University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Tennessee All-Comers
Track and Field Vols Notch Four Wins in Home Opener
January 10, 2004 | Men's Track
Jan. 9, 2004
Tennessee used its low-key home opener to shake off the rust following the holiday break to the tune of four wins Friday night at the Tennessee All-Comers Meet in Stokely Athletics Center.
The Tennesseans joined Alabama A&M and several unattached competitors, some former Vols, in the unscored meet.
Tennessee contested just two races on the track--the 55m dash and 55m hurdles. All-America honoree Sean Lambert won the 55m dash in 6.37, a respectable opener. Meanwhile, senior transfer Jak Taylor finished fourth in 6.63. In the prelims, freshman Aries Merritt showed promise with a 6.62 qualifier. However, Merritt opted out of the finals to concentrate of the hurdles, his specialty.
However, three of the Vols' quartet of wins came in the field events. Josh Whisman won the 35-lb. weight throw with a 57-7.5 heave. Knoxville Central product Jim Sexton took second with a 53-7.5 effort.
Chandler Rice tied former Vol Rocky Danners for the pole vault win with a 16-1.75 clearance under Stokely's rafters. Knoxville West alum Andy Lane tied for third with a 15-1.75 effort on the home runway. Meanwhile, freshman Chris Helwick won the decathlete section of the pole vault with a 14-0.75 leap. Helwick's 14-foot clearance as a freshman bodes well for a decathlete, where the vault has claimed many a championship hope late in the event. Farragut alum Kevin Yeager produced a 12-0.75 vault in the decathlete section of the vault, as well, to place second.
The shot put proved chock full of Vols, with two putters and four decathletes taking the circle. Whisman took second with a 50-4.5 measurement in the shot put. Decathlete Blake Sabo took fifth with a 42-2 heave in the event.
Former Vol Karl Jennings won the 55m hurdles in 7.33. Merritt offered up another solid effort with a runner-up, 7.54 finish in the 55m hurdles after opening his season at Clemson last month. Craig Sutherland also qualified for the finals with a 7.61 in the prelims but did not finish the finals.
Unattached Jamil Hubbard set the lone facility record of the evening in the unconventional 320m dash. Hubbard clocked in at 40.19, well ahead of the previous record of 40.51 set by Morehouse's Mark Washington. The 320m dash is the two-lap race in Stokely because the track measures 160 meters, shorter than the 200-meter standard.
A larger contingent of Volunteers travels north next Friday and Saturday for the Kentucky Invitational, also the site of the SEC Indoor Championships in late February.
