Brooks, Womble Complete Day 1 of South Carolina Invitational

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina had three multi-event student-athletes compete in the opening day of the South Carolina Invitational at the Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex. Elisha Brooks finished the first day in sixth while Benjamin Womble is in ninth in the heptathlon.

Brooks opened the day with an impressive finish in the 60m, finishing in a PR of 6.88, to hold the top spot after one event. Womble grabbed an eighth-place finish with a time of 7.41. Brooks followed that up with a fifth-place finish in the long jump (6.55m) and seventh-place finishes in both the shot put and high jump to complete the day in sixth overall. For Womble it was sixth-place finish in the shot put and two ninth-place finishes in the remaining events. 

“I think today we got off to a great start,” South Carolina assistant coach Kevin Brown said. “There was a lot of energy in the building. As heptathlon athletes, you don’t get a lot of chances to compete in this event so these guys have been waiting for this opportunity. Elisha Brooks started it off in style with a PR in the 60, which we’ve talked about and trained for that. Obviously the heptathlon has to be looked at one event at a time, so they have to keep battling. We have some tough competition here this weekend with the defending national champion in the decathlon, but it also gives you a chance to evaluate yourself. I’m proud of our guys because we are trying to defend our turf, we love to compete here. Tomorrow I’m looking for the same level of energy.”

On the women’s side it was Rachel Glenn who made her collegiate debut in the women’s pentathlon. She had her best finish in the high jump where she posted the second-best mark of 1.74m (5-8 1/2) and was as high as second overall after two events. Glenn did not complete the day, pulling out after the long jump but clocked a 9.06 in the 60m hurdles before the day was over. 

The remainder of the South Carolina Invitational will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 6, starting at 9 a.m. with the men’s heptathlon 60m hurdles. The non-multi events will begin at 11:00 a.m. 

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