Track and Field . March 1, 2025

Ford Repeats as SEC Indoor Champion

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (March 1, 2025) – For the second consecutive year, JaMeesia Ford is the SEC Indoor Champion in the 200 meter sprint. Ford highlighted a successful closing day for the Gamecocks at the 2025 SEC Indoor Championship in College Station, Texas.

The Gamecock women’s team finished seventh overall in the team standings with 42 points for the first Top 10 finish at the SEC Indoor Championship since 2013. The men’s team finished eighth overall with 36 points, marking the second consecutive year that they have concluded the championship meet inside the Top 10. This is the first year since 2012 that both the men and women’s teams capped off a pair of Top 10 performances at the indoor conference championship.

Ford won the gold medal in the 200m sprint for the second season in a row, running a time of 22.44, defeating Camyrn Dickson of Texas A&M by 0.4 seconds. She was joined on the leaderboard by teammates Jayla Jamison (22.96) and Zaya Akins (23.12), who finished fifth and seventh respectively. Both Jamison and Akins ran new indoor 200m personal bests, as the trio alone accounted for 16 points in just one event. Jamison’s time is now third all-time in program history and currently ranks 15th in the NCAA. Akins’ mark now sits seventh on the program leaderboard and represents the first time that South Carolina had three scorers in this event since the 2005 SEC Indoor Championship meet.

Cheyla Scott was the first medalist of the day for the women, finishing with the bronze medal in the women’s high jump. Scott cleared the bar at 1.89m (6-2.25) for a new indoor personal best and the second best mark in program history, surpassing former Gamecock, Rachel Glenn. Scott is the first Gamecock scorer in this event since Glenn (2022) and her clearance ranks seventh in the NCAA. The final individual scorer for the Gamecock women was Akins in the 400m dash, clocking a new indoor personal best of 51.39 to finish fifth overall. Akins is the first Gamecock to score in the women’s 400m since Stephanie Davis did so in 2022. The sophomore sprinter now moves into eighth on the NCAA leaderboard this season.

The women closed things out with the second fastest 4×400 meter relay in program history and in the NCAA this season as Akins, Sylvia Chelangat, Ford and Jamison earned silver medal honors with a time of 3:27.24. Akins opened the event with a 400m leg of 52.53, after having run both the 200m and 400m final. Chelangat then logged 53.19 before handing the baton to Ford who clocked 49.86 in her 400m leg. Jamison brought home the silver for South Carolina, running 51.68 to secure the final eight points for the Garnet & Black.

The men’s team was equally busy, scoring in every event except one and finishing the day with 30 points. The Gamecocks took home 13 points in the men’s shot put, including a runner-up finish by CJ Licata who made his season debut with a throw of 20.06m (65-9.75) for a new indoor personal best. Licata’s throw moved him into third on the South Carolina leaderboard and fourth in the NCAA this season, while securing back-to-back silver medal finishes in the men’s shot put for South Carolina. Targgart, the 2024 SEC runner-up, finished fourth with a throw of 19.24m (63-1.5) to score for the third consecutive season. The duo are the first pair of Gamecock throwers to score at the SEC Indoor Championship since 2017.

On the track, the men’s 400m accounted for seven points, led by Jasauna Dennis with a new indoor personal best of 46.02. Dennis’ time earned him a bronze medal, while ranking third in program history. The Jamaica sprinter is the first scorer in this event for South Carolina since 2020 and his bronze medal finish is the best by a Gamecock since 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Quincy Hall took home first place in 2019. Teammate Josiah Wrice also scored in the men’s 400m, finishing eighth with a time of 46.47 to mark the first pair of Gamecock scorers in the event since 2008.

Jaouad Khchina took home fourth in the men’s mile, running 4:05.28 to mark the fourth consecutive year that South Carolina has scored in the men’s mile. Anthony Greenhow was the final individual to score for the Gamecocks, doing so in the men’s 200m. Greenhow secured a season best time of 20.64, ranking 15th in the NCAA.

The final event of the day for the Gamecock men was the 4×400 meter relay with the quartet of Devan Crumpton, Wrice, Greenhow and Dennis capturing eighth place with a time of 3:08.50.

Overall, host Texas A&M held off Arkansas in the men’s competition with 107.5 points to the Razorbacks’ 102 points. Meanwhile on the women’s side, it was Arkansas who secured its 11th consecutive conference title with 117.5 points, with Oklahoma finishing in second with 62.

South Carolina will now turn its focus to the NCAA Indoor Championship in Virginia Beach, Va. The two-day championship event will begin on Friday, March 14 and conclude on Saturday, March 15.

Men’s Team Standings
1. Texas A&M – 107.5
2. Arkansas – 102
T3. Oklahoma – 56.5
T3. Ole Miss – 56.5
—
8. South Carolina – 36

Men’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Finals)
5. Anthony Greenhow – 20.64

400 Meters (Finals)
3. Jasauna Dennis – 46.02*
8. Josiah Wrice – 46.47

1-Mile (Finals)
4. Jaouad Khchina – 4:05.28

3000 Meters
15. Rogerio Amaral – 8:02.76

4×400 Meter Relay
8. Crumpton, Wrice, Greenhow, Dennis – 3:08.50

Shot Put
2. CJ Licata – 20.06m/65-9.75*
4. Dylan Targgart – 19.24m/63-1.5
20. Brandon Dennis – 16.52m/54-2.5

Women’s Team Standings
1. Arkansas – 117.5
2. Oklahoma – 62
T3. LSU – 60.33
—
7. South Carolina – 42

Women’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Finals)
1. JaMeesia Ford – 22.44
5. Jayla Jamison – 22.96*
7. Zaya Akins – 23.12*

400 Meters (Finals)
5. Zaya Akins – 51.39*

3000 Meters
22. Teresa Cherotich – 9:38.57
28. Emma Torbert – 9:40.58
34. Hattie Jennings – 9:54.57
— Salma Elbadra – DNF

4×400 Meter Relay
2. Akins, Chelangat, Ford, Jamison – 3:27.24