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Otis Jones

  • position Middle Distances
  • class Redshirt Senior
  • Hometown Sumter, S.C.
  • High school Lakewood
  • position Middle Distances
  • class Redshirt Senior
  • Hometown Sumter, S.C.
  • High school Lakewood

Otis Jones Bio

NATIONAL HONORS
2019 Indoor First-Team All-American (4x400m Relay)
2019 Outdoor First-Team All-American (4x400m Relay)
2019 Outdoor Second-Team All-American (800m)

SEC HONORS
2019 SEC Outdoor Bronze Medalist (800m)
2018 SEC Outdoor Bronze Medalist (800m)

ACADEMIC HONORS
2018, 2019 SEC Academic Honor Roll

2019
Indoors: Earned his first-career All-America finish in the mile relay and also stood out as the team’s top middle distance specialist for the third-straight year… won the 600m at the Orange & Purple Elite and the 800m at both the Gamecock Inaugural and the Carolina Challenge… ran a season-best 1:49.35 in the SEC Championships prelims to earn a spot in the final… finished eighth in the conference final to score for the Gamecocks for a second-straight season… made a huge contribution as part of the 4x400m relay… guided the 4×4 to wins at the Orange & Purple Elite, the Gamecock Inaugural, and Dr. Sander Challenge and the Carolina Challenge… the group’s Carolina Challenge time of 3:05.68 was a new indoor school record… earned first-team All-America honors in the 4×4 by running the third leg as the team finished fifth, running 3:07.48 to score at the national meet for the first time in over a decade.
Outdoors: Ended his Gamecock career with his finest season yet, earning All-America laurels in both the 800m and the 4x400m relay… opened his 800m campaign with a win at the Black & Gold Challenge and followed that up with a Spec Towns Invitational victory two weeks later… finished second at both the Gamecock Invitational and the USC Outdoor Open… took bronze medal honors at the SEC Championships for a second-season in a row, running a season-best 1:48.09 in the final… advanced to the NCAA East Regional, where he punched his first NCAA Championships ticket by finishing in the top-three of his heat both in prelims and finals, including a late kick in the opening round that included him passing four opponents on the final straightaway… ended his 800m career at the NCAA Championships in Austin, where he ran 1:49.67 and finished 15th overall to post a season-team All-America honor… was a huge part of the 4x400m relay, including fourth-place finishes at the SEC Championships and the NCAA East Regional… the 4×4 group ran 3:02.68 in the NCAA Championships prelims, the second-best time in school history, and finished eighth overall to accomplish first-team All-America status.

2018
Indoors: Made great strides as Carolina’s top middle distance runner… primarily competed in the 800m, where he took part in four meets… finished third at both the Clemson Invitational and the Tiger Paw Invitational… ran 1:48.96 at the Tiger Paw, the fourth-best time in Carolina history… qualified for his first career conference final when he won his preliminary heat at the SEC Championships… scored for the Gamecocks by finishing sixth in the SEC 800m final… also ran the 500m, winning the event at the Navy and Liberty meets… part of the 4x400m relay teams that won the event at Navy and Liberty.
Outdoors: Earned All-SEC recognition with a third-place finish in the 800m at the SEC Championships… ran the 800 at six meets overall… won the 800 at the USC Open and finished third at the Weems Baskin Invitational… ran 1:47.83 in the conference 800m final, the third-best time in Carolina history… qualified for the NCAA East Regional for the third-straight season, finishing 25th…was a key member of the 4x400m relay squad, including a second-place finish at the USC Open and a ninth-place finish at the SEC Championship.

2017
Indoors: Primarily competed in the 800m, running a PR of 1:49.67 at the Tiger Paw Invitational, when he finished eighth… that mark is fourth-best in Carolina history… finished 19th at the SEC Championships… also ran the 500m twice, finishing second at the Clemson Invitational and Armory Invitational.
Outdoors: Earned podium finishes three times in seven meets in the 800m… took second at the Spec Towns Invitational and the Gamecock Invitational… won the 800m at the USC Open with a time of 1:51.81… finished 12th at the SEC Championships… qualified for the NCAA East Regional… ran a season-best 1:50.10 in the NCAA first round to make quarterfinals for the first time in his career… finished 21st overall at the East Regional.

2016
Indoors: Entered his first season with the team with a high school 800m PR of 1:55.79, but ran a top indoor time of 1:51.89… finished second in the 500m at the Armory Invite… recorded a four-second PR at the SEC Championship, placing him 19th overall.
Outdoors: Showed even more growth in the spring, taking more than three seconds off his 800 time from the start of the outdoor season to the end… East Regional qualifier in the 800m… placed third in at the Shamrock and second at the Yellow Jacket Invite… ran 1:49.81 at the Seminole Invite, good for fourth place and a new PR… one-upped himself in his next meet, running 1:48.52 at the SEC Championship, putting him 10th overall… that time ranks sixth in school history, and was the program’s best time since 2005… ran 1:48.91 at the regional meet, placing him 23rd overall.

HIGH SCHOOL
Won back to back state championships in 2013 and 2014 for the 800… became the first athlete in state history to win back-to-back 800 titles… holds the school record in the event (1:55.79)… three-time regional champion in the 800, and also won the 2014 regional title in the 400.

PERSONAL
Born May 12, 1996… son of Otis Jones Sr. and Sharon Livingston… has three siblings, Clarissa, Sharese and Jaihem.

Indoor Personal Records
500m
1:03.21 (1/19/18 Clemson Invitational)
600m
1:18.77 (1/11/19 Orange & Purple Elite)
800m
1:48.96 (2/10/18 Tiger Paw Invitational)
Outdoor Personal Records
400m
48.32 (4/16/16 Seminole Invite)
800m
1:47.83 (5/13/18SEC Championships)
1500m
4:02.25 (4/7/18 Gamecock Invitational)