Gamecocks Cap South Carolina Invitational with Four Wins on Saturday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 4, 2023) – South Carolina picked up four individual wins in the final day of the South Carolina Invitational at the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex.

There were a pair of event winners on the men’s side, beginning with Evan Miller claiming the 200-meter invite after stopping the clock at 20.91. Miller’s time was just shy of his season best of 20.76 set in the Carolina Challenge on Jan. 21. Miller was able to hold off Campbell’s Dominique Alexander who ran a time of 20.93, setting up his second 200m win of the season. Dylan Targgart picked up the other win of the day for the men, doing so in the shot put when he threw 19.23m (63-1.25), just shy of his personal-best of 19.25m set on Jan. 21. Targgart picked up his third win in four tries this season after holding off Jamir Gibson of Georgia Tech (18.66m).

The Gamecocks also saw a trio of competitors inside the top three in their respective events, including Aidan Hatton in the 800m (1:51.04) and Kobe Franklin in the high jump (2.03m). The men’s 4×400 meter relay squad of William Spencer, Jr., EJ Richardson, Jayson Ward and Jackson Junkins took home third after recording a time of 3:09.98.

There were a pair of Gamecock winners on the women’s team as well, with Silan Ayyildiz recording the third fastest 800-meter race in program history with a time of 2:06.41, ranking 37th in the NCAA. Ayyildiz was joined by a trio of teammates that also cracked the South Carolina Top 10 in the 800m: Sylvia Chelangat (2:07.66) recorded the fourth-best time after placing third overall, Elena Kelety (2:08.39) placed fifth with the sixth-best mark and Kieley Gayle (2:09.43) concluded her event in eighth with the ninth-best time in Gamecock history.

The final women’s event victory belonged to KD Young in the weight throw after launching 18.81m (61-8.5). Young also finished runner up in the shot put with a new indoor personal record 16.15m (53-0) to improve on her fifth-place mark in program history.

Carolina’s final runner-up finish belonged to the women’s distance medley relay team as Svenja Sommer, Gabby Parsons, Alex Costantino and Emily Pierontoni clocked a time of 11:47.31.

South Carolina is back in action next Friday when the Gamecocks travel to Clemson, S.C. to compete in a loaded field at the Tiger Paw Invite. The meet will begin on Friday, Feb. 10 and conclude on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Men’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Open)
55. Prescott Jefferson – 23.05

200 Meters (Invite)
1. Evan Miller – 20.91

800 Meters
2. Aidan Hatton – 1:51.04
6. Will Wright – 1:52.53*
8. Jackson Dawson – 1:53.06*

Distance Medley Relay
5. Mensch, Mangione, Reers, Luke – 10:07.43
8. Hatton, Wright, Dawson, Wood – 10:36.50

4×400 Meter Relay
3. Spencer, Richardson, Ward, Junkins – 3:09.98

High Jump
2. Kobe Franklin – 2.03m/6-8

Pole Vault
5. Dillon McCarthy – 4.97m/16-3.5
– Jonathan Togami – NH

Shot Put
1. Dylan Targgart – 19.23m/63-1.25

Women’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Open)
4. Anastasia Sumpter – 24.72*
15. Makayla Grant – 25.23*

800 Meters
1. Silan Ayyildiz – 2:06.41*
3. Sylvia Chelangat – 2:07.66*
5. Elena Kelety – 2:08.39*
8. Kieley Gayle – 2:09.43*
9. Alex Costantino – 2:09.70*
11. Svenja Sommer – 2:10.59*

5000 Meters
8. Gabriella Gait-Smith – 18:46.49

Distance Medley Relay
2. Sommer, Parsons, Costantino, Pierontoni – 11:47.31
6. Smith, Pisani, Wilson, Pellizzari – 12:27.82

High Jump (Open)
10. Markia Anderson – 1.50m/4-11*

Shot Put
2. KD Young – 16.15m/53-0*

Weight Throw
1. KD Young – 18.81m/61-8.5

* – denotes indoor PR