University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Third After Enduring Tough Day at SEC Outdoors
May 11, 2002 | Men's Track
May 11, 2002
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- After opening up the SEC Outdoor Championships on a sunny note Thursday, a dark cloud hovered a little too close to comfort for the Tennessee contingent Friday. After a costly no height and injury in the decathlon and a lukewarm qualifying effort in Friday's prelims, the Volunteers stand third with 21 points following the second day of the SEC Outdoors in Starkville, Miss. While Tennessee is still in the hunt, the Volunteers will need their luck to change to defend their conference outdoor crown. Tennessee trails Georgia's 30 points and rival Arkansas' 27 points, with all the Razorbacks' coming in the 10,000M run.
The Volunteer decathletes suffered a setback when potential scorer Brett Frykberg had to scratch the final day with a hamstring injury. After no heighting in the pole vault during his first decathlon of the season at the Sea Ray Relays, lightning struck twice in the skies over the pole vault pit as co-captain Stephen Harris no heighted to compound the difficulties for the Vols. Even more painful, Harris, the NCAA runner-up in 2001, was in position to run away with the title and secure a much-needed NCAA qualifier before the no height.
However, Tennessee fought back for 16 points in the decathlon, a respectable total after all the setbacks the unit endured. In addition to Frykberg's and Harris' troubles, the Volunteers lost returning scorers Blake Sabo and Alex Hritcu to injury before the meet. Junior Kevin Thompson stepped up to lead his teammates with a second-place score of 7,242 to trail only Georgia's David Lemen with 7,514 points. Thompson won the discus with a 138-4 mark. The Germantown native also took third with a season-best 14-7 1/2 clearance in the pole vault and finished fourth in the 110M hurdles with a personal-best 14.94. Thompson owns a NCAA automatic qualifier from earlier in the season.
Instead of scrapping the rest of the two events after the no height in the pole vault, Harris stayed in the competition to claim fourth and five team points with a 7,047 score. He took second in both the 110M hurdles, 14.69, and 1,500M run, 4:29.72. Meanwhile, freshman Kevin Yeager stepped up to take sixth with 6,616 points. The Farragut product closed the second day with career bests in the pole vault and 1,500M run.
In other finals action, senior Steve Pitlik got the Vols on the scoreboad first with a sixth-place finish in the hammer throw. Pitlik's personal-best 187-7 was good enough for three points. Likewise on the distance front, Scott DeFilippis took sixth to finish the 10,000M run in 30:58.79 and contribute three important points to the Tennessee cause. However, rival Arkansas scored four of the top five spots in the 10,000M run to ring up 27 points.
Tennessee has been known lately for its strong qualifying push in the prelims. However, Friday proved a bit of an exception as the Vols qualified someone in every event contested but also failed to capitalize on opportunities for a couple more lanes in the finals.
In qualifying action, Tennessee had the best luck in the 200M dash. Justin Gatlin and Leonard Scott both won their heats to advance to the finals and post the two fastest qualifiers. Gatlin clocked in at 20.24, while Scott broke the tape in 20.38, both NCAA automatic qualifiers but not season bests. However, Vol speedster Sean Lambert took ninth in 21.08, one spot away from going to the finals.
In the 800M run, freshman Marc Sylvester looked strong in winning his heat in 1:48.32, a provisional qualifier but not a season best. Sylvester's time ranks as the second-fastest of the day behind South Carolina's Otukile Lekote's 1:47.34. However, senior Adrian Wheatley, freshman Frank Francois and freshman Damion Drummond missed out on the finals, though Francois did post a strong personal best.
In the 400M hurdles, co-captain Hassaan Stamps slipped in the finals with the eighth-best qualifier. Stamps ran a 51.54 to take third in his heat. Freshman Leon McRae missed qualifying with a 52.52 finish.
Tennessee will line up Saturday in a full slate of qualifying events and four finals in attempts to claw back into the driver's seat. The Vols have a chance to score Saturday in the steeplechase, pole vault, long jump and shot put. Even more importantly, Tennessee needs its traditionally strong qualifying push in Saturday's prelim action to set up a Sunday showdown.
| Tennessee results | ||
| SEC Outdoors, Starkville, Miss. | ||
| Friday, May 10, 2002 | ||
| Team scoring | ||
| 1. Georgia 30, 2. Arkansas 27, 3. Tennessee 21, 4. Alabama 10, 5. Auburn 9, 6-t. South Carolina 6, LSU 6, 8-t. Florida 4, Mississippi 4. | ||
| Tennessee scoring | ||
| Friday -- 21 pts. | ||
| Kevin Thompson, second, eight pts., decathlon | ||
| Stephen Harris, fourth, five pts., decathlon | ||
| Scott DeFilippis, sixth, three pts., 10,000M run | ||
| Steve Pitlik, sixth, three pts., hammer | ||
| Kevin Yeager, sixth, three pts., decathlon | ||
| Decathlon | ||
| 1. | David Lemen, Ga. | 7,514** |
| 2. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 7,242* |
| 4. | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 7,047 SB |
| 6. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 6,616 |
| 110M hurdles (decathlon) | ||
| 1. | Frederick Townsend, S.C. | 14.40 |
| 2. | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 14.69 |
| 4. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 14.94 PR |
| 10. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 16.18 SB |
| Discus (decathlon) | ||
| 1. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 138-4 |
| 4. | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 131-5 SB |
| 11. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 108-10 |
| Pole vault (decathlon) | ||
| 1. | David Lemen, Ga. | 16-3 1/4 |
| 3. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 14-7 1/2 SB |
| 9. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 12-4 PR |
| -- | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | No height |
| Javelin (decathlon) | ||
| 1. | David Lemen, Ga. | 196-9 |
| 5. | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 165-2 |
| 9. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 157-6 |
| 12. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 106-8 |
| 1,500M run (decathlon) | ||
| 1. | Kelly Basinger, Ga. | 4:17.61 |
| 2. | Stephen Harris, Tenn. | 4:29.72 |
| 3. | Kevin Yeager, Tenn. | 4:32.00 PR |
| 8. | Kevin Thompson, Tenn. | 4:51.17 |
| 200M dash (prelims) | ||
| 1. | Justin Gatlin, Tenn. | 20.24Q** |
| 2. | Leonard Scott, Tenn. | 20.38Q** |
| 9. | Sean Lambert, Tenn. | 21.08 |
| 800M run (prelims) | ||
| 1. | Otukile Lekote, S.C. | 1:47.34Q** |
| 2. | Marc Sylvester, Tenn. | 1:48.32Q* |
| 14. | Adrian Wheatley, Tenn. | 1:50.66 |
| 18. | Frank Francois, Tenn. | 1:51.63 PR |
| 19. | Damion Drummond, Tenn. | 1:52.45 |
| 10,000M run (final) | ||
| 1. | Daniel Lincoln, Ark. | 29:24.55* |
| 6. | Scott DeFilippis, Tenn. | 30:58.79 |
| -- | Patrick Gildea, Tenn. | DNF |
| 400M hurdles (prelims) | ||
| 1. | Rickey Harris, Fla. | 49.82Q** |
| 8. | Hassaan Stamps, Tenn. | 51.54Q |
| 10. | Leon McRae, Tenn. | 52.52 |
| Hammer (final) | ||
| 1. | Andras Haklits, Ga. | 247-4** |
| 6. | Steve Pitlik, Tenn. | 187-7 PR |
| Q - qualified for event finals; SB - season best; PR - career best/personal record; * - NCAA provisional qualifier; ** - NCAA automatic qualifier; w - wind-aided mark. | ||
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