University of Tennessee Athletics
Helwick Wins USA Junior Decathlon
June 27, 2004 | Men's Track
June 27, 2004
FAMIGLIETTI, HARRIS AND SYLVESTER AT NORTH CAROLINA | SMITH SECOND AT BYU'S PRE-TRIALS MEET
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- As the outdoor track and field season progressed, the freshman class gave the Tennessee coaching staff reason for optimism about the future of the program. As the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded Sunday night at Texas A&M's Frank G. Anderson Track and Field Complex, the newcomers only solidified that opinion after Chris Helwick, Jangy Addy and Aries Merritt finished second or better against the best 19-year-old athletes the nation could muster to earn a berth at the world juniors next month.
"This weekend was a very successful one for the Volunteers," head coach Bill Webb said. "Our guys represented Tennessee with style and class. All three advance to the world junior championships in Italy. They were highly visible at the meet. They're all excited about representing Team USA in Italy."
Tennessee decathletes Helwick and Addy proved overpowering with a 1-2 sweep of the top spots, respectively. Helwick and Addy combined to win seven of the decathlon's 10 events.
Helwick won the decathlon late Saturday night after accumulating 7,358 points. Friday night storms forced the decathletes to contest seven of the 10 total events on Saturday, instead of the already grueling five in a normal scenario. The extra workload didn't bother Helwick, who closed with a fury to win the final three events. In the eighth event, Helwick tied for the win in the javelin with a 15-feet, 3-inch clearance. Next up in the javelin, Helwick launched the spear 191-2 to best the field. Helwick solidified his hold on the top spot with a 4:29.45 winner in the decathlon-capping 1,500-meter run.
"It was a good experience," Helwick said. "It was actually my third time in this meet. I think that was helpful. I'm just glad I got a chance to go to the world meet on my last chance. My performance wasn't what I expected or hoped for, but it was good enough. I haven't had a decathlon I've been pleased with this year. I'm definitely looking forward to doing something big at worlds. [On competing in seven events in one day] I was actually not as apprehensive as most. I knew I had the endurance to last seven events. I had more trouble getting started so early, but I closed strong."
Addy showed more signs of improvement in just his second career decathlon. Addy, who redshirted the 2004 season, took silver with a 7,102 score. Addy won four events and finished second in two others to keep his name near the top of the leaderboard throughout. Addy won the 100 (10.96), shot put (50-4), 400 (49.84), 110 hurdles (14.36) and took second in the long jump (23-4 3/4) and discus (138-3).
After a school freshman record-breaking All-America outing at the NCAA outdoors, 110 hurdler Aries Merritt finished second in nearly a photo finish to Kevin Craddock Sunday night. Merritt clocked a 13.84 in the 110 hurdles, while Craddock finished in 13.83. Merritt posted the best time in the preliminaries after running 13.61, a whopping four-tenths of a second faster than anyone else.
Helwick, Addy and Merritt don Team USA's red, white and blue uniforms for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics July 13-18 in Grosseto, Italy.
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| Tennessee Results | |
| Decathlon | Scores |
| 1. Chris Helwick | 7,358 pts.; 100, 11.41; long jump, 22-1 1/2; shot put, 47-0; high jump, 5-11 1/4; 400, 51.52; 110 hurdles, 15.45; discus, 128-0; pole vault, 15-3; javelin, 191-2; 1,500, 4:29.45 |
| 2. Jangy Addy | 7,102 pts.; 100, 10.96; long jump, 23-4 3/4; shot put, 50-4; high jump, 6-0 1/2; 400, 49.84; 110 hurdles, 14.36; discus, 138-3; pole vault, 11-3 1/2; javelin, 166-3; 1,500, 5:31.9 |
| 110 Hurdles | |
| 2. Aries Merritt | 13.84 |
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SMITH SECOND AT BYU'S PRE-TRIALS MEET
PROVO, Utah -- Leigh Smith continued his preparations for the U.S. Olympic Trials with a runner-up performance in the javelin at BYU's Pre-Trials Sprint and Power Track and Field Meet at Clarence F. Robison Track Complex in Provo, Utah. Smith threw the spear 249-6 to earn silver. Competing unattached, Scott Russell won the event with a 251-3 toss.
FAMIGLIETTI WINS; HARRIS AND SYLVESTER FAST IN 800 AT NORTH CAROLINA
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- In his preparation for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials, former Vol Anthony Famiglietti won the steeplechase in 8:31.89 without anyone to push him Saturday at North Carolina's Summer Games Under the Lights meet at Fetzer Field and Belk Track.
Also in the meet, former Vol Jebreh Harris and rising senior Marc Sylvester looked sharp in the 800. Harris finished third in 1:46.82, inching ever closer to the Olympic `A' standard of 1:46.00. 2004 Vols co-captain Sylvester finished fourth in 1:47.62 in the 800.
