ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of South Carolina track & field team closed the Black and Gold Challenge with more success on Saturday, as the Gamecocks claimed nine event victories at the UCF Soccer & Track Complex. Otis Jones, Lissa Labiche, Isaiah Moore, Darrell Singleton Jr., Yann Randrianasolo, Jeremiah Talbert, Noah Walker, the women’s 4x800m relay and the men’s 4x400m relay each climbed the top of the podium on the final day of the first outdoor meet of 2019.

Counting Friday’s wins from Anna Kathryn Stoddard (women’s 1500m) and Armand Woodley (men’s pole vault), the Gamecocks left Orlando with 11 event wins, which led the event.

Overall, Carolina posted 17 podium efforts on Saturday. Three Gamecocks ended the meet with the top mark in the nation in their events at this early juncture of the 2019 outdoor season, and seven more Gamecocks hold top-five rankings.

Already an All-American in the long jump, Randrianasolo made a rare appearance in the triple jump on Saturday, and he left quite an impression. The senior maxed out at 15.61m (51-2 ¾), the seventh-best effort in Gamecock history and the top mark in the nation so far this season.

Labiche made her outdoor season debut in the high jump and came away with a winning effort. The two-time Olympian opened her year as the only competitor on Saturday to clear 1.73m (5-8), which is third in the nation this year.

Carolina’s first track victory of the day came in the women’s 4x800m relay. The quartet of Allie Mueller, Maryah Nasir, Sierra Biber and Macie Kavanaugh ran a time of 9:04.39, the eighth-best mark in Carolina history. Nasir posted the fastest split of the day, 2:13.6.

One week after ending his final indoor season as a first-team All-American, Moore began his senior outdoor campaign with a victory. The Burlington, N.C., native, running the 110m hurdles for the first time as a Gamecock since the 2017 NCAA Championships, clocked an NCAA-leading time of 13.67.

Talbert garnered a victory in his outdoor Gamecock debut. The freshman easily won the 400m, clocking a time of 47.81. That ranks third in the NCAA this season.

Singleton won a photo finish to claim the men’s 100m. Despite running into a headwind, the junior stopped the clock in 10.48, just .02 second ahead of NC State’s Cravont Charleston. Singleton added a strong effort in the 200m, finishing second with a time of 21.16.

Like Moore, Jones was racing just one week after collecting first-team All-America laurels indoors. He too was victorious in his first outdoor race of the season, clocking 1:50.65 to take a narrow victory in the 800m. That’s the fastest time in the NCAA so far this season.

Walker was an NCAA Regionals qualifier last season at USC Upstate, and he began his first outdoor campaign as a Gamecock with the best run of his career. The junior set a new personal best, 51.45, to claim the 400m hurdles on Saturday.

Carolina closed the meet with a big win in the men’s 4x400m relay. Talbert, Jordan Sessom, Jones and Walker turned in a time of 3:13.47, the third-best mark in the nation this season.

FROM THE COACH