University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
SEC Outdoor Championships%
Tennessee Captures SEC Outdoor Track & Field Title
May 12, 2002 | Men's Track
May 12, 2002
Photo Gallery | Tennessee Results | Complete SEC Outdoor Results
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Tennessee's top-ranked track and field team claimed its conference-best 24th Southeastern Conference Outdoor title since 1964 with a 97-point Sunday explosion to top the nation's strongest conference in Starkville, Miss.
The Volunteers found their way to the top of the scoreboard with 147 total points to move past second-place Arkansas' 133-point total at Mississippi State's Maddox Track.
UT sophomore Justin Gatlin led the Vols to the title, earning 30.5 points on the final day to win the Commissioner's Trophy presented by SEC chief Roy Kramer. Gatlin won the 100M, 200M and 4x100M relay, while finishing second in a photo finish in the 110M hurdles.
"We had an absolutely superlative effort by everyone from our athletes to our assistant coaches," head coach Bill Webb said. "I couldn't be prouder of our team defending their title in the nation's toughest track conference. We had a few disappointments along the way, but we had other people step up when we needed it. I'm glad to bring the trophy back to Rocky Top again. We look forward to nationals. We may or may not win it, but they'll know we're there."
As the sun began to sink in a pale orange sunset, the outcome of four day's of toil was becoming clear on a hot Mississippi evening. As the sunset gave way to night, the stars above the Magnolia State began to line up for the Volunteer 30. When Gary Kikaya brought the 4x400M relay baton home safely, Tennessee had defended its 2001 SEC Outdoor title, the first time the Vols have defended the conference crown since a 1981-86 run.
Tennessee used a mix of old faces competing in their last SEC meet with some fresh-faced rookies to bring home the big trophy to the foothills of the Smokies. Continuing the diversity, some Volunteers donned traditional orange, some wore their lucky black singlets from the NCAA Indoors and one wore white. Webb didn't care about the mix of traditional or new uniforms--all the Vol mentor needed to know is that Tennessee is back in the championship business again. Likewise, a different mix of former Tennessee greats were on hand to see if this group of Vols possessed the mettle to chisel their names in the program's book of champions. 1956 distance All-America Ed Murphey and 1997 and 1999 decathlon All-America were on hand to watch this Tennessee team try to become one of the best in school history. The Vols of the old school weren't disappointed.
The steady stream of points across the event spectrum gave the Vols their title. However, the sprint events gave the Vols a tidal wave of points to provide a bit of breathing room and take the lead back from the Razorbacks for good.
The Vols changed the complexion of the meet with a 20-point deluge in the 100M dash. Gatlin broke the tape first in 10.11, an automatic qualifier but not a season best. Gatlin kept the 100M dash title in the family with after Scott's 2001 SEC title in the short sprint. Scott also played a big role this year by taking third in 10.23. Lambert made the most of his race with a fifth-place, 10.41 effort to move the scoreboard in favor of the Tennesseans.
Tennessee sealed the deal with a dazzling display of sprinting prowess to accumulate 16 more points in the 200M dash. Gatlin continued to add to his impressive resume with an earth-shattering 19.86 winner in the 200M dash to defend his SEC indoor and outdoor title. The time is arguably the most impressive time Gatlin has posted in his short but sweet career as a Vol. The time bests Gatlin's own school record of 20.06. The time also stands as a SEC Outdoor meet record and Maddox Track record. The 19.86 stands as the second-fastest time in the world this year and the fourth-fastest ever by a collegian.
"We came here motivated," Gatlin said. "This year it was all business. We wanted to get out here and do our job. My teammates never cease to amaze me. They have the heart of champions. I wanted to give my mom a Mother's Day present that no else could give her. Tennessee's been down a long road this season, but we're not finished. We're still trucking toward our goal."
Tennessee's 4x100M relay was in a record-setting mood, so they laid waste to three of them. The Vol quartet got around the track in a torrid 38.66, a SEC meet record, Maddox Track record and tie for the school record. Sean Lambert, Justin Gatlin, co-captain Hassaan Stamps and Leonard Scott executed the race plan cleanly to break the tape and shift momentum back to the Tennessee camp. The 38.66 stands fourth in the world this year behind three U.S. professional teams.
"It's been a wonderful experience from day one at Tennessee," Scott said. "Coach Anderson believed in me from the start. I came to Tennessee to get my education and improve in sports. Putting those elements together is what it's all about. The power in me is that this is my last SEC meet to represent my University of Tennessee. I'm looking forward to nationals back home in Baton Rouge."
Gary Kikaya didn't let the ink dry on his 45.00 400M dash school record from Saturday before breaking the mark again with a smoking 44.86, the seventh-fastest time in the world this year. Kikaya stepped up to claim the SEC title over a field including NCAA champion Rickey Harris of Florida. Kikaya's 44.86 is easily a NCAA automatic qualifier.
Gatlin's 110M hurdles time of 13.41 matched winner Ron Bramlett of Alabama's winning time. However, after extensive study of the photo, Bramlett was declared the winner. Gatlin's 13.41 stands as a personal-best and the second-best time ever by a Vol, falling behind only legendary Willie Gault's 13.26. The time surpasses those by Vol greats Dawane Wallace, Richmond Flowers and Matt Rush. Jabari Greer also earned his keep with a 13.80 to tie for fifth.
In the 800M run, freshman Marc Sylvester used a solid final 300 meters to take third. Sylvester's time of 1:46.79 stands as a career best and the third-fastest time ever by a Volunteer.
Tennessee's Leigh Smith and Brett Frykberg combined for six points in the javelin to start the day. Breezy conditions held the distances down a bit. Smith, the SEC Outdoor champion last year as a freshman, finished fourth with a 215-7 measurement. In a gutsy effort to scrap for a point, Frykberg slipped in the scoring column in eighth place with a 195-8, a career-best by three feet despite pulling out of the decathlon just two days earlier with a hamstring injury.
In the high jump, co-captain Bell came through with a season-best, 7-0 1/4 clearance on a gimpy knee to tie for fourth. Frykberg again scrapped for a point with a 6-10 1/4 clearance.
In the 400M hurdles, co-captain Stamps went all out to finish fifth in 50.62 to smash his personal best and post the fifth-best time in school history.
Tennessee drew four lucky seventh-place finishes Sunday to crank the score up 14 points. In the triple jump and discus, Rondell Mershon and Steve Pitlik helped the Vols stay in it with seventh-place finishes. Mershon jumped into a headwind to put a mark 49-6 1/2 down the sand pit. Senior Pitlik offered up a 163-3 measurement in the discus, scoring in his second event of the championships. Tim Kelly's seventh-place finish helped soften the blow of Arkansas' 5,000M run point haul. Kelly finished the 5,000M run in 14:42.65. Likewise, with the meet title wrapped up just as Webb had hoped, Tennessee's 4x400M relay team of Dwayne Bell Jr., Adrian Wheatley, Sylvester and Kikaya took seventh in 3:08.11.
The Volunteers now turn their preparations for the NCAA Outdoor Championships May 29-June 1 in Baton Rouge, La. However, Tennessee's staff must decide who to send on a last-chance qualifying run at the Georgia Tech Invitational next weekend.
