Washington, Chambers Lead Benedict At Gamecock Opener Meet

Washington, Chambers Lead Benedict At Gamecock Opener Meet

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College indoor track & field teams competed in the 2026 Gamecock Opener on Saturday at the South Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex, and had some outstanding performances.
 
Zack Washington broke his own Benedict school record he set two weeks ago in the long jump, jumping 7.61 meters (24 feet, 11 ¾ inches) to win the event. That mark is currently the top jump in NCAA Division II. He jumped 7.44 meters and 7.49 meters on his second and third jumps. After passing, he jumped into the record book on his final attempt.
 
For the Lady Tigers, Yassmine Chambers won the shot put event with a mark of 12.79 meters (41 feet, 11 ½ inches). She reached that mark on her third of six attempts. Chambers also finished fifth in the weight throw with a throw of 13.51 meters (44 feet, 4 inches).
 
Other noteworthy efforts included:
  • Tristen McCleary finished third in the men's high jump with a jump of 1.95 meters (6 feet, 4 ¾ inches).
  • DuShaun Tucker finished third in the men's shot put with a mark of 14.63 meters (48 feet), and third in the weight throw with a mark of 14.80 meters (48 feet, 6 ¾ inches).
  • Isabella McKinney finished sixth in the women's weight throw with a throw of 12.73 meters (41 feet, 9 ¼ inches).
  • Terrel Alexander finished sixth in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 49.73, and finished ninth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.96.
  • Steven Salley finished sixth in the men's triple jump with a jump of 13.40 meters (43 feet, 11 ¾ inches).
  • Jacobie Sims finished ninth in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.53.
The Benedict teams will return to the South Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex to compete in the Carolina Classic Feb. 6-7.
 

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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.