Gamecocks Dominant in Home Opener
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan. 14, 2023) – Many words come to mind when describing South Carolina Track & Field’s home opener, but none better than – dominant. The Gamecocks claimed 17 victories at the Gamecock Opener on Saturday at the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex and found themselves cracking the NCAA Top-50 on 20 different occasions.
“The kids took the meet to a different place,” stated Head Coach Curtis Frye. “Lots of the kids today had personal bests and a lot of times the first meet of the season doesn’t result in personal bests. We expected a lot of wins this weekend since this is our home and we practice here daily. We also appreciate having our facility give other schools the opportunity to run well. I was not expecting guys like Dylan Targgart throwing 62 feet or Evan running the second-best 400 in school history in the first meet.”
On the men’s side, there were nine total victories, including Evan Miller in the 400m as he ran a 45.91 time for the fastest indoor 400 this season. Miller’s mark was also the second fastest 400m indoor race in Gamecock history. The Gamecocks went 1 through 4 in the 400m, as EJ Richardson (48.29) clocked the 31st-fastest 400 this season and Anthony Greenhow (48.46) set a personal best with the 40th-fastest time in NCAA.
William Spencer, Jr. found himself claiming the podium with a new indoor 800-meter personal record with a time of 1:53.51, the 41st-fastest 800m race this season. International competitor Filip Demsar cracked the NCAA Top-10 in the 60-meter hurdles when he stopped the clock at 7.81 to come away with yet another victory.
Kobe Franklin and Dylan Targgart left their marks in the field events today, each capturing the fifth-best mark in program history in their respective events. Franklin cleared 2.15m in the high jump, the 5th-highest jump in the NCAA this season, as he started off his season with a victory. Targgart started his shot put campaign off with a personal-best throw of 18.88m to rank ninth in the NCAA this season.
The men’s relay teams also got things started on the right foot, finishing first and second in the Distance Medley Relay. The tandem of Alex Galbraith, Jacob Mangione, Kyle Reers and Henry Wood captured the win with a time of 10:24.83, ranking 15th in the NCAA. The squad of Aidan Hatton, Ethan Mathis, William Wright and George Luke were right on their heels with a mark of 10:25.85, taking second overall and placing 17th in the NCAA. The always coveted 4×400 meter relay race belonged to the Gamecocks, with Jackson Junkins, Spencer, Jayson Ward and Richardson clocking a time of 3:09.71 to rank 10th in the NCAA.
Although they are just outside the edge of the NCAA Top-50, both Dillon McCarthy and Blair Brooks secured two more wins for the Gamecocks. McCarthy cleared a season-best 4.90m to win the men’s pole vault, while Brooks jumped 7.26m in the triple jump for the second-consecutive meet en route to his victory.
The women’s team yielded eight victories for Carolina on Saturday, including six on the track. Jayla Jamison started her sophomore campaign with a win in the 60-meter sprint following a time of 7.36 to rank 20th in the NCAA, finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of teammate Anastasia Sumpter. South Carolina went 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the women’s 400, led by Jahnile Registre with the 7th-fastest NCAA mark this season of 53.77. Registre was followed by Angel Frank (54.16), Elena Kelety (54.61) and Alysia Johnson (55.01) who all cracked the Top-25.
Kieley Gayle also cracked the NCAA Top-25 in the women’s 800 when she registered a mark of 2:13.15, finishing a full seven seconds ahead of Emily Dorony of College of Charleston. Fellow middle distance runner Alex Costantino just missed out on the NCAA Top-50 in the women’s mile but set the 6th-fastest mark in program history when she claimed the podium with a time of 4:53.84. The Gamecocks had seven runners finish inside the Top 10 in the women’s mile, including Grace Zamrowski who finished runner-up with a time of 4:58.
Throwers Kayla Racine and KD Young set a great expectation in their season opener, each winning their events. Racine threw the weight throw 19.36m for the win, marking the 21st-best throw in the NCAA and throwing nearly two meters longer than anyone else. Young posted the 20th-best shot put in NCAA indoor this season when she logged 15.67m.
The final two events belonged to the Gamecocks as the women’s DMR team of Emily Pierontoni, Svenja Sommer, Emily Smith and Ella Zeigler captured the win with a time of 12:10.64 for the 7th-fastest indoor DMR this season. The 4x400m relay squad of Frank, Johnson, Aalliyah Francis and Registre polished things off with a 3:37.93 victory for the 8th-best 4x400m relay this season.
