Gamecocks Look to Make History in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (June 5, 2023) – South Carolina Track & Field will be sending a quartet of student-athletes to Austin, Texas this week for the 2023 NCAA Division I Track & Field National Championship. The championship meet will run from Wednesday, June 7 and conclude on Saturday, June 10 and will take place at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Follow the Meet
Live results for the NCAA National Championship can be found by clicking here. For those interested in watching the event live can do so on ESPN+ on Wednesday, followed by ESPN2 during the final three days. Links to the live videos will be posted on Gamecock Twitter on the morning of each competition date. Fans can follow along with updates on Twitter by following @GamecockTrack.
Meet Information
The NCAA National Championship consists of the top 12 individuals/relay teams in the East Region and the top 12 in the West Region coming together for one weekend to crown individual and team champions. The meet will start on Wednesday, June 7 with the men’s hammer throw at 3:30 p.m. (ET).
The men will compete on Wednesday and Friday, while the women will compete on Thursday and Saturday.
The Gamecocks will be represented by Filip Demsar and Anass Essayi on the men’s side, with Silan Ayyildiz and Jayla Jamison competing for the Gamecock women. Essayi will run the 1500m at 7:46 p.m. (ET), while Demsar will also compete on Wednesday at 8:32 p.m. (ET) in the 110-meter hurdles. Ayyildiz will start things off for the women on Thursday, running the 1500m at 8:46 p.m. (ET), followed by Jamison in the 200m at 10:44 p.m. (ET).
All-American Status
All-American honors will be up for grabs this week in Texas. To earn a spot on the First Team All-America squad, an individual or relay team must finish 1st-8th overall. Second Team honorees will consist of 9th-16th, while 17th and beyond are tabbed Honorable Mentions.
All four Gamecocks will look to earn their first Outdoor All-American nods. Essayi, Ayyildiz and Jamison were all named Indoor All-Americans this season.
A Little Taste of History
The last Gamecock male to win an individual national championship was Quincy Hall in 2019 when he claimed the crown in the 400-meter hurdles. Filip Demsar will look to be the first 110-meter hurdle champion for the Gamecocks since 2008 when Jason Richardson claimed gold. Anass Essayi aims to become the first 1500m NCAA Champion in program history this weekend.
For the women, you don’t have to turn to far in the history books for the last individual champion. Rachel Glenn secured the high jump championship in 2021 as a true freshman for the Garnet & Black. The most recent 200m champion was Shalonda Solomon in 2006, with Jamison looking to change that. Ayyildiz, like Essayi, will hope to become the program’s first ever 1500m champion.
Coaches Corner
“This is what you work for all outdoor season, this meet right here,” stated Head Coach Curtis Frye. “I am proud of the four individuals who have made it this far and I have reminded them that the job is not done yet. They each have a chance to make history and end the season on a strong note. Filip has a chance to end his collegiate career on the best note possible, while the other three can use this momentum heading into next season as well. I am looking forward to seeing how everyone responds to the tough competition and I am excited for our trip to Austin.”
How They Got Here
Filip Demsar advanced to Texas for the first time in his collegiate career after a strong outing at the East Regional in Jacksonville, Fla. The Slovenia native ran 13.62 (3.5) in the opening round on Wednesday, finishing 14th overall heading into the quarterfinal round on Friday. Demsar then earned the automatic bid into the semifinals in Austin when he placed second overall in the third heat with a time of 13.60 (5.8). Demsar finished sixth overall in the quarterfinals and looks to add to his impressive resumé.
Essayi opened the regionals with a time of 3:46.48, winning his heat in the opening round of the 1500m. Two days later, the 2023 SEC 1500m Champion punched his ticket to Texas after running 3:53.83 and finishing second overall in the opening heat. Essayi competed in the 2022 National Championship but withdrew due to an injury.
Ayyildiz, competing in her first regional, finished third overall in the first round of the women’s 1500m. The Turkey native and defending SEC Champion ran 4:17.97 to earn a spot in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 27. Ayyildiz then punched her ticket to Austin after breaking the program record, which she already held, running 4:12.11 to finish second overall in the quarterfinals.
Jamison, the Columbia native, ran 22.71 (2.9) in the opening round of the 200m to finish third in her heat and secure a spot in the East Regional quarterfinals. Two days later, Jamison earned the automatic spot after finishing third in her heat yet again. This time, the Carolina sophomore clocked 22.84 (2.8) to finish eighth overall in the regional meet.
