Stoddard Breaks School Record on Final Day of Weems Baskin
“Today we just saw a huge improvement across our entire team from last week to this week,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “I’m thrilled with AK’s performance today, and honestly both of those girls in the 3000m. They almost ran at the Raleigh Relays but we kept them here because it might be too hot for them up there. We made an adjustment and put them in this event today, it wasn’t planned, but for them to adapt like that is great for us as we move forward and they shift their focus to events that could help us at the conference meet down the road.”
Stoddard’s time of 9:29.72 was an impressive one that was done through hot track conditions. The senior fought through to crush the previous school record by 14 seconds, a record that was held for 27 years by Tracey Capper. Arguably more notable is that Stoddard’s time is the 35th-fastest time in the world this year, according to the IAAF website.
Hear from the #Gamecocks new 3000m school record holder Anna Kathryn Stoddard (9:29.76) after today’s meet! #Gamecocks | #ncaaTF pic.twitter.com/PW2O9T9hg8
— Gamecock Track & XC (@GamecockTrack) March 27, 2021
Throughout the meet the Gamecocks had a number of quality performances with Evan Miller’s 200m time being one of them. Miller, fresh off his 200m All-America honor, ran his first outdoor open in the event since 2019 on Saturday. Miller clocked a 20.50, the sixth-fastest time in school history, to finish as the meet’s runner-up. Miller also was a part of the 4×100, 4x300m and 4x400m relay teams during the weekend.
Nearly the entire men’s 400m hurdles group improved on their collegiate PRs in the event on Saturday. William Spencer Jr.’s first collegiate experience in the event was a notable one. The outdoor rookie clocked a 50.42 to win the event despite almost tumbling over the last hurdle. The time for Spencer Jr. goes down as the 10th-fastest time in school history in just his first attempt at the event in college. Rivaldo Leacock was not far behind in second place with a new collegiate PR of 51.11 while outdoor freshman EJ Ricahrdson’s 52.53 was good enough for fourth and Noah Walker’s 53.58 was fifth.
South Carolina’s young guns in the 400m hurdles were outstanding on Saturday as well. Freshman Ashton Lindley’s 57.42 was good enough for the top time amongst colligates in her attempt in the event and also was good enough for ninth in school history. Lindley was followed by Rachel Glenn and De’Andreah Young who came in at 58.61 and 59.26, respectively.
Back on the straightaway it was Destinee Rocker who entered her name into South Carolina’s top 10 in the 100m hurdles. The All-American had the top time in the prelims and finished as the meet’s runner-up with a time of 13.16, eighth-best in school history. Caitlyn Little’s 13.44 was also good enough for fifth in the meet.
Sean Petersen added his name into the winner’s circle on Saturday, winning the men’s 3000m in a time of 8:37.90. The time goes down as the fastest in school history since 2000 with Petersen winning by 12 seconds over the rest of the field.
The women’s 4x400m relay team was back in top form with a 3:31.28, defending their home track with the team of Aliyah Abrams, Lindley, Knowledge Omovoh and Glenn. The team easily won by over two seconds and now owns the fastest time in the country in this young outdoor season. The men’s team finished as the runner-up with Richardson finishing the race with an outstanding 45.91 split.
In the field Malik Paul once again improved his personal bests, today being in the discus. Paul’s mark of 57.42m (188-4) was good enough for second overall in the meet but also pushed his previous PR almost an entire meter. Alycia Springs tossed an outdoor PR of 15.93m (52-3 1/4) to finish as the meet’s runner-up while on the men’s side Dylan Targgart, who is redshirtting this season, won the men’s shot put in his first action. Targgart’s 18.04m already put’s the freshman 10th in school history in his first career action at the college level.
Other notable performances during the day was Alysia Johnson’s 400m PR to take third overall in a time of 53.42. Additionally, Jordan Fields (high jump), Adele Blalock (pole vault), David Olds (1500m), Heather Stone (3000m), Filip Demsar (110m hurdles) and the women’s 4x100m relay team all finished in second place on Saturday.
Next week the Gamecocks return to road action at the Florida Relays. The meet, scheduled from April 2-3, will take place in Gainesville, Fla. South Carolina returns to home action on April 10 for the Gamecock Invitational, a one-day meet.
