DMR Squads Shine on Opening Day of SEC Indoor Championship
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Feb. 27, 2025) – Day one of the SEC Indoor Championship has concluded and with it, a pair of program records for the Gamecock Distance Medley Relay squads.
The Gamecock women capped off the day with a runner-up finish in the DMR, led by the quartet of Abigail White, JaMeesia Ford, Sylvia Chelangat and Salma Elbadra. The women’s DMR turned in a time of 10:55.41 for a new program record, besting their own previous mark of 11:02.54 set earlier this year. White opened the event with a 3:25.01 split in the 1200m, followed by Ford with a time of 51.09 in the 400m. Chelangat ran the 800m third leg in a split of 2:08.55, while Elbadra brought home the silver with a 1600m split of 4:30.78, three seconds faster than any other closing split. More importantly, they earned eight points for the Gamecocks, who are positioned in eighth place overall through day one with eight points. The silver medal honors also tie for the best finish at the SEC Indoor Championship in program history in the women’s DMR, as well as representing the 17th time that Carolina has scored in this event.
The women’s 200 meter squad came to win, sending three Gamecocks into Saturday’s finale. Ford led the group, finishing first in the preliminary round with a time of 22.36 for a new Texas A&M facility record. Zaya Akins finished fourth in the prelims with a new personal best, running 23.17 to improve on her eighth fastest mark in program history. Jayla Jamison rounds out the finalists for Saturday after running a season best 23.18 to finish fifth in the prelims.
Cate Conklin jumped into the South Carolina record books in the women’s 5K, clocking a personal best time of 16:28.38 in her indoor 5K debut. Her time placed her 14th on the leaderboard and fourth overall in Gamecock indoor history.
South Carolina men ended the day with six points and sit eighth on the leaderboard, thanks to a third place finish in the DMR. The quartet of Jaouad Khchina, Devan Crumpton, Joshua Kosgei and Rogerio Amaral ran a new program record of 9:27.14 to best the previous record of 9:34.50 that won the Gamecocks the gold medal at last year’s SEC Indoor Championship. Khchina opened the race with 2:52.53 split in the 1200m, followed by Crumpton in the 400m with a time of 46.02. Kosgei was then able to clock 1:50.93 in the 800m and hand the baton off to Amaral who ran 3:57.67 in the 1600m for the bronze finish. The third place finish is the seventh time that South Carolina has scored in the DMR at the SEC Indoor Championship and is the second best finish in program history in this event.
Anthony Greenhow kicked things off on the track for South Carolina in the men’s 200m, running a season best time of 20.68 to punch his ticket to Saturday’s finale. In addition, Greenhow’s new season best time ranks 14th in the NCAA this season.
Through day one with four events scored, Texas A&M leads the men’s standings with 30.5 points. Meanwhile, the women are led by Arkansas with 32 points.
South Carolina will resume the SEC Indoor Championship tomorrow in day two at the R.A. ‘Murray’ Fasken Indoor Track & Field Complex. The Gamecocks’ first event will be the men’s high jump at 3 p.m. (ET) with Channing Ferguson and Nate Figgers. The first track event for South Carolina will be the men’s mile with Jaouad Khchina and Joshua Kosgei at 5 p.m. (ET).
Men’s Team Standings
1. Texas A&M – 30.5
2. Tennessee – 21
3. Arkansas – 20
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8. South Carolina – 6
Men’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Prelims)
6. Anthony Greenhow – 20.68q
24. Antwan Hughes Jr. – 21.76
Distance Medley Relay
3. Khchina, Crumpton, Kosgei, Amaral – 9:27.14
Long Jump
13. Nate Figgers – 7.24m/23-9
14. Channing Ferguson – 7.22m/23-8.25
Pole Vault
— Conor Reilly – NH
Women’s Team Standings
1. Arkansas – 32
2. Oklahoma – 31
3. LSU – 19
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8. South Carolina – 8
Women’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Prelims)
1. JaMeesia Ford – 22.36q
4. Zaya Akins – 23.17q*
5. Jayla Jamison – 23.18q
14. Cynteria James – 23.51
26. Imani Rivas – 24.04*
5000 Meters
13. Teresa Cherotich – 16:28.34
14. Cate Conklin – 16:28.38*
— Anya Arroyo – DNF
Distance Medley Relay
2. A. White, Ford, Chelangat, Elbadra – 10:55.41
Long Jump
— Omaria Gordon – NM
Pentathlon
16. Omaria Gordon – 2961 points
Pentathlon 60-Meter Hurdles
8. Omaria Gordon – 8.68 (978 points)
Pentathlon High Jump
15. Omaria Gordon – 1.48m/4-10.25 (599 points)
Pentathlon Shot Put
13. Omaria Gordon – 10.18m/33-4.75* (541 points)
Pentathlon Long Jump
4. Omaria Gordon – 5.98m/19-7.5
Pentathlon 800 Meters
— Omaria Gordon – DNF
* – denotes indoor PR
