LYNCHBURG, Va. – Day one of the 2024 Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championships saw the Gamecocks of Jax State set new marks once again, score points in final events and advance in prelims to Saturday finals.
 
Turning in times strong enough to advance to Saturday finals were Hailey Tucker and Bethelhem Manzano Jimeno.
 
Tucker ran a 56.36 to qualify in the eighth and final advancing spot on Friday. She edged freshman teammate Chidinma Margaret Agu (56.37) by the slimmest of margins. The Gamecocks will also be in the 800-meter final after Beti Manzano Jimeno turned in a 2:12.05 sixth-fastest prelim mark.
 
Putting the first championship points on the board for Jax State Friday was senior Carolina Minozzi after her early start in the pentathlon event. Minozzi scored fifth or better in all but one event on her way to a new PR score. Her final pentathlon score of 3,479 points became the second-highest pentathlon score in Jax State history and earned the Gamecock five points with her fourth-place finish.
 
The Gamecocks added another point when Savannah Yates cleared 3.83 meters (12'-6-¾") to place eighth in the pole vault competition.
 
Not quite scoring, Lindsay Fletcher ran a strong one mile race finishing just seconds off her PR time with a 5:09.4 in 13th place. Freshman Elo Blassing Okpah clocked a quick 7.62 in the 60-meter prelims, but fell three spots shy of advancing to the finals.
 
Jimeno, Agu, Fletcher and Breanna Becerra combined at the end of the day to bring Jax State home in fifth in the distance medley relay with final team of 12:19.87.
 
Action continues Saturday from the Liberty Track and Field Complex for the final day of championship events.