University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Open Championship Season at SEC Outdoors
May 11, 2005 | Men's Track
May 11, 2005
Tennessee's track and field squad heads west for a date at the Southeastern Conference outdoor championships Thursday through Sunday at Vanderbilt Track in Nashville, Tenn.
"We're looking forward to competing so close to home," head coach Bill Webb said. "I expect we'll have lots of fans because of the proximity to Knoxville. Arkansas is the favorite. On paper, we're probably fifth or sixth, but in the meet I expect the Vols to go after everyone else. The first two scoring events are the decathlon and hammer. I'd like to be leading after those and inspire our guys.
In addition to Arkansas, Tennessee will also be competing with Florida, LSU, Auburn, Georgia for one of the top spots.
The SEC outdoor championships traditionally rate as the most anticipated meet of the year for the Vols for good reason, as Tennessee has captured a league-best 24 SEC outdoor titles. Some think it's harder for a team to win the SEC title than the NCAA title. A squad can win the NCAA title with as few as three or four outstanding athletes. However, it takes depth in several events to win the SEC championship.
Eleven conference schools, Vanderbilt doesn't have a men's team, descend on Nashville with hopes of claiming the title of champion in the nation's best track and field conference. With only one exception, SEC teams have won every men's NCAA outdoor title since 1989, including two by the Vols in 1991 and 2001. The SEC's national dominance appears most strikingly at the NCAA outdoor championships, where SEC schools swept the top three spots in the 2004 meet.
"We've got to have the guys who've been there before and succeeded, like Garland Porter, Paul Cross, Aries Merritt and Chris Helwick, maintain that level of success. We need the next group of guys to do well in the middle range of points. We need some guys to step up big at the SEC meet. We also need to scrap for one or two points here and there from some guys maybe we didn't expect to score.
Tennessee's coaching staff narrowed its travel squad to the mandated 30 athletes for the SEC outdoor meet. The Volunteers field the largest contingent in the 5,000 and the 110 hurdles, sending five runners into each race. Tennessee contests every race except the 400.
Tennessee contests several events where the Vols could total more than 10 points scored. The decathlon and hammer look to be Tennessee's best opportunities for a large point haul. The Vols suit up Chris Helwick, Chris Martland and Kevin Yeager for the decathlon. Garland Porter, Josh Whisman and Jim Sexton, three of Tennessee's top-five hammer throwers of all time, will attempt to land a double-digit point total. The pole vault, though always unpredictable, could be another strong suit for Tennessee with Michael Hogue, Andy Lane, Jeff Trembley and Helwick participating.
On the track, Aries Merritt, Robert Boulware, Drew Brunson, Damond Campbell and Cade Liverman join a crowded 110 hurdles field with hopes of laying claim to 10 points or better. In the 800, reigning outdoor champ Paul Cross joins Yarrick Kincaid, Kenny Schappert and Jeff Day in donning the orange. Tennessee could move the scoreboard in the steeplechase with Zach Sabatino, Day, Doug Brown and Tyler DeVault competing. The Vols also have a chance to grab some points in the 100 with Rubin Williams, Jonathan Wade and Matthieu Pritchett and the 200 with Williams and Wade doubling.
