Gamecocks Shine on Senior Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina track and field team totaled nine victories at the 2021 USC Open, wrapping up their home campaign at Creggar Track. Anna Kathryn Stoddard broke the 1500m school record, her third school record of the season, while a number of student-athletes improved on their national ranking individually. 

“It was amazing to be able to honor our great seniors today and see some of their parents today watch their sons and daughters compete,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “These are not just competitors on the track, but they are also future Carolina graduates.”

In just her second outdoor attempt at the event it was Rachel Glenn who again stole the show in the high jump. The true freshman reached 1.85m (6-0 3/4) for the first time outdoors to win the event over teammate Jordan Fields who finished second with a leap of 1.75m (5-8 3/4). For Glenn, it’s the second-best outdoor high jump mark in school history and is good enough to be tied for the fourth-best mark in the nation this year, and the best among true freshmen. 

“We know Rachel is capable of that 1.90 threshold, and even better, ” Frye said. “We know she can get the NCAAs in both the high jump and the 400m hurdles. That is the tricky thing for us to balance, but it is amazing to have an athlete who wants to do all of these events, and that’s just how the great ones are. She’s truly a great one and is a great example for the rest of our team.” 

The highlight of the day on the track for the Gamecocks was arguably William Spencer Jr. breaking through in the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking a 49.84, the fourth-fastest time in the nation this year. The outdoor rookie dropped below 50 seconds for the first time in his career and is now second in the conference in the event this season. Rivaldo Leacock matched Spencer Jr with a PR of his own, dropping half of a second to take third in a time of 50.67, the 14th-fastest time in the nation. 

“Here at Carolina we have a history of great 400m hurdlers, and Will is making the step into that group and to now be fourth in the country is great and we know there is more in him as well,” Frye said. “We also had Rivaldo, who has been here for four years and gets himself a personal best today and was a great breakthrough for him.”

Over in the women’s 400m hurdles it was Ashton Lindley who posted a lifetime best. The true freshman slightly improved her mark that stands as the sixth-fastest time in the nation, and the fastest among all freshmen. De’Andreah Young finished in fourth with a season-best time of 58.21, also top-20 national time. 

Early in the day it was Anna Kathryn Stoddard who set the tone for the Gamecocks. After setting school records in the 5000m and the 3000m, Stoddard added a third to her name in the 1500m. She posted a 4:25.74 to break Tracey Capper’s 25-year old record of 4:26.36. The Greenwood, S.C. native is the only Gamecock to currently hold three separate school records and has potentially more in her sights with a potential 10000m race in her future where she currently sits fourth on the Carolina all-time top 10 list. 

Fitting on Senior Day the Gamecocks saw a total of six seniors who were honored also pick up victories. Hanifah Abdulqadir came out in her first triple jump competition of the season to post a 12.89m (42-3 1/2), a top-12 mark in the East Region this season. Fellow senior Stephanie Davis posted a win in the women’s 400m while Knowledge Omovoh was the runner-up with a half-second personal best of 53.11. Both Omovoh and Davis contriubted on Carolina’ 4x400m relay victory while Noah Walker led off the Gamecocks’ winning men’s 4x400m relay. 

Other victories for the Gamecocks included Hayden Cobbe in the men’s 800m in a time of 1:51.51 while Heather Stone’s time of 9:55.95 was good enough to take the 3000m win for the Garnet and Black. 

With Carolina’s home season concluded, the Gamecocks will shift their focus to the Charlotte Invitational on April 23-24. The Gamecocks will also travel to the UNF Invitational, hosted by North Florida, on April 29 before the SEC Outdoor Championships in May. 

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