University of Tennessee Athletics
MERRITT NAMED UT MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
June 13, 2006 | Men's Track
June 13, 2006
Aries Merritt has been named the University of Tennessee Male Athlete of the Year for his performances on the track this season. Merritt, a junior from Marietta, Ga., specializes in the 110-meter hurdles and 4x100 relay outdoors and the 60 hurdles indoors. He is also Tennessee's nominee for the 2005-06 SEC Roy F. Kramer Male Athlete of the Year, which will be announced later this month.
Merritt won the 110 hurdles at the NCAA outdoor championships last weekend in a meet-record and personal-best time of 13.21 seconds to cap an undefeated season in which he won every 55 hurdles, 60 hurdles and 110 hurdles race he finished. His 13.21 time is currently tied with the reigning 110 hurdles Olympic champion, Xiang Liu of China, for the fastest time in the world this year. Merritt also ran the third leg of Tennessee's second-place 4x100 relay team at the NCAA championship meet and earned his seventh All-America certificate.
Merritt won his second consecutive SEC title in the 110 hurdles in 13.22 to break Willie Gault's 24-year old school record of 13.26 and break the SEC meet record of 13.29 previously held by Terrence Trammell. He currently holds 14 total school, meet or facility records including the NCAA outdoor and indoor championship meet records. Merritt won the 60 hurdles in 7.51 during the indoor season, breaking Trammell's NCAA meet record of 7.52 and Jabari Greer's school record of 7.55. Merritt was named the MVP of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the historic Armory in New York after clocking 7.62 while winning the 60 hurdles and finishing third in the 200.
Merritt will be on the track again at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis, Ind.
