“We treat every meet like a rehearsal for the SECs and NCAAs,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “We’re excited for a lot of our student-athletes to have the opportunity for their first test. We try to have a progressive type of season where it gets more difficult each week, but this week is a tough one right out of the gate with Florida State being ranked No. 1 in the country and other top five teams but we are also one of the top teams on the women’s side so we are aiming to be competitive with the top teams each and every week.”– Head Coach Curtis Frye

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (click to expand)

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LAST TIME OUT – DECEMBER 7 – CLEMSON OPENER

South Carolina has already competed once in the 2019-20 season, taking its sprinters, hurdles and pole vaulters to the Clemson Opener on Dec. 7. The Gamecocks dominated, winning six of the 11 events they entered.
 
On the women’s side the Gamecocks picked up three victories with Stephanie Davis’ 37.10 in the 300m highlighting them. Her time was good enough for the third fastest in program history and is now the 14^th fastest time in collegiate history. Other victories included the mile relay consisting of Davis, Pearl Nagbe, Shaianne Sipsey and De’Andreah Young. Hailey Sweatman also started her season with a strong performance in pole vault with a winning mark of 4.10m.
 
The men picked up the remaining three victories, with freshman EJ Richardson claiming the victory in the 400m while Evan Miller’s 21.16 was good enough for the top spot in the 200m. The men’s 4x400m relay team of Richardson, William Spencer Jr., Jordan Sessom and Rivaldo Leacock claimed the final victory of the meet with a strong time of 3:10.05.
 

GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

With the season still very young, the Gamecocks still have many of the nation’s top times entering this weekend’s meet. Miller’s 21.16 in the 200m remains the fastest in the country while Richardson’s 47.25 is the fastest clocked time in the 400m.
 
Transfer hurdler Destinee Rocker’s preliminary time of 8.33 in the 60m hurdles at the Clemson Opener has her entering 2020 with the fourth fastest time in in the country. Freshman Jazmine Tilmon burst onto the scene with a 8.39 in the final to enter 2020 with the eighth fastest time in the country while Sweatman’s 4.10m mark in pole vault is good enough for the third best in the country.
 

QUINCY HALL APPEARS ON THE BOWERMAN WATCH LIST

University of South Carolina senior Quincy Hall was named to The Bowerman watch list to begin the 2020 season, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Monday afternoon.
 
Hall makes his second straight Men’s watch list appearance following an NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 400m hurdles in 2019. Hall also won the NACAC U23 Championship with Team USA in the 400m hurdles after the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
The Kansas City, Mo., native swept the 400m in the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships during the 2019 season, his first with the Gamecocks. The then-junior was also a part of the men’s 4x400m relay team that earned First Team All-America honors during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
Hall owns two school records, both in the 400m, with a time of 45.25 on the indoor track and a time of 44.53 on the outdoor track. His 48.48 that won him the 2019 NCAA Championship in the 400m hurdles is also good enough for the second-best time in program history behind Gamecock great Johnny Dutch (47.63).
 

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS

The Gamecocks bring back a strong All-American group on the women’s side with a total of five individuals that have earned at least one honor in their careers at South Carolina. On the men’s side just two return with All-America honors in their South Carolina careers.
 
Highlighted by Quincy Hall’s national individual national championship in the outdoor 400m hurdles, the Gamecocks also return two individuals from their indoor 4x400m relay national championship team from 2019 in Davis and Aliyah Abrams.
 
Others that have earned All-America honors in their career at South Carolina include Hanifah Abdulqadir, Jordan Fields, Lissa Labiche and Arinze Chance.

UP NEXT

Following the one-day Orange & Purple Elite the Gamecocks will return to Columbia, S.C. to host the Gamecock Opener from Jan. 17-18. Known as the Gamecock Inaugural in 2019, the Gamecocks are eagerly waiting to host another meet at the new Indoor Track and Field facility.