CLEMSON, S.C. (Feb. 11, 2023) – The final two-day regular season indoor meet has concluded as the Gamecocks wrapped up their participation in the Tiger Paw Invite on Saturday afternoon in Clemson, S.C. In addition to Clemson, South Carolina’s Anass Essayi competed in the men’s mile at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Mass.
“We have two meets left to prepare for the NCAA Championship,” added Head Coach Curtis Frye. “We got a taste of what the SEC Championships will be like and as always, the SEC will run like a national championship event. This weekend was good for us to see what we will be up against and to see what preparation is left. It would be nice to win the SEC Championship, but the main goal is to send as many people as possible to nationals and score points there. Our goal is to shoot higher and qualifying for the NCAA Championship is that mark. We want to score points and see our athletes earn All-American status.”
Essayi was the lone competitor to compete for the Gamecocks in Boston on Saturday and he made his presence felt. Competing in the mile, the Morocco native registered a time of 3:50.46, besting his previous school record by just under seven seconds. In addition to shattering his own program record, Essayi recorded the fastest mile in the NCAA this season by 1.44 seconds. The sophomore distance runner also turned in the second fastest mile in the world this season, in addition to the second fastest mile in USTFCCCA history. Amos Bartelsmeyer of Nike Union Athletics Club turned in a time of 3:50.45 for the fastest mile in the world.
Jayla Jamison stole the show in Clemson for the Gamecocks on Saturday, this time doing so in the women’s 200 meter. Jamison entered the day with a personal best time of 23.39 and was able to surpass that when she ran 23.05 to place sixth in the event. Her time moved her to third in the South Carolina record books, while jumping into seventh in the NCAA. The Columbia native’s time also ranks 15th in the world.
Another pair of Gamecock women registered top 10 program marks, both in the women’s 800m. Sylvia Chelangat recorded a new personal best with a time of 2:07.26 to improve on her fourth-place mark in Gamecock history. Fellow international teammate, Elena Kelety, ran 2:08.08 for a new personal best and the fifth fastest 800m time in South Carolina history.
Jumping to the men’s side, Rogerio Amaral earned another win in the 3K after stopping the clock at 8:05.99….