Ford Makes History at SEC Championship as Women Claim Fifth
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 17, 2025) – South Carolina Track & Field wrapped up the SEC Outdoor Championship on Saturday night in Lexington, Ky. with the women placing fifth overall and the men taking home 11th. The fifth-place finish by the women mark the highest finish since claiming fifth in 2007.
JaMeesia Ford was a human highlight reel on the track, earning 25 points en route to capturing the Commissioner’s Trophy. Ford is the first Gamecock since Erica Whipple (2003) to claim the prestigious award, given to the student-athlete who scores the most points at the SEC Championship meet. Ford began her day as the anchor leg in the 4×100 meter relay, leading Carolina to a 42.75 time for the gold medal finish and 10 points. The women’s 4x100m relay of Jayla Jamison, Cynteria James, Zaya Akins and Ford became the first Gamecock quartet to win the event since 2007. The sophomore sprinter then took the podium in her first individual final, running 11.06 (0.7) in the 100m to become the first ever Gamecock female to win the 100m SEC title. Far from done, Ford ran a new program record in the 200m after crossing the line in 22.01 (1.9) for another 10 points. Ford’s time in the 200m set a new SEC Championship meet record, as well as ranking fifth all-time in collegiate history and currently sits third on the world leaderboard. The quartet of Akins, James, Ford and Jamison closed out the night in the 4x400m relay, running a program record with a mark of 3:24.26. South Carolina claimed the title in the 4x400m relay for the first time since 2007, running a new facility record along the way.
The women picked up critical points throughout the day as well, including Cynteria James who placed sixth in the 200m sprint with a personal best time of 22.83 (1.9). Akins captured sixth in her own respective event, doing so in the 400m dash after crossing the line in 52.33. Salma Elbadra and Joslyn Hamilton were the final two scorers for the women’s squad. Elbadra won the 1500m race, running 4:20.21 to become the second Gamecock in three years to capture the 1500m title. Elbadra then turned around to place sixth in the 5K, running a program record time of 15:51.24, becoming the first scorer in the event since 2012. Hamilton was able to cross the line in seventh place in the 100-meter hurdles, turning in a time of 13.35 (1.8).
The men’s squad picked up points in six events on the evening, highlighted by freshman Josiah Wrice who finished runner-up in the 400m in his SEC Championship debut. Wrice ran 45.40 to capture eight points, recording the best finish by a Gamecock in the 400m since Olympic Gold Medalist Quincy Hall won the event in 2019. Theo Mudzengerere was the next highest scorer, finishing fourth overall in the triple jump with a distance of 16.14m (52-11.5) for his second consecutive year scoring. Nate Figgers scored in the high jump for the second consecutive season, improving to fifth place in this year’s edition of the SEC Championship with a height of 2.12m (6-11.5).
Jaouad Khchina and David Warmington were the final individual scorers for the men, with Khchina finishing sixth in the 1500m (3:53.66) and Warmington running eighth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.78 (0.5). The final points for the men came from the men’s 4x400m relay as Josiah Wrice, Devan Crumpton, Josue Richardson Salazar and Jasauna Dennis placed seventh with a time of 3:05.32.
The Gamecocks will now wait for the declaration period for the upcoming NCAA East Regional to see who will be competing for a spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The East Regional will begin on Wednesday, May 28 and conclude on Saturday, May 31. This year’s regional will be held in Jacksonville, Fla. at the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida.
Men’s Team Standings
1. Arkansas – 98.5
2. Georgia – 87
3. Alabama – 85
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11. South Carolina – 43.5
Men’s Individual Results
400 Meters (Finals)
2. Josiah Wrice – 45.40
1500 Meters (Finals)
6. Jaouad Khchina – 3:53.66
4×100 Meter Relay
10. Dennis, Wrice, Crumpton, Greenhow – 39.51
4×400 Meter Relay
7. Wrice, Crumpton, Richardson Salazar, Dennis – 3:05.32
5000 Meters
13. Rogerio Amaral – 14:06.26
23. Jaouad Khchina – 14:20.64*
37. Elijah Poore – 14:41.99*
110-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
8. David Warmington – 13.78 (0.5)
High Jump
5. Nate Figgers – 2.12m/6-11.5
— Channing Ferguson – NH
Triple Jump
4. Theo Mudzengerere – 16.14m/52-11.5 (4.6)
Women’s Team Standings
1. Georgia – 103
2. Texas A&M – 81.5
3. Florida – 79
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5. South Carolina – 69
Women’s Individual Results
100 Meters (Finals)
1. JaMeesia Ford – 11.06 (0.7)
200 Meters (Finals)
1. JaMeesia Ford – 22.01 (1.9)*
6. Cynteria James – 22.83 (1.9)*
400 Meters (Finals)
6. Zaya Akins – 52.33
1500 Meters (Finals)
1. Salma Elbadra – 4:20.21
5000 Meters
6. Salma Elbadra – 15:51.24*
17. Teresa Cherotich – 16:24.40
21. Cate Conklin – 16:25.88
22. Emma Torbert – 16:27.29*
33. Abigail White – 16:51.65*
4×100 Meter Relay
1. Jamison, James, Akins, Ford – 42.75
4×400 Meter Relay
1. Akins, James, Ford, Jamison – 3:24.26
100-Meter Hurdles (Finals)
7. Joslyn Hamilton – 13.35 (1.8)
Triple Jump
12. Cameran Gist – 12.82m/42-0.75 (2.2)
Pole Vault
9. Hannah Togami – 3.96m/12-11.75
— Lena Richardson – NH
— Emma Stone – NH
* – denotes outdoor PR
