Gamecocks Track & Field Set for Split Weekend
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 12, 2026) – South Carolina Track & Field sets off for both Clemson, S.C. and Boston, Mass. this weekend to compete in the Tiger Paw Invitational and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Each meet will span over a two-day period. The distance crew will head to Boston, while the rest of the squad will compete in the Upstate.
Follow the Meet
Live results for this weekend’s Tiger Paw Invitational can be found by clicking here, while live results for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational can be found here. The competition in Boston will also be available on FloSports for those interested in viewing, but fees will apply. Fans can also follow along with updates on X (Twitter) by following @GamecockTrack.
Meet Information
The Tiger Paw Invitational, hosted at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex, will begin competition on Friday at 10:00 a.m. The first event for South Carolina will be the women’s long jump. The day will conclude with the men’s and women’s 60m dash at 4:35 p.m. Saturday’s action is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m. for the Gamecocks with the men’s pole vault. The final event of the day will be the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays starting at 3:25 p.m.
The David Hemery Valentine Invitational, being held at Boston University Track & Tennis Center, will start Friday with the men’s DMR at 9:00 a.m. The first event for the Garnet and Black will be the 800m at 10:30 a.m. The day will conclude with the men’s mile at 3:50 p.m. Saturday’s action will begin with the DMR at 9:00 a.m. The first event for South Carolina will be the 800m at 10:42 a.m., with the final event being the women’s 5k at 7:10 p.m.
Tallying Wins
The Gamecocks have continued their dominant performances for the indoor season. Last week at home, they secured eight wins across 17 events, including recording eight Top 10 program finishes. Both the men’s and women’s team recorded four wins each, across sprints, distance, and field events. Tristen Harris and Teresa Cherotich each secured two wins during the brief homestand. Harris won both the 60m dash (7.29) and long jump (6.45m), while Cherotich claimed the mile (4:48.87) and the 3K (9:31.27).
In the Rankings
South Carolina has just two more regular season indoor meets before the SEC indoor Championship. That said, the Gamecocks have just three more total weekends to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championship. To qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championship in Fayetteville, Ark., athletes must rank Top 16 in their own individual events while ranking Top 12 for relay qualifications.
As it stands now, South Carolina has a combined 15 entries for the national championship meet. The women’s team holds 11 spots, while the men’s team has four. Tyson Williams continues to lead all Gamecocks in rankings as he sits second in the men’s 200m with a time of 20.47. Zaya Akins sits third in the 400m (51.15), with Salma Elbadra ranks third in the women’s 3K (8:41.76). Both men and women’s 4x400m relays are within the top five nationally, while the women’s DMR squad ranks fourth overall.
Event Dominance
The USTFCCCA national rankings and event rankings have come out with South Carolina ranking third nationally in the women’s Top 25 and 21st overall in the men’s standings. The women are well represented in the event squad rankings, sitting third in the 60mH, third in the 60m and fifth in the 200m. Additionally, South Carolina ranks ninth in the women’s pole vault, 11th in the 5K and 12th in the 3K. As for the men’s squad, the Garnet & Black sit fourth in the 400m, fifth in the 200m and 12th overall in the 800m.
