CLEMSON, S.C. (Dec. 6, 2024) – For the second consecutive season under head coach Tim Hall, South Carolina Track & Field walked out of the Clemson Opener with nine total wins. The Carolina women captured seven of the nine wins on Friday at the Clemson Track & Field Complex. In addition, Carolina saw 28 new personal best marks in the season opener.
The Gamecock women won three events on the track itself, all coming from returners. Sylvia Chelangat was the first winner on the track, doing so in the 600 meter race. Chelangat turned in a time of 1:30.91 for the fastest time on record for the Garnet & Black since 2010. Shortly after Chelangat’s win, sophomore sprinter Cynteria James captured the 60 meter sprint with a time of 7.32, just missing out on a new personal best. The final win on the oval came from senior sprinter Jayla Jamison who ran the seventh-fastest 300 meter sprint in program history with a time of 37.22.
Four different individuals on the women’s team were responsible for victories in the field, including a trio of newcomers. Omaria Gordon, competing in her first collegiate meet, took home the win in the long jump after posting a mark of 6.01m (19-8.75). Cheyla Scott, a First Team All-American transfer from Oregon, captured the high jump for the Gamecocks when she cleared the bar at 1.77m (5-9.75) for the ninth highest mark in program history. In keeping with the newcomers, South Carolina State transfer Cameran Gist took home the women’s triple jump crown with the ninth best jump in Carolina history at 12.56m (41-2.5). The final field triumph came from sophomore pole vaulter Lena Richardson with a new personal best height of 3.93m (12-10.75).
The men’s squad saw a pair of victories in Friday’s opener, beginning with pole vaulter Conor Reilly. The veteran competitor cleared 4.97m (16-3.5) to tie Kennesaw State’s Andrew Dassler, but Reilly was claimed the victor having needed fewer attempts to clear the bar. The final win of the day for Carolina came from the men’s 4×400 meter relay squad of Josiah Wrice, Devan Crumpton, Anthony Greenhow and Jasauna Dennis as the quartet clocked 3:08.90 for the fastest indoor 4x400m time for the men’s squad in the Coach Hall Era.
The Gamecock men turned in seven Top 10 program marks on Friday, doing so in the 300 meter, 600 meter and the 1000 meter events. Aidan Hatton improved on his third-place mark in program history in the 600m, running 1:19.84 to finish fourth overall. Wrice was the…