaiah Moore is on the verge of his first NCAA Indoor Championships experience; he’s currently listed 15th in the 60m hurdles at 7.76.

• Eric Favors currently holds the No. 15 spot in men’s shot put, at 19.38m (63-7).

• The women’s 4x400m relay squad of Davis, Abrams, Tatyana Mills and Jonathas is ranked third nationally at 3:30.67.

• The men’s 4x400m relay team of Chance, Otis Jones, Hall and Ty Jaye Robbins is ranked eighth in the nation with a time of 3:05.68.

IN THE HUNT

• Two Gamecocks are in striking distance in the women’s 60mH, with Milan Parks (8.23) ranked 20th and Caitlyn Little (8.28) listed 31st).

• Senior Armand Woodley enters SEC week listed 30th in men’s pole vault with a mark of 5.31m (17-5).

• Jones is looking for his first NCAA berth in the 800m, where he’s currently 32nd with a mark of 1:49.47.

• Davis is ranked 35th in the women’s 200m after clocking a personal-best 23.57 at the Tiger Paw Invitational.

• Seniors Maiya Dendy and Makyla Stanley are each ranked 46th in the women’s 60m with matching times of 7.41.

FEBRUARY 8-9 • GAMECOCKS FACE THE NATION’S BEST AT TIGER PAW INVITATIONAL

The Gamecocks squared off with 16 other top-25 programs at the Tiger Paw Invitational in what was perhaps the best collection of talent at a regular-season meet this year. The Gamecock quarter-milers once again stood tall. Quincy Hall ran 45.72 to set Carolina’s indoor 400m record for the second-straight week, and the women’s 4x400m relay quartet of Aliyah Abrams, Tatyana Mills, Stephanie Davis and Wadeline Jonathas ran 3:30.67, moving up to No. 3 on the NCAA leaderboard and No. 8 on the school’s all-time records list. It’s the fastest women’s 4×4 for the Gamecocks in 12 years.

Yann Randrianasolo (long jump) notched Carolina’s lone victory on the men’s side, while Stephanie Davis (200m) grabbed the lone women’s victory with a time of 23.57, by far her personal best.

Other notable performances came from Wadeline Jonathas, whose 400m time of 52.86 kept her in the NCAA top 10 for another week, and Milan Parks, whose 60mH mark of 8.24 ranked as the sixth-best effort in program history. Armand Woodley, who pole-vaulted 5.31m, left Clemson with the sixth-best indoor mark in Carolina history in his event.

JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 2 • SCHOOL RECORDS FALL AT CAROLINA CHALLENGE

South Carolina hosted over 1,500 student-athletes as part of 48 collegiate teams Jan. 31 – Feb. 2 at the Carolina Challenge. The Gamecocks rewrote the record book at their second home meet. Leading the way was Quincy Hall, who set a then-indoor 400m program record with a mark of 45.84 on Friday night. Hall then came back Saturday and ran a 44.6 split on a 4x400m relay team that broke the school record with a mark of 3:05.68. Hall was joined by Arinze Chance, Otis Jones and Ty Jaye Robbins in the record relay run.

Overall, the Gamecocks won eight events at the Carolina Challenge. Aliyah Abrams won the 400m with a new personal best time of 52.58. Then she joined Stephanie Davis, Tatyana Mills and Wadeline Jonathas Saturday to run a time of 3:32.29 in the 4x400m relay.

Other winners included Timothy McEvoy (Open Pole Vault), Yann Randrianasolo (Long Jump Invite), Otis Jones (800m) and the Women’s DMR squad of Maryah Nasir, Sierra Biber, Macie Kavanaugh and Allie Mueller, which ran 11:40.39 to post the second-best mark in program history.

JANUARY 25-26 • SOUTH CAROLINA COMPETES AT DR. SANDER COLUMBIA CHALLENGE

The Gamecocks made their annual journey to New York City Jan. 25-26 for the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. On the women’s side, Carolina finished third at the scored meet, while the Gamecock men took seventh.

Carolina earned seven victories at The Armory, led by Eric Favors in the men’s shot put. The redshirt junior set an Irish indoor national record with his winning throw of 19.38m, fourth-best in Carolina history. Arinze Chance (400m), Yann Randrianasolo (men’s long jump) and the 4x400m relay also earned Gamecock wins on the men’s side. The mile relay ran their fastest time of the year to date, 3:09.84.