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| MARCH 26-27 • WEEMS BASKIN • MEN’S LINEUP | ||
| 100m | ||
| Gatlin Lawson | 7th. 11.01 | |
| Parker Howard | 17th. 11.24 | |
| 200m | ||
| Parker Howard | 47th. 23.18 -2.5 | |
| Gatlin Lawson | 31st. 22.47 -2.5w | |
| Evan Miller | 2nd. 20.50 (PR) +1.1w | |
| 400m | ||
| Jackson Junkins | 5th 47.14 (PR) | |
| Jordan Sessom | 19th 49.72 | |
| 800m | ||
| Ian Fladd | 18th. 2:03.70 | |
| Jack Mensch | 14th. 2:01.24 | |
| Bricen Nguyen | 16th. 2:02.36 | |
| Kyle Reers | 8th. 1:57.50 | |
| 1500m | ||
| Alex Galbraith | 3rd 4:05.74 | |
| Collin Kilgore | 6th 4:10.07 | |
| David Olds | 2nd 4:04.61 | |
| Austin Story | 8th 4:18.04 | |
| 3000m | ||
| Sean Petersen | 1st. 8:37.90 (PR) | |
| 5000m | ||
| Mason Joiner | 10th. 15:42.65 (PR) | |
| 110m Hurdles | ||
| Elisha Brooks | DNS | |
| Filip Demsar | 2nd 13.99 | |
| 400m Hurdles | ||
| Rivaldo Leacock | 2nd 51.11 (PR) | |
| EJ Richardson | 4th. 52.53 (PR) | |
| Noah Walker | 5th. 53.58 | |
| William Spencer Jr. | 1st 50.42 | |
| 4x100m | ||
| Demsar, Lawson, Sessom, Brooks | 5th. 40.76 | |
| 4x300m | ||
| Miller, Richardson, Spencer Jr., Junkins | 1st. 2:12.18 (FR) | |
| 4x400m | ||
| Spencer Jr., Miller, Junkins, Richardson | 2nd. 3:11.01 | |
| Hammer | ||
| Malik Paul | 4th. 59.09m | 193-10 (PR) | |
| Long Jump | ||
| Christian Lewis | 15th. 6.55m | 21-6 | |
| Desmond Gaillard | 16th. 6.51m | 21-4 3/4 | |
| Elisha Brooks | 18th. 6.50m | 21-4 | |
| Jalen Herring | 8th. 6.90m | 22-7 3/4 (PR) | |
| High Jump | ||
| Jackson Marseille | 2nd. 2.07m | |
| Kobe Franklin | 5th. 2.02m (PR) | |
| Discus | ||
| Malik Paul | 2nd. 57.42m | 188-04 | |
| Benjamin Womble | 19th. 37.18m | 121-11 | |
| Shot Put | ||
| Eric Favors | –. F | |
| Benjamin Womble | 12th. 10.92m | |
| Pole Vault | ||
| Dillon McCarthy | 5th. 4.85m | |
| Timothy McEvoy | –. NH | |
| Benjamin Womble | 10th. 4.00m | 13-1 1/2 (PR) | |
| Elisha Brooks | 13th. 3.40m | 11-1 3/4 | |
| MARCH 26-27 • WEEMS BASKIN • WOMEN’S LINEUP | ||
| 200m | ||
| Synclair Savage | 33rd. 25.98 -2.2w | |
| Stephanie Davis | –. DNF | |
| Casey Douglas | 45th. 26.66 -3.4w | |
| Angel Frank | 13th. 24.62 -0.4w | |
| Knowledge Omovoh | 4th. 23.72 +0.0w | |
| Anastasia Sumpter | 32nd. 25.97 -0.4w | |
| Shianne Sipsey | 14th. 24.78 +0.8w | |
| 400m | ||
| Alysia Johnson | 3rd 53.42 (PR) | |
| 800m | ||
| Sierra Biber | 4th. 2:17.36 | |
| Christina Ceniccola | 19th. 2:32.36 | |
| Elizabeth Davison | 14th. 2:27.53 | |
| Isabella Pisani | 5th. 2:20.25 | |
| 1500m | ||
| Emily Smith | 8th. 4:54.23 | |
| Savannah Bowers | 7th. 4:54.74 | |
| Hannah Cella | 14th. 5:07.66 | |
| Lyndsey Fowler | 9th. 5:01.89 | |
| Jenna Pellizzari | 19th. 5:25.66 | |
| Claudia Satzke | 17th. 5:15.92 | |
| 3000m | ||
| Anna Kathryn Stoddard | 1st. 9:29.76 (PR/SR) | |
| Heather Stone | 2nd. 9:50.72 | |
| 5000m | ||
| Sarah-Sims McGrath | 6th. 18:14.87 (PR) | |
| Kathleen Abrams | 14th. 19:59.39 | |
| Kira Jenkins | 11th. 19:05.73 | |
| Sarah Riser | 9th. 18:52.10 (PR) | |
| Brooke Wilson | 1st. 17:15.23 (PR) | |
| Katerina Hendrix | 10th. 18:53.84 | |
| 100m Hurdles | ||
| Caitlyn Little | 5th 13.44 +0.7w | |
| Kiera Hughes | 23rd. 15.53 +0.6w | |
| Destinee Rocker | 3rd 13.16 +0.7w (PR) | |
| 400m Hurdles | ||
| De’Andreah Young | 4th 59.26 | |
| Rachel Glenn | 3rd 58.61 | |
| Ashton Lindley | 2nd 57.42 | |
| 4x100m | ||
| Omovoh, Davis, Abrams, Lindley | 2nd. 44.55 | |
| 4x300m | ||
| Frank, D. Young, Sipsey, Douglas | 3rd. 2:39.22 | |
| 4x400m | ||
| Abrams, Lindley, Omovoh, Glenn | 1st. 3:31.28 | |
| 4x800m | ||
| Smith, Kavanaugh, Biber, Pisani | 1st. 9:19.52 | |
| Long Jump | ||
| Synclair Savage | 8th. 5.41m | 17-9 | |
| Dymier Jeffery | 14th. 4.97m | 16-3 3/4 | |
| Shot Put | ||
| Carisma Holland | 5th. 14.71m | 48-3 1/4 | |
| Alycia Springs | 2nd. 15.93m | 52-3 1/4 (PR) | |
| High Jump | ||
| Jordan Fields | 2nd. 1.72m | 5-7 3/4 | |
| Dymier Jeffery | –. NH | |
| Pole Vault | ||
| Adele Blalock | T2. 3.86m | 12-8 | |
| Hailey Sweatman | –. NH | |
| Pressley Perry | –. NH | |
| Alyssa Rice | –. NH | |
| Brianna Stamps | 5th. 3.40m | 11-1 3/4 (PR) | |
