University of Tennessee Athletics
Volunteers Set For Another Split-Squad Weekend
March 27, 2003 | Men's Track
March 27, 2003
After Tennessee's track and field squad opened the outdoor season in Texas and Florida, this weekend's travel itinerary sends contingents of Volunteers in different directions again. Five distance specialists head west for the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, about 20 Tennesseans travel back to the Sunshine State for the Florida Relays in Gainesville Friday and Saturday.
The decision to make the trip to Stanford was based on that program's distance tradition and a quality field. As a training decision, 800m man Marc Sylvester jumps up to the 1,500m run to build endurance. Meanwhile, Tim Kelly gets his first crack of the season at his specialty, the steeplechase. Farragut native Eric Bell gets the nod in the 5,000m run. Scott DeFilippis and Patrick Gildea report for duty in the grueling 10,000m run, the longest distance race contested in collegiate track.
Meanwhile, Tennessee hopes to notch some more regional qualifiers at the Florida Relays. If plans hold, the fans will be treated to the outdoor debut of NCAA champions Jabari Greer and Gary Kikaya. Greer is set to go in the 110m hurdles, the outdoor high-hurdle counterpart to the indoor 60m hurdles, the event in which he won the national title. However, as a training decision, Kikaya plans on dropping down to the 200m dash rather than his one-lap calling, the 400m dash.
Also in the sprints, the Vol speed merchants get their first shot at the 100m dash, as Sean Lambert and Jonathan Wade get the call. The race marks Wade's first collegiate 100m dash action. As the meet name suggests, Tennessee's coaching staff will get a good look at the Vol relay efforts. Most importantly, Tennessee plans on fielding a 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay quartet, the two relays contested at the SEC and NCAA Outdoor meets. The lineup isn't etched in stone, but both relays could post regional qualifiers with the personnel on hand. Meanwhile, the Vols will pass the baton in another two relays not contested at the national level outdoors. Tennessee fields a distance medley relay and shuttle hurdle relay. The Florida Relays mark the first Vol shuttle hurdle relay effort of the season. Tennessee has dominated the event at the Penn Relays, winning 13 shuttle hurdle relay titles at that meet, more than twice as many as any other school. A Tennessee quartet from 1981 still holds the world record in the event with a 54.40 time.
In the field, Rocky Danners and Chandler Rice compete in the pole vault. Rondell Mershon takes triple jump duty. Josh Whisman and Jim Sexton double in the shot put and hammer. Leigh Smith and Matt Dressler compete in the javelin. Smith and Sexton try their hand in the discus.
SEC MILE CHAMPION DAVID SCIRE DIES
Former Vol David Scire, the 1969 SEC outdoor mile champion, died Sunday in Euless, Texas. As just a sophomore, Scire took the 1969 SEC outdoor mile title in 4:04.9, the fastest time recorded at the SEC Outdoor meet by any of the Vols' 13 mile champions from 1933-76.
An important part of the foundation of Tennessee's distance success, Scire lettered from 1969-71 under legendary coaches Chuck Rohe and Stan Huntsman. A member of six SEC championship teams, Scire contributed to the Vol gold rush of that era, never losing any of the three SEC indoor or outdoor titles up for grabs the years he lettered. Teammates with Darwin Bond, Doug Brown, Richmond Flowers, Audry Hardy, Bill High, Trevor James, Larry Kelly, Hardee McAlhaney, Gary Womble and Danny Zoeller, Scire's name belongs with his teammates as some of the greatest all-time Volunteers.
Services were held in Euless, Texas tonight. Memorials can be made to the First United Methodist Church of Euless or the American Cancer Society.
