Denmark Tech's Spencer Carter Claims Third in 400 Meters at Charleston Southern

Spencer Carter stepped onto the podium at Charleston Southern University, finishing third in the 400 meters in a result Denmark Technical College publicly celebrated on March 24, a showing that carries weight well beyond the meet sheet for an HBCU track program still staking its early claim in NJCAA competition.

Carter, who runs for head coach Derrick Wilmore in Denmark, S.C., holds personal records of 52.24 seconds in the 400 meters and 23.64 in the 200, marks logged under the 2026 outdoor heading on his MileSplit athlete profile. Competing against Division I talent at a Charleston Southern-hosted event raises the visibility of those numbers in ways that matter to recruiting: a podium at that level signals that Denmark Tech's times can stand up when the field expands.

The college added men's and women's track and field only recently, which means Wilmore's program has been building its competitive record from scratch. For a school that draws student-athletes primarily from Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale Counties, finishes like Carter's function as the most direct form of program advertising available: verifiable results at recognized venues, visible to any coach or recruit running a search.

"We deeply appreciate this recognition from Bamberg County," said Dr. Willie L. Todd Jr., President and CEO of Denmark Tech. "Denmark Technical College is an asset and resource for the entire region and the county's partnership has been invaluable as we work together to forge onward into a new era of success for our small HBCU located in rural South Carolina."

Bamberg County Council Chairman Spencer Donaldson, who both graduated from Denmark Tech and serves as a community leader in the college's CDL program, sponsored a county proclamation recognizing the institution's role in the region. "HBCUs are essential to our place in Black History," Donaldson said. "These colleges and universities educate our best and brightest students and have an overwhelmingly positive impact on our area. As a graduate of Denmark Tech and a community leader of their CDL program, it is important to me that we give this engine of economic development and educational opportunity the recognition it deserves."

Denmark Technical College traces its roots to March 1948, when it opened as the Denmark Branch of the South Carolina Area Trade School System. It became Denmark Area Trade School in the 1960s before taking its current name, building a record of educating thousands of students across generations. Its legislative mandate covers the entire state, though its open-door model, which grants access to citizens from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, is most directly felt across the three-county corridor it primarily serves.

Carter's third-place finish lands at the right moment in the 2026 outdoor calendar. With conference and national championship qualifying windows still open, each mark he runs between now and the season's close adds to a profile that Denmark Tech's recruiting pitch depends on.