Track and Field . April 28, 2023

Gamecocks Battle Elements in Day Two of Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (April 28, 2023) – South Carolina concluded day two of the 127th Penn Relays on Friday afternoon at Franklin Field in downtown Philadelphia. The Gamecocks battled the elements and the competition, qualifying for three finals events tomorrow, in addition to the ones already slated for Saturday.

It was a pair of Gamecock women relay teams that stole the show for Carolina on Friday. The women’s distance medley relay set the day up nicely for the Gamecocks as Svenja Sommer, Kieley Gayle, Grace Zamrowski and Silan Ayyildiz captured the podium in the Women’s College Division DMR. The quartet set a new Penn Relays College Division record as well as a new Gamecock program record, running 11:19.09 for the win. The Gamecock DMR squad bested the previous school record set in 2019 by a full 20 seconds, while beating the Penn Relays record of 11:19.81 set in 2008.

Later in the day, the women’s 4×400-meter relay squad of Jahnile Registre, Angel Frank, Aalliyah Francis and Elena Kelety ran 3:41.34 to place fifth, earning an automatic spot into tomorrow’s 4x400m finale in the Championship Division.

The Gamecock men competed in eight overall events on Friday, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the Discus College Division by Dylan Targgart. The Michigan product threw 50.69m (166-3) to capture fourth overall in the collegiate event.

Filip Demsar had a strong outing of his own, finishing seventh in the 110-meter hurdles College Division, qualifying for the finale tomorrow. The Slovenia product ran 14.20 (0.6) to earn qualification into the College Division championship tomorrow at 2:11 p.m.

The Gamecocks also had a pair of relay teams competing in the Championship Division, including the 4×200-meter relay squad of Jackson Junkins, Gatlin Lawson, Prescott Jefferson and DJ Black that finished seventh after stopping the clock at 1:27.43. The 4×400-meter relay team of Evan Miller, Elisha Brooks, Demsar and Junkins ran 3:16.41 to earn the final qualifying spot into tomorrow’s championship.

South Carolina will close out the 127th Penn Relays tomorrow at Franklin Field, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with Dillon McCarthy competing in the Pole Vault Championship event.

Men’s Individual Results
110-Meter Hurdles (College – Prelims)
7. Filip Demsar – 14.20q (0.6)

4×100 Meter Relay (Championship-Prelims)
— E. Brooks, Miller, Black, Floyd – DNF

4×200 Meter Relay (Championship)
7. Junkins, Lawson, Jefferson, Black – 1:27.43

4×400 Meter Relay (Championship-Prelims)
9. Miller, E. Brooks, Demsar, Junkins – 3:16.41q

Distance Medley Relay (College)
17. Hatton, Wright, Dawson, Luke – 10:12.09

Long Jump (College)
9. Blair Brooks – 6.98m/22-10.75

Pole Vault (College)
— Jonathan Togami – NH

Discus (College)
4. Dylan Targgart – 50.69m/166-3

Women’s Individual Results
4×400 Meter Relay (Championship – Prelims)
5. Registre, Frank, Francis, Kelety – 3:41.34Q

Distance Medley Relay (College)
1. Sommer, Gayle, Zamrowski, Ayyildiz – 11:19.09

Sprint Medley Relay (Championship)
15. Sumpter, Jamison, Registre, Chelangat – 4:19.92

Pole Vault (College)
11. Rachel Valentine – 3.63m/11-10.75*