ASHEVILLE, N.C. – USC Upstate Track and Field competed in the Big South Outdoor Championship. The medals were plentiful for the Spartans, collecting 14 total, including five gold, three silver, and six bronze.
The men's team finished runner-up, and the women placed fourth. Both finishes tie the program's highest finish in the Big South, with the women's team earning the most points scored in school history. Among the many highlights were the 48 Spartans who finished with top-eight performances, along with 32 new personal records being set.
Day One
The first Spartan to reach the podium was
Gabriel Walker, finishing third in men's hammer throw with a distance of 56.31m.
Rachel Davis and
Jessa Beach each reached the podium for women's hammer, earning gold and bronze, respectively. The throw of 58.18m for Davis ranks 45th in the East Region.
Day Two
Xavier Stone was the first medalist for Upstate, winning gold and the champion title in men's triple jump. Stone jumped 15.15m, a new school record.
Rachel Davis earned the champion title once again in women's shot put with a throw of 14.88m. Fellow teammate
Taylor Thomas took silver, throwing for 13.96m.
Day Three
The Spartans kept the momentum on the last day, highlighted by
Rachel Davis winning her third gold medal in women's discus. Davis is the second female athlete in Big South Outdoor Championship history to win gold in the hammer, shot put, and discus at the same meet. The first was Amber Campbell from Coastal Carolina who later went on to be an Olympian.
Shriyaan Krishnaraj took home the gold in the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 52.42.
Awards:
Rachel Davis - Meet MVP
Jeremiah Harris - Newcomer of the Year
Addison Stone – All-Academic Team
Maureen Ortiz – All Academic Team
Top Performances (Women)
Rachel Davis- Discus- 50.53m - 1st place (School Record)
Shot Put- 14.88m - 1st place
Hammer- 58.19m - 1st place (second all-time in school history)
Jessa Beach- Hammer - 53.81m - 3rd place
Discus- 44.24m - 3rd place (second all-time in school history)
Laurin Hannibal - Triple Jump - 11.43m - 4th place (fourth all-time in school history)
Taylor Thomas – Shot - 13.96m - 2nd place, (fourth all-time in school history)
Hammer - 46.88m - 7th place
Javelin - 36.12m - 7th place
Cornelius, Cox, Redding, A.Thomas - 4x100m - 47.16 - 5th place
Glover, Cox, Redding, Bell - 4x400m - 3:58.91 - 6th place
Tiara Cox - 100m - 12.04 - 4th place
Jenelda Aristhil – Hammer - 50.59- 5th place, (fourth all-time in school history)
Shot - 12.86m - 6th place, (eighth all-time in school history)
Destine Pryor - Long Jump - 5.29m - 7th place
Aubrielle Cook - High Jump - 1.51m - 7th place
Paden Bell - Heptathlon- 3430pts - 8th place, (sixth all-time in school history)
Kyonna Nixon - 100m Hurdles - 14.66, 8th place
Personal Best (Women)
Rachel Davis- Hammer, Discus
Jessa Beach- Discus
Jenelda Aristhil- Hammer, Shot
Taylor Thomas- Shot
Mya Jackson- 100m
Naizja Redding- 100m Hurdles
Maureen Ortiz- 800m
Top Performances (Men)
Xavier Stone - Triple Jump - 15.15m - 1st place (School Record)
Shriyaan Krishnaraj- 400m Hurdles - 52.42 - 1st place (third all-time in school history)
Jeremiah Harris - 200m - 20.85m - 2nd place (School Record)
100m - 10.48 - 3rd place (third all-time in school history)
Joshua Sterling – Discus - 52.36m 2nd place (second all-time in school history)
Hammer - 52.30m - 4th place (fifth all-time in school history)
Antonio Bryan - 400m Hurdles - 53.70 - 3rd place, (fifth all time in school history)
110m Hurdles - 15.15m - 4th place
Harris, Rice, Parks, James - 4x100m - 40.48 - 3rd place (School Record)
Krishnaraj, Harris, Green, Walston - 3:15.13 - 4th place
Jamarcus Askew- Triple Jump - 14.35m - 4th place
Gabe Walker- Hammer - 56.31m - 3rd place (fourth all time in school history)
Michael Moody - Long Jump - 6.89m - 4th place
Triple Jump- 14.25m - 5th place, (fifth all time in school history)
Khalif Walston - 400m - 47.63 - 6th place (School Record)
Brycen Means - Long Jump - 6.66m - 5th place
High Jump - 1.87m - tied 5th place
AJ Aun- Decathlon - 5506pts - 5th place (School Record)
Pole Vault - 2.81m- 5th place
Jamarcus Askew - High Jump - 1.87m - tied 5th place
JerVaris Rice - 100m -10.66 - 6th place
Sam Shimanskiy - 800m - 1:53.30 - 6th place
1500m - 3:55.59 - 6th place
Demetrius Reeves – Discus - 46.20m - 6th place (fifth all-time in school history )
Cam Phillips- Pole Vault - 2.21m - 6th place
Decathlon - 4516pts - 8th place (fifth all time in school history)
Eastin Burch – Javelin - 54.08m - 7th place
Rico Carter - 400m Hurdles - 57.30 – 7th place
Quintavius James - 100m - 8th place
Gabe Parks- 200m - 21.66 - 6th place (eighth all time in school history)
Cam Moors - 1500m - 3:59.49 (eighth all time in school history)
Personal Best (Men)
Gabe Parks- 200m
Cam Moors- 1500m, 800m
Nick Brooks- 10,000m
Gabe Walker- Hammer, Discus
Joshua Sterling- Hammer, Discus
Demetrius Reeves- Hammer, Shot, Discus
Pierce Mosley- Hammer, Shot
AJ Aun- Pole Vault, Shot, Decathlon
Cam Phillips- Shot, Decathlon
Antonio Bryan- 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles
Jeremiah Harris- 100m, 200m
Khalif Walston- 400m
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Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateXCTrack @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateXCTrack @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
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