Throwers Shine in Final Day of NCAA Indoor Championship
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 15, 2025) – South Carolina Track & Field concluded the indoor season on Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Championship in Virginia Beach, Va. The men competed in just one event but took home 13 points in the men’s shot put to finish 21st overall. The women scored 12 points overall and finished 18th in the team standings.
CJ Licata and Dylan Targgart put on a show for the Gamecocks in the men’s shot put, finishing second and fourth respectively. Licata, the SEC Indoor runner-up, nearly toppled Mississippi’s Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan in the event as he threw an indoor personal best distance of 20.46m (67-1.5) to Robinson-O’Hagan’s 20.49m (67-2.75). Licata’s throw earned him First Team All-American honors and his runner-up finish is the best for a Gamecock at the indoor national meet since Brad Snyder won in 1999. In addition, Licata threw the second farthest indoor throw in program history.
Targgart finished fourth overall with a season best throw of 19.74m (64-9.25), earning First Team All-American honors for the second consecutive season as he finished third last season. The dynamic duo set a new first for program history, marking the first time that a pair of Gamecocks scored in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championship.
JaMeesia Ford turned in the best individual finish for South Carolina’s women’s squad on Saturday, bringing home third place in the 200m sprint. The Fayetteville, N.C. native ran 22.55 for her second consecutive First Team Indoor All-American honor in the 200m. Ford is now the first Gamecock since Shalonda Solomon (2005-06) to score at the 200m NCAA Indoor Championship in consecutive years.
Cheyla Scott was the first Gamecock to secure hardware in the final day of competition, finishing fifth overall in the women’s high jump after clearing 1.85m (6-0.75). Scott earned four points for the Gamecocks and brought home First Team Indoor All-American honors for the first time in her career. In addition, Scott is the first Gamecock to score in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet since Rachel Glenn in 2022 and is just the sixth Gamecock women’s high jumper in program history to score at the national meet.
Zaya Akins was the last female to score points for South Carolina, doing so in the 400m when she ran 52.12 to finish seventh overall. Akins captured two points for the Gamecocks and earned her first individual Indoor First Team All-American nod. Akins is the first Gamecock to score in the 400m at the NCAA Indoor Championship since Aliyah Abrams in 2019.
The women’s 4x400m relay squad of Akins, Sylvia Chelangat, Ford and Jayla Jamison earned Second Team All-American honors, finishing 10th overall.
Overall, for the women, it was Oregon who took home the team title with 55 points, followed by Georgia with 39 points and Southern California with 35. The men’s table was closer with Southern California winning with 39 points, followed by Georgia with 33 and Auburn with 32.
The Gamecocks will jump right into outdoor season next Saturday, March 22 when they host the Weems Baskin Invitational at the Sheila & Morris Cregger Track. The meet will also serve as Senior Day for 19 individuals.
Men’s Team Standings
1. Southern California – 39
2. Georgia – 33
3. Auburn – 32
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T21. South Carolina – 13
Men’s Individual Results
Shot Put
2. CJ Licata – 20.46m/67-1.5*
4. Dylan Targgart – 19.74m/64-9.25
Women’s Team Standings
1. Oregon – 55
2. Georgia – 39
3. Southern California – 35
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T18. South Carolina – 12
Women’s Individual Results
200 Meters (Finals)
3. JaMeesia Ford – 22.55
400 Meters (Finals)
7. Zaya Akins – 52.12
4×400 Meter Relay
10. Akins, Chelangat, Ford, Jamison – 3:47.74
High Jump
5. Cheyla Scott – 1.85m/6-0.75
* – denotes indoor PR
