Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+
Gamecocks Dominate with 12 Wins at USC Indoor Open
Track and Field  . 

Gamecocks Dominate with 12 Wins at USC Indoor Open

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 17, 2023) – The final meet before the 2023 SEC Indoor Championship has finished as the Gamecocks dominated the 2023 USC Indoor Open with 12 total wins. This was the fourth and final indoor home meet of the 2023 campaign.

“It was a good day to be a Gamecock,” stated Head Coach Curtis Frye. “We were able to win a lot, which we always expect to do on our home track. I was pleased with the amount of wins and more importantly the amount of personal bests. I firmly believe that if you achieve your personal best each time you are out there, then the trips to nationals will come and so will the chance to compete for an All-American spot. Now it’s time for us to practice hard and turn our attention to the final exam, the SEC Indoor Championship. This is the best indoor meet in the country and I know we are excited to showcase our team in Arkansas next week.”

On the women’s side of the event, Silan Ayyildiz gave the audience a show in the women’s 3K when she ran a program record 9:10.54. Her mark bested the previous school record by 29 seconds as she defeated her next competitor by 37 seconds overall. In keeping with the distance races, another international runner in Svenja Sommer earned a win in the women’s mile when she clocked a time of 4:55.05. She was followed closely by freshman runner Ella Zeigler who set a new personal record in the mile when she cracked five minutes with a time of 4:58.10.

The Gamecocks picked up two more wins on the track as Angel Frank and Jayla Jamison won in their respective events. Frank crossed the line at 54.01 in the women’s 400m, holding off teammate Jahnile Registre who made one final push when she clocked 54.15 to finish second. Aalliyah Francis finished third with a time of 54.24, running out of heat three. Jamison claimed the win in the women’s 60m, her fourth 60m win of the season. The local product clocked 7.25 in the finals to win, holding off teammate Anastasia Sumpter who turned in a personal best 7.39.

The final two wins on the women’s side came from one person, KD Young. The veteran thrower began the day by winning the women’s weight throw when she threw 19.21m (63-0.25), just .04m off her personal best. She defeated Brandi Boddy of West Georgia who finished with a distance of 17.51m (57-5.5). Young then turned her attention to the shot put where she launched a new personal best distance of 16.27m (53-4.5) to win by 3.24m over Boddy of West Georgia. Young’s mark improved on her already fifth-best program distance and moved her into 39th in the NCAA.

The men’s team picked up five wins on the track and one victory in the field events. The first Gamecock men’s runner that won on the afternoon was George Luke in the 1,000-meter run when he clocked 2:29.59 for the 10th-fastest 1K in Gamecock history. Shifting to the middle-distance race, Jack Mensch clocked a new personal best in the 800m when he posted a time of 1:49.70 for the fifth fastest 800m in program history.

Moving to the shorter distances, it was all Carolina in the 400 meter and the 200 meter. William Spencer, Jr. won the 400m with a time of 47.38, while Evan Miller was victorious in the 200m with a time of 20.95. The final track victory came from Filip Demsar as the Slovenian hurdler won the 60-meter hurdle with 7.78.

The final win of the day was in the men’s shot put as Dylan Targgart threw 18.73m (61-5.5), beating Tucker Mullis of Wingate who threw 15.61m (51-2.75).

South Carolina hits the road for the penultimate meet on Friday, Feb. 24 and Saturday, Feb. 25 when the Gamecocks travel to Fayetteville, Ark. to compete in the coveted SEC Indoor Championship. The SEC Championship will be the final week for Gamecock competitors to reach NCAA qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championship (March 10-11).

Men’s Individual Results
60 Meters (Prelims)
5. Emory Floyd – 6.90q
7. DJ Black – 6.94q
17. Prescott Jefferson – 7.04
27. Gatlin Lawson – 7.11

60 Meters (Finals)
5. Emory Floyd – 6.89*
7. DJ Black – 6.91*

200 Meters
1. Evan Miller – 20.95
16. Gatlin Lawson – 22.35
27. Prescott Jefferson – 22.77

400 Meters
1. Wiliam Spencer, Jr. – 47.38
3. EJ Richardson – 48.37

800 Meters
1. Jack Mensch – 1:49.70*
2. Aidan Hatton – 1:51.38
6. Will Wright – 1:54.41
8. Jake Mangione – 1:55.28
11. Kyle Reers – 1:55.97

1000 Meters
1. George Luke – 2:29.59*

3000 Meters
6. Henry Wood – 8:44.17*

60-Meter Hurdes (Prelims)
2. Filip Demsar – 7.92q

60-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
1. Filip Demsar – 7.78

Pole Vault
2. Carson Lenser – 4.85m/15-11
— Jonathan Togami – NH

Long Jump
6. DJ Black – 6.80m/22-3.75

Triple Jump
7. Blair Brooks – 14.63m/48-0

High Jump
2. Kobe Franklin – 2.00m/6-6.75

Shot Put
1. Dylan Targgart – 18.73m/61-5.5

Weight Throw
4. Ridge Dowe – 16.41m/53-10.25

Women’s Individual Results
60 Meters (Prelims)
1. Jayla Jamison – 7.39q
2. Anastasia Sumpter – 7.41q
7. Makayla Grant – 7.75q
39. Camille Ellison – 8.56*

60 Meters (Finals)
1. Jayla Jamison – 7.25
2. Anastasia Sumpter – 7.39*
8. Makayla Grant – 7.73*

200 Meters
10. Makayla Grant – 25.07*

400 Meters
1. Angel Frank – 54.01
2. Jahnile Registre – 54.15
3. Aalliyah Francis – 54.24*
5. Alysia Johnson – 54.83

800 Meters
2. Sylvia Chelangat – 2:08.37
3. Grace Zamrowski – 2:10.45

1-Mile (Open)
2. Maria Lombardi – 5:24.61*
6. Sarah Neville – 5:31.10*

1-Mile (Invite)
1. Svenja Sommer – 4:55.05
2. Ella Zeigler – 4:58.10*
3. Emily Pierontoni – 5:05.15
4. Savannah Bowers – 5:07.84
5. Emily Smith – 5:09.00
7. Brooke Donoghue – 5:15.32*
9. Jenna Pellizzari – 5:23.58

3000 Meters (Open)
6. Molly Joseph – 11:09.46

3000 Meters (Invite)
1. Silan Ayyildiz – 9:10.54*
5. Gabriella Gait-Smith – 10:30.95
— Emily Pierontoni – DNF
— Svenja Sommer – DNF
— Hayden Withers – DNF

Pole Vault
3. Rachel Valentine – 3.70m/12-1.5
— Mia Joseph – NH

High Jump
7. Markia Anderson – 1.45m/4-9

Shot Put
1. KD Young – 16.27m/53-4.5*

Weight Throw
1. KD Young – 19.21m/63-0.25
7. Cailyn Scharneck – 15.31m/50-2.75

* – denotes indoor PR