Gamecock track and field's Quincy Hall set the school record in the 400-meter for the third time this season with a time of 45.69 on Saturday at the SEC Indoor Championships.
The meet began on Friday, when both men's and women's track and field teams opened their 2019 postseasons in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the SEC Indoor Championships.
Four South Carolina athletes scored in the first day of competition, with three athletes advancing to Saturday's finals.
Junior Eric Favors posted the first points of the meet for South Carolina in the men's shot put, earning himself a spot in the finals with a throw of 18.31 meters.
Favors' best throw in the finals of 18.64 meters boosted him to sixth place and gave the Gamecocks three points. This weekend's performance was his second scoring effort at the SEC level.
Senior Armand Woodley cleared 5.34 meters in the men's pole vault to set a new personal best at the SEC level. Woodley has now scored at all four SEC Indoor Championship meets he has participated in.
Senior Yann Randrianasolo finished fourth in the men's long jump, securing five more points for the Gamecocks. Randrianasolo is ranked fifth in the nation in the long jump with a mark of 7.94 meters. His performance this season has earned him a spot in the NCAA Indoor Championships, to be held in two weeks in Birmingham, Alabama.
The women's distance medley relay continued to grow as the squad of Macie Kavanaugh, Allie Mueller, Tatyana Mills and Anna Kathryn Stoddard clocked a time of 11:38.69, recording the second fastest time in Carolina history.
Their effort was enough to earn the women fifth place, the first top-five finish for Carolina in the SEC Indoor Championships since 2005.
South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye was pleased with his team's performance, especially the women's distance medley relay, which set yet another season best with their run this weekend.
"I'm thrilled to death for the women's DMR. Each one of them ran their heart out for their teammates, then the team got on the edge of the track and did its job motivating and encouraging them," Frye said to Gamecocks Online. "They all love each other, shouting each other's names out. It's the beauty of what we're doing: being able to love your teammates, encourage your teammates and run for your teammates."
South Carolina's Quincy Hall, Otis Jones and Isaiah Moore advanced out of their qualifying events on Friday to earn themselves spots in the finals for the men's 400-meter, 800-meter and the 60-meter hurdles, respectively.
Hall's record-breaking performance on Saturday in the finals gave him the SEC title in the men's 400-meter. He is the first Gamecock to earn an SEC title in the men's 400-meter indoor run and the title is the first SEC indoor title since 2009.
"It feels great to add to (the Carolina legacy), and there's more to come," Hall said. "I can see Coach [Curtis] Frye and Coach [Kevin] Brown building champions, and I'm not the only one."
Coach Frye said that Hall is a very special athlete and that Hall led South Carolina to a title that was much needed after giving the Gamecocks a spot up in the competition.
The women's 4x400 meter relay team was barely edged out in its event by Texas A&M, putting the Gamecocks in second place. The Gamecock squad's time of 3:29.56 was the second fastest in the NCAA this season and the third fastest in Carolina history.
The final podium finish of the day for the Gamecocks came from Isaiah Moore, who placed third in the finals for the men's 60-meter hurdles.
South Carolina ended the weekend placing 10th on the men's side with a total of 29 points and 12th on the women's side with a total of 14 points.
Next, the Gamecocks will travel to the 2019 NCAA Championships in Alabama from March 8 to 9.