University of Tennessee Athletics
Track Vols Earn Five Wins at Tennessee Indoor Invitational
February 16, 2001 | Men's Track
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee’s fifth-ranked track and field squad posted five wins on Friday in its final tune-up meet for the Southeasthern Conference Indoor Championships. The home track at Stokely Athletics Center was kind to the Vols as Leonard Scott (55M dash), Matt Rush (55M hurdles), Stephen Harris (55M hurdles- decathletes), Tyler Garrett (shot put) and Steve Pitlik (35-lb. weight throw) all posted wins at the Tennessee Indoor Invitational.
The Volunteers ruled the sprints and hurdles. Scott flew to a 6.10 (which converts to match his 60M dash career best of 6.56) to take the win and an automatic qualifying time in the 55M dash. Scott also broke an 18-year-old Stokely Athletics Center record with his performance. The 55M dash time of 6.10 is Scott’s second-best 55M dash time ever as he ran a 6.07 at the 1999 SEC Indoors as a freshman. Justin Gatlin took second in 6.27. Sean Lambert finished in fourth with a 6.36 clocking.
Likewise, Tennessee went 1-2 in the 55M hurdles. Rush ran a 55M hurdles personal-best provisional time of 7.37. Hassaan Stamps took runner-up honors in 7.46. Additionally, the Vols went 1-2 in the decathlete section of the 55M hurdles. Harris (7.78) and Blake Sabo (7.79) nabbed gold and silver, respectively.
Tennessee’s throwers dominated the field today by taking gold in the shot put and 35-lb. weight throw. Garrett posted a provisional 57-5 3/4, 10 inches off his season-best provisional mark set last weekend, to win the event. In his return from injury, Toby
Colyer, a javelin specialist outdoors, threw the shot 52-2 1/2. In the weight throw, Pitlik set another career-best mark of 58-8 3/4 to win the event and post Tennessee’s best mark of the season.
Tennessee’s jump competitors were limited. However, triple jumper Rondell Mershon leaped out to a 48-5 1/2 season-best mark to take third.
Olympic silver medalist Lawrence Johnson won the pole vault with a 19-0 3/4 mark, bettering his previous Stokely Athletics Center record from 1994 by one centimeter. Johnson came painfully close to clearing what would have been an American indoor record (19-6 3/4) on his first and third attempts. Tennessee’s Clint Binder also posted a strong day in notching a 16-9 1/2 PR to earn third.
Rephel Martin (unattached) also tied Camron Howard’s Stokely long jump record from last month with his winning, 25-4 leap. The SEC Indoor Championships will be held Feb. 24-25 in Lexington, Ky. Pole vaulter Rocky Danners and long jumper Camron Howard were held out of Friday’s meet to turn their focus to the SEC Indoors.
VOL FINISHES
Tennessee Indoor Invitational,
Knoxville, Tenn.
Friday, Feb. 16, 2001
| 55M dash-preliminaries | |
| 1. Leonard Scott, Tenn. | 6.12 Q ** |
| 2. Justin Gatlin, Tenn. | 6.30 Q |
| 3. Sean Lambert, Tenn. | 6.30 Q PR |
| 7. Hassaan Stamps, Tenn. | 6.49 SB |
| 20. Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 6.69 |
| 55M dash-finals | |
| 1. Leonard Scott, Tenn. | 6.10 SB** |
| (Stokely Athletics Center record) | |
| 2. Justin Gatlin, Tenn. | 6.27 |
| 4. Sean Lambert, Tenn. | 6.36 |
| 55M hurdles-preliminaries | |
| 1. Matt Rush, Tenn. | 7.48 |
| 2. Hassaan Stamps, Tenn. | 7.52 |
| 55M hurdles-finals | |
| 1. Matt Rush, Tenn. | 7.37* PR |
| 2. Hassaan Stamps, Tenn. | 7.46 |
| 55M hurdles-decathlon section | |
| 1. Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 7.78 |
| 2. Blake Sabo, Tenn. | 7.79 |
| Pole vault-invitational | |
| 1. Lawrence Johnson, Unatt. | 19-0 3/4** |
| (Stokely Athletics Center record) | |
| 2. Tim Mack, Unatt. | 18-2 1/2** |
| 3. Clint Binder, Tenn. | 16-9 1/2 PR |
| 5. Chandler Rice, Tenn. | 15-9 |
| Pole vault-open | |
| 1. Charles Rice, W. Carolina | 15-5 3/4 |
| 5. Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 13-5 3/4 |
| 7. Blake Sabo, Tenn. | 12-6 |
| High jump | |
| 1. Aaron Shunk, Unattached | 7-0 1/4 |
| 3. Blake Sabo, Tenn. | 6-6 3/4 |
| 7. Matt Rush, Tenn. | 6-4 1/4 |
| Long jump | |
| 1. Rephel Martin, Unattached | 25-4* |
| (ties Stokely Athletics Center record) | |
| 3. Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 22-9 3/4 |
| Triple jump | |
| 1. Anthony Reed, In Black TC | 52-0* |
| 3. Rondell Mershon, Tenn. | 48-5 1/2 SB |
| Shot put | |
| 1. Tyler Garrett, Tenn. | 57-5 3/4 * |
| 3. Toby Colyer, Tenn. | 52-2 1/2 |
| 35-lb. weight throw | |
| 1. Steve Pitlik, Tenn. | 58-8 3/4PR |
| 2. Lance Jauron, Tenn. | 57-3 |
| 6. Jon Smart, Tenn. | 46-5 1/2 |
Q - qualified for event finals
PR - personal record
SB - season best
** - NCAA automatic mark
* - NCAA provisional mark.
