“We’re really excited. Our kids got off to a good start at home (two weeks ago), and we’re trying to make this an intimidating place. A bird doesn’t let you in their nest without a fight, so we’re in here to make sure it’s a fight, and the fight is getting tougher. It’s great to get back to run on the fastest track in the country and we are excited to host institutions from all over the country at our world class facility this weekend. We look at this experience as a way for our community to have the chance for exposure. I believe it is an obligation for our school to host meets like this and that’s why we try to have the number of teams that we do. We had over 40 teams here at the Gamecock Opener and we are looking at the same amount this weekend and we couldn’t be more excited.”– Head Coach Curtis Frye

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (click to expand)

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LAST TIME OUT – DR. SANDER COLUMBIA CHALLENGE

Led off by Hailey Sweatman in the women’s pole vault, the Gamecocks finished their trip to New York City with a total of four victories in one of the nation’s most competitive indoor meets on the east coast. Jordan Fields (High Jump), Stephanie Davis (200m) and the men’s 4x400m relay team helped capture the other wins for the Gamecocks in the Big Apple. 

Sweatman’s victory is her fourth-straight this season. She improved her indoor personal best to 4.20m (13-9 1/4) and now sits in the top 20 in the nation. For Fields, it was her first competition of the season and the Jacksonville, Fla. native did not disappoint. She leaped her way to 1.75m (5-8 3/4) and the win. Davis continued her impressive season with another 200m victory, the junior clocked 23.94 and helped the Gamecocks finish as the runner-up at the meet as a team. On the men’s side the 4x400m relay team cruised to a 3:10.27 with the squad comprised of Arinze Chance, Rivaldo Leacock, EJ Richardson and William Spencer Jr. 

Carolina also had a trio of runner-up finishers at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. Darrell Singleton Jr. improved his season-best time to 6.75 and finished in second while Destinee Rocker finished in second with a time of 8.268 in a photo finish race. Amanda Murphy’s toss of 18.40m (60-4 1/2) gave her the seventh-best mark in program history and the second place finish in the weight throw. 
 

GAMECOCKS IN THE TOP 50

With the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships swiftly approaching, the Gamecocks will look to make the move into the top 16 qualifying spots in the next five meets. Carolina currently has 14 women and 10 men in the top 50 with three men and five women’s events sitting in the top 16 as of Jan. 30. Most notably, junior Stephanie Davis sits in the top 12 of both the women’s 200m and the 400m while she is also a part of the 10th best 4x400m relay time in the country. 
 

JAN. 17-18 – GAMECOCK OPENER

The University of South Carolina track and field team claimed six victories at the squad’s first action at home. Hailey Sweatman (Pole Vault) and Destinee Rocker (60m hurdles) were the two victors on the women’s side while Arinze Chance (300m) and Stephon Torrence (60m hurdles) added two victories on the men’s side for Carolina. Malik Paul (Weight Throw) and the Gamecocks Distance Medley Relay team consisting of Maryah Nasir, Macie Kavanaugh, Isabella Pisani and Anna Kathryn Stoddard added a pair of victories for the Gamecocks on Saturday. 

For Sweatman, the victory is her third in as many meets during the young 2019-20 campaign. She reached at least 4.05m (13-3 1/2) for the third time this season. Sweatman’s best mark of the season (4.10m) still has her in the top 10 in the country. In his first race back with the Gamecocks, senior Arinze Chance demolished the field in the 300m, nearly winning the event by a full second with a time of 33.08, just 0.08 off of his personal record.
 
After two preliminary rounds for the hurdles, Stephon Torrence and Destinee Rocker both found themselves in a highly competitive final in the 60m hurdles. For Rocker, her 8.30 was good enough for second place overall, but the top collegiate time. Torrence took down his personal record he recorded at the junior college championships last season by 0.01 to take second place overall and the top collegiate time at 7.86. Paul tossed a pair of personal record marks during the weight throw with his 19.27m (63-2 ¾) enough to claim the win. For the Distance Medley Relay, it was their first chance at putting up a mark this season. The team of Nasir, Kananaugh, Pisani and Stoddard nearly reached a top-10 program mark and their time of 11:49.88 now sits as the No. 12 time in the country.

JAN. 11 – ORANGE AND PURPLE ELITE

The Gamecocks picked up three total victories at the first meet of the 2020 campaign with three different athletes contributing to three new program top 10 performances.
 
South Carolina’s first victory came via Malik Paul in the men’s weight throw. Paul’s toss of 18.48m (60-7 3/4) was good enough to claim the top spot by nearly two full meters. Evan Miller continued his winning ways in the 200m with his second victory in as many attempts this season. His 21.19, just 0.08 slower than his season opening time back in December, was good enough for another Gamecock victory. 

Back in the field events, senior pole vaulter Hailey Sweatman captured her second victory of the season with a 4.05m (13-3 1/2) vault. The senior waited patiently and didn’t enter the competition until the height reached 4.05m (13-3.5), a mark good enough for the victory. 
 

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.

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).

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