For the women, Wadeline Jonathas grabbed a double victory by winning the 400m and leading the 4x400m relay to victory. Makyla Stanley won the long jump, her first-career Armory victory, and she ran a personal-best 7.48 in the 60m.

JANUARY 18-19 • SOUTH CAROLINA OPENS NEW INDOOR FACILITY WITH GAMECOCK INAUGURAL

Curtis Frye’s team officially opened the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex Jan. 18-19 with the Gamecock Inaugural. The meet was a smashing success, as over 35 teams and 1,200 student-athletes were on hand to celebrate the first collegiate meet in Carolina’s new home.

The Gamecocks won 11 events at the historic meet, led by senior Arinze Chance’s effort in the men’s 400m Invite. Chance set what was at the time a new school record with his run of 46.15. That’s also a Guyanese national record. For a week, it stood as the fastest time in the NCAA this season and the fastest time in the world in 2019.

Other men’s winners at the Gamecock Inaugural include Otis Jones (800m) Yann Randrianasolo (Long Jump Invite), Noah Walker (Open 400m) and the 4x400m Relay.

The top women’s performer at the Gamecock Inaugural was junior Anna Kathryn Stoddard, who won the 3000m with a personal-record time of 10:01.77, more than 12 seconds better than her previous PR. Stoddard then anchored the Distance Medley Relay to a winning run of 11:48.77 on Saturday.

Additional women’s champions included Aliyah Abrams (200m Invite) Stephanie Davis (400m Invite), Maiya Dendy (60m Invite) and Carisma Holland (Shot Put Invite)

JANUARY 11 • GAMECOCKS WIN NINE EVENTS AT ORANGE & PURPLE ELITE

South Carolina won nine events at the Orange & Purple Elite, held Jan. 11 in Clemson, S.C. The Gamecocks finished tied with Florida State for the most victories at the six-team event.

Leading the way for Carolina on the women’s side was redshirt junior Aliyah Abrams, who captured the 400m title with a time of 52.78 and anchored Carolina’s winning 4x400m relay team, which stopped the clock in 3:34.43. Additional women’s event winners include Adele Blalock (pole vault) and Macie Kavanaugh (600m).

Like Abrams, Otis Jones was a two-time winner on the men’s side. The redshirt senior won the 600m with a late closing stretch to post a time of 1:18.77, and he led off the 4x400m relay that took the victory in 3:11.23. Other men’s winners for the Gamecocks included Arinze Chance (300m), Yann Randrianasolo (long jump) and Armand Woodley (pole vault).

DECEMBER 8 • GAMECOCKS DOMINATE CLEMSON OPENER

South Carolina took its sprinters and hurdlers to the Clemson Opener on Dec. 8. The Gamecocks dominated, winning seven of the nine events they entered.

Two returning All-Americans were victorious at Clemson, as Aliyah Abrams took the women’s 300m in 37.45, and Isaiah Moore won the men’s 60m hurdles, his first race as a Gamecock since June of 2017, with a time of 7.89. Abrams led the 4x400m relay team to a victory, and Darrell Singleton Jr. set a huge PR in the men’s 60m, with a winning time of 6.73.

Other winners at Clemson included Maiya Dendy (women’s 60m), Stephanie Davis (women’s 200m) and Milan Parks (women’s 60m hurdles).

FIVE GAMECOCKS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS BY FLOTRACK

Five Gamecocks were selected as Preseason All-Americans by FloTrack as the organization picked its top-16 student-athletes in each event over the holidays. Leading the way was junior college transfer Quincy Hall, who was picked third in the nation in the men’s 400m. Hanifah Abdulqadir was picked ninth in the women’s triple jump, while fellow jumps squad members Yann Randrianasolo (11th, men’s long jump) and Jordan Fields (12th, women’s high jump) were also selected. Last but not least, senior 800m specialist Otis Jones was picked 15th in his signature event.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks head to Birmingham, Ala., March 8-9 for the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships. The final list of national qualifiers will be released Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10 p.m. ET.