University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Sea Ray Relays
Sabo Claims Scott Hartman Decathlon Gold
April 08, 2004 | Men's Track
April 8, 2004
Tennessee's Blake Sabo won the Scott Hartman Decathlon title with a lifetime-best 7,335 points on a beautiful spring Thursday at the 38th Sea Ray Relays.
However, the Tennesseans weren't a one-man band playing Tom Black Track, as a Vol trio hogged the top four and secured NCAA outdoor provisional qualifiers for each. Athletes with Vol ties, including the redshirting Jangy Addy, won seven of the 10 decathlon events Wednesday and Thursday.
"We would have had five guys over 7,000 [points] if not for a couple of tough breaks," head coach Bill Webb said. "Kevin Yeager got caught up on the hurdles, and Jangy Addy had a tough 1,500m run. Other than the 1,500m, we did a great job. Blake had eight great events. I congratulate him for the Scott Hartman Decathlon win. He's putting himself in position and will get over the hump sooner or later. Chris Helwick had an average, solid meet, but finished with an excellent score for a freshman. We learned a lot."
Sabo's winning total of 7,335 stands as a 79-point improvement on his lifetime-best score. The 7,335 sum also stands as a provisional qualifier for the NCAA outdoor meet. Sabo went on a tear in events six through nine. He ran a season-best 14.93 to take fifth in the 110m hurdles, the sixth of 10 events, to open the day. In the seventh event, the discus, Sabo won with a 138-0 mark, just two inches off his lifetime best. He cleared a lifetime-best 14-4 to tie for third in the dreaded pole vault. In the javelin, the ninth event, Sabo uncorked a 198-1 throw, more than a four-foot improvement on his lifetime best, to take second. The 198-1 decathlon javelin mark stands as the fourth-best in school history by a decathlete.
Only the decathlon and 10,000m run still use the provisional/automatic qualifying system outdoors. All other events use the regional qualifying system. The reason for the difference regarding the decathlon and 10,000m run is it would be too physically demanding to compete in those events twice in the compressed time period between regionals and the NCAA outdoors.
"I think I'm on my way to something big," Sabo said. "I'm nowhere near where my potential will take me. I want to make it clear where it counts--at the SEC and NCAA meets. I want people to know I'm in the meet. If I can stay healthy and get in good training, I'm going to get there."
After ending the first day in seventh place, freshman Helwick, an indoor heptathlon All-America honoree, jumped to third to end the decathlon with a lifetime-best score of 7,276. The score also easily surpasses the provisional-qualifying mark in Helwick's first collegiate decathlon.
Helwick roared back with a winner in the javelin, launching the spear 199-4 for the third-best throw ever by a Vol decathlete. The 199-4 distance stands as a massive 16-foot improvement on his previous lifetime best in the javelin. He finished the deal with a second-place, 4:36.99 in the 1,500m run, courtesy of a strong sprint to the finish. Earlier in the day, Helwick finished the 110m hurdles in a season-best 15.27 and upped his PR to 127-0 in the discus. While he's jumped higher, Helwick's 14-4 clearance in the pole vault tied for third.
Vol Alex Hritcu neared his PR with a provisional-qualifying score of 7,043 to nab fourth. Hritcu capped the day with a third-place, 4:37.80 time in the 1,500m run. He finished fourth in the discus with a 130-11 mark. Hritcu also set a season-best time in the 110m hurdles (15.06) to take sixth and PR in the pole vault (13-4.25) to earn seventh.
Addy, a Vol freshman competing unattached because he is redshirting the 2004 season, took sixth with 6,938 points, a fine effort in his first decathlon at any level. Addy made the most noise in the 110m hurdles with a lifetime-best winning time of 14.12, just two-hundredths of a second off the Sea Ray Relays decathlon record in the event. Addy also took fifth in the javelin with a 164-8 heave.
Farragut native Kevin Yeager put together a solid meet except for a costly break in the 110m hurdles. Yeager finished 10th with 6,248 points. In the day's first event, Yeager crowded the first hurdle and got tangled, resulting in a disqualification. He gamely completed the rest of the day's work order, however. Yeager took fourth in the 1,500m run in 4:38.63. He also registered decathlon PRs in the discus (121-9) and javelin (142-10).
The Tennessee decathletes concentrate on training once again until their next test of endurance at the SEC outdoor decathlon in mid-May in Oxford, Miss.
The Sea Ray Relays schedule for Friday explodes with 35 men's and women's events running from the women's open hammer throw beginning at 8:45 a.m. until the men's invitational hammer concludes the day at 9:20 p.m. A full Sea Ray Relays schedule and LIVE results are available on www.utsports.com. Admission is free.
TENNESSEE RESULTS
Sea Ray Relays, Knoxville, Tenn.
Thursday, April 8, 2004
Decathlon
1. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 7,335 # PR
3. Chris Helwick, Tenn. 7,276 # PR
4. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 7,043 #
6. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 6,938
10. Kevin Yeager, Tenn. 6,248
Decathlon 110m hurdles
1. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 14.12 PR
5. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 14.93 SB
6. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 15.06 SB
8. Chris Helwick, Tenn. 15.27 SB
-- Kevin Yeager, Tenn. DQ
Decathlon discus
1. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 138-0
4. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 130-11
7. Chris Helwick, Tenn. 127-0 PR
8. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 122-10
9. Kevin Yeager, Tenn. 121-9 PR
Decathlon pole vault
1t. Bryan Fukazawa, Akron 14-8
Stephen Harris, adidas 14-8
3t. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 14-4 PR
Chris Helwick, Tenn. 14-4
7. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 13-4.25 PR
8t. Kevin Yeager, Tenn. 12-8.25
10. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 11-8.5
Decathlon javelin
1. Chris Helwick, Tenn. 199-4 PR
2. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 198-1 PR
5. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 164-8
8. Kevin Yeager, Tenn. 142-10 PR
9. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 139-3
Decathlon 1,500m run
1. Rajne Svenssohn, Manhattan 4:31.16
2. Chris Helwick, Tenn. 4:36.99
3. Alex Hritcu, Tenn. 4:37.80
4. Kevin Yeager, Tenn. 4:38.63
9. Blake Sabo, Tenn. 5:25.12
10. Jangy Addy, Unatt. 5:35.71
SB-season best; PR-personal record/career best; *-NCAA regional qualifier; #-NCAA decathlon provisional qualifier.
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