Trio of Gamecocks to Compete in World Indoor Championships
NANJING, China (March 19, 2025) – Before the track & field world turns to the outdoor season, World Athletics will be hosting its 2025 Indoor World Championships in Nanjing, China. The three-day meet will begin on Friday, March 21 and conclude on Sunday, March 23.
The Gamecocks will be represented by a trio of athletes, including one current student-athlete. Anass Essayi will represent Morocco, while Filip Demsar will lace up the spikes for Slovenia and current Gamecock Jasauna Dennis will run in the 4x400m relay for Jamaica.
Essayi, a 2024 graduate of South Carolina, will open his competition on Friday at 7:18 a.m. (ET) in the men’s 1500m prelims. The four-time All-American qualified for the 1500m at the World Indoor Championship after his victory in France where he ran 3:33.55. He will also run in the 3K finals on Saturday, March 22 at 7:33 a.m. (ET). Essayi carries with him a time of 7:32.45 this year in the 3K. The Morocco runner ranks 12th in the world rankings in the 1500m and 16th overall in the 3K.
Demsar, a 2023 graduate for the Gamecocks, will run the 60-meter hurdle prelims on Friday night at 10:25 p.m. (ET). Demsar won the 2023 SEC Indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles and went on to earn All-American honors that same season. Demsar is coming off a season-best performance at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in which he ran 7.74 to finish sixth in the 60-meter hurdles. The Slovenia product also captured the title at the Slovenian Indoor Championships on Feb. 23, running 7.81 for the title.
The final competitor will be current Gamecock, Jasauna Dennis. The Jamaica native was selected to represent his country in the men’s 4x400m relay that will take place on Sunday, March 23 at 9:11 a.m. (ET). Dennis is coming off an indoor season in which he took home third at the SEC Indoor Championship in the 400m, clocking 46.02 for the third fastest indoor 400m time in program history. The Third Team All-SEC honoree was also on two separate 4x400m indoor relay squads that won in their respective meets and was also able to score in the SEC Indoor Championship in the 4x400m relay.
