Track & Field Focused on Gamecock Invitational
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 4, 2024) – South Carolina Track & Field is set to play host to the Gamecock Invitational this Saturday, April 6 at the Sheila & Morris Cregger Track.
Follow the Meet
Live results for the Gamecock Invitational can be found by clicking the following link. Fans can also follow along with updates on X by following @GamecockTrack.
Know Before You Go
Sheila and Morris Cregger Track does have a CLEAR BAG POLICY that is in effect. Learn everything you need to know about the Clear Bag Policy by clicking here. There is also a WATER BOTTLE POLICY for all patrons and that is: one clear, plastic disposable water bottle is permitted. No hard, non-clear refillable bottles are allowed inside the facility.
Parking
Parking for the 2024 South Carolina Track & Field season will vary on a meet-by-meet basis. For the Gamecock Invitational, fans will have access to the Key Road Shuttle Lot, the metered parking around the Cregger Track and the Athletics Village Parking Garage which can be accessed for $10 per car. For Saturday’s parking map, click here.
Meet Information
The 2024 Gamecock Invitational features 16 total teams, including the likes of: Ohio State, South Carolina State and the College of Charleston. The first event of the meet will take place at 10 a.m. with the women’s hammer throw. The first track event will be the women’s 4x100m relay at noon, followed by the men’s 4x100m relay at 12:10 p.m. The final events of the women’s 4×400 and the men’s 4×400 will run approximately 5:10 p.m. and 5:20 p.m.
On the Rise
South Carolina track & field is reaching new heights as we are near the halfway point of the outdoor season. On Monday afternoon, the USTFCCCA released it’s new Top-25 rankings and the Gamecock Women landed at No. 2 overall, the highest ranking in program history. Meanwhile, the Gamecock Men are ranked No. 17 for the best ranking since May 6, 2019. For the men’s team, the highest ranked event squad are the men’s 100m group, ranking ninth overall. As for the women, both the 200m and the 400m sprint groups rank first overall, while the 100m sprints group sits fifth in the rankings.
National Recognition
JaMeesia Ford continues to elevate her status as not only the top freshman sprinter in the country, but arguably the best OVERALL sprinter in the NCAA. Ford was recently named SEC Women’s Runner of the Week as well as USTFCCCA National Women’s Runner of the Week for her performance down in Gainesville. The Fayetteville, N.C. native recorded three wins at the Pepsi Florida Relays, including the top time in the NCAA in the 200m (22.37). She was also part of the 4x100m relay team that ran 43.34 to rank second in the NCAA and the 4x400m relay squad that clocked 3:28.57 to rank fifth in the NCAA. Her 200m time stands as the fastest wind-legal mark in March in collegiate history.
In Good Company
The Gamecocks have five more weekends of competition before the NCAA East Regional, including the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships in Gainesville, Fla. on May 9-11. As it stands right now, the Gamecocks have 36 East Regional qualifying marks heading into this weekend. For the East Regional, individuals must be ranked Top 48 in the region to qualify, while relays must be ranked inside the Top 24 for a spot in Lexington, Ky. in late May. Of the 36 marks, 17 are ranked inside the Top-10 and 11 of those 17 are Top-5 rankings.