South Carolina will be back in action next weekend on Friday, Jan. 20 when the Gamecocks play host to the Carolina Challenge. The Carolina Challenge will be a two-day meet that will conclude on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Men’s Individual Results
60 Meters (Prelims)
5. Prescott Jefferson – 6.97q
12. Gatlin Lawson – 7.09
14. Blair Brooks – 7.15
60 Meters (Finals)
3. Prescott Jefferson – 6.92
200 Meters
3. Jackson Junkins – 21.77
8. Gatlin Lawson – 22.35
400 Meters
1. Evan Miller – 45.91*
2. EJ Richardson – 48.29
3. Anthony Greenhow – 48.46*
4. Jayson Ward – 48.49
800 Meters
1. William Spencer, Jr. – 1:53.51*
2. Will Wright – 1:54.10*
5. Jacob Mangione – 1:57.86*
1-Mile
2. Aidan Hatton – 4:18.21*
3. Jackson Dawson – 4:18.42*
4. George Luke – 4:22.85*
8. Jack Mensch – 4:29.50*
60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
1. Filip Demsar – 7.81Q
3. Elisha Brooks – 8.24Q
60-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
1. Filip Demsar – 7.82
4. Elisha Brooks – 8.20
Distance Medley Relay
1. Galbraith, Mangione, Reers, Wood – 10:24.83
2. Hatton, Mathis, Wright, Luke – 10:25.85
– Dawson, Mensch, Amaral, Willcox – DNF
4×400-Meter Relay
1. Junkins, Spencer Jr., Ward, Richardson – 3:09.71
High Jump
1. Kobe Franklin – 2.15m/7-00.50*
7. Elisha Brooks – 1.80m/5-10.75
Long Jump
1. Blair Brooks – 7.26m/23-10
Triple Jump
3. Blair Brooks – 13.78m/45-02.50
Pole Vault
1. Dillon McCarthy – 4.90m/16-00.75
– Jonathan Togami – DNS
– Carson Lenser – NH
Shot Put
1. Dylan Targgart – 18.88m/61-11.50*
Weight Throw
2. Ridge Dowe – 16.38m/53-09.00*
Women’s Individual Results
60 Meters (Prelims)
1. Jayla Jamison – 7.50q
2. Anastasia Sumpter – 7.60q
10. Makayla Grant – 7.91*
60 Meters (Finals)
1. Jayla Jamison – 7.36
2. Anastasia Sumpter – 7.51*
200 Meters
5. Makayla Grant – 25.45*
11. Shaianne Sipsey – 25.92
400 Meters
1. Jahnile Registre – 53.77
2. Angel Frank – 54.16
3. Elena Kelety – 54.61*
4. Alysia Johnson – 55.01
800 Meters
1. Kieley Gayle – 2:13.15
1-Mile
1. Alex Costantino – 4:53.84*
2. Grace Zamrowski – 4:58.00*
4. Svenja Sommer – 5:03.76*
5. Emily Pierontoni – 5:06.58*
7. Ella Zeigler – 5:07.35*
8. Savannah Bowers – 5:07.54
9. Emily Smith – 5:09.95*
12. Jenna Pellizzari – 5:18.31*
13. Isabella Pisani – 5:18.94
3000 Meters
2. Gabriella Gait-Smith – 10:18.04*
6. Anna Boyd – 10:22.36
10. Molly Joseph – 10:53.02
Distance Medley Relay
1. Pierontoni, Sommer, Smith, Zeigler – 12:10.64
4×400-Meter Relay
1. Frank, Johnson, Francis, Registre – 3:37.93
3. Kelety, Jamison, Gayle, Parsons – 3:50.72
Long Jump
5. Shaianne Sipsey – 5.67m/18-07.25*
Pole Vault
4. Rachel Valentine – 3.40m/11-01.75
6. Mia Joseph – 3.40m/11-01.75
– Emma Stone – NH
Shot Put
1. KD Young – 15.67m/51-05
Weight Throw
1. Kayla Racine – 19.36m/63-06.25
3. KD Young – 17.15m/56-03.25
* – denotes indoor PR
