University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
USA Outdoor/Junior Championships
WILLIAMS FINISHES EIGHTH AT USA CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 25, 2006 | Men's Track
June 25, 2006
Tennessee alumni, along with current Vol Rubin Williams, had a strong showing at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Indianapolis. Tennessee was represented well with 11 former athletes in this year's meet, with three former Vols bringing home championships.
"Rubin has been running competitively all season long," UT sprints coach Norbert Elliot said. "He showed his toughness by running a good time and finishing third in his heat during the semifinals of the 200. He drew a poor lane (lane one) for the finals, but he ran a tremendous time to be coming out of that lane. He looked good and I think it was a good way for him to cap off a successful collegiate season.
Williams ran the finals of the 200 meter dash in 20.57 seconds Sunday and finished eighth. He ran a personal-best time of 20.47, the sixth-fastest time in school history, after waiting out a three-hour rain delay. The semifinal round of the 200 was scheduled to kick off the events on the track, but was delayed because of inclement weather Sunday in Indianapolis. During the first round Saturday, Williams ran 20.52 and qualified ninth. Williams also competed in the 100, clocking 10.35 in the first round Friday and finishing 18th in a round in which the top 16 times advanced to the semifinals.
"This was a good meet overall," Williams said. "Everybody ran well. Even though the weather wasn't great, everyone had to overcome the same conditions. I was happy that I came here and ran a personal-best time (in the 200).
Justin Gatlin, the co-world record holder and reigning Olympic champion in the 100, won the event Friday in 9.93. Because of a rain delay Thursday, the runners were forced to complete three rounds Friday. Gatlin recorded the fastest qualifying time in the first round and semifinals. He ran 9.99 in the semifinals after recording a time of 10.02 earlier Friday. Leonard Scott finished seventh in the first round of the 100 with a time of 10.25, but did not compete in the semifinals.
Willie Gault won the master's 100 Saturday in a world-record time of 10.72. The master's division is for athletes aged 45 to 49. Gault, a 45-year-old former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, broke Neville Hodge's record of 10.96 from 2001.
Tom Pappas, the former NCAA record holder in the decathlon, won that event with 8,319 points Saturday. It was the first decathlon Pappas finished since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2005.
Aries Merritt, the NCAA champion in the 60 hurdles and 110 hurdles, finished sixth in his first professional event. Merritt ran the finals of the 110 hurdles in 13.43 Sunday after recording the fourth-fastest semifinal time of 13.47 earlier in the day. His time of 13.62 in the first round Saturday was the 13th-fastest time.
Jebreh Harris, a volunteer assistant coach for the Vols, ran the finals of the 800 in 1:45.91 Sunday to finish third. He ran the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the semifinals Friday, crossing the line in 1:48.76. In the first round Thursday, Harris finished 14th after covering the distance in 1:48.18.
Tim Mack, the reigning Olympic champion and Olympic-record holder, finished seventh in the pole vault Saturday after clearing 18 feet, 5 inches. Leigh Smith finished ninth in the javelin Sunday with a throw of 231-7. Garland Porter recorded a throw of 207-1 in the hammer Friday to finish 20th.
Anthony Famiglietti and Patrick Gildea both competed in the 10,000 Friday. Famiglietti finished fourth in 28:27.73, while Gildea clocked 29:15.02 to finish 11th.
| USA championships, Indianapolis, Ind. | ||
| Sunday, June 25, 2006 | ||
| 200 (finals) | ||
| 1. | Wallace Spearmon, Nike | 19.90 |
| 8. | Rubin Williams, Tenn. | 20.57 |
| 200 (semifinals) | ||
| 1. | Jeremy Wariner, adidas | 20.35q |
| 5. | Rubin Williams, Tenn. | 20.47q PR |
| Saturday, June 24, 2006 | ||
| 200 (first round) | ||
| 1. | Jeremy Wariner, adidas | 20.28q |
| 9. | Rubin Williams, Tenn. | 20.52q |
| Friday, June 23, 2006 | ||
| 100 (first round) | ||
| 1. | Justin Gatlin, Nike | 10.02q |
| 18. | Rubin Williams, Tenn. | 10.35 |
PR-personal record/career best mark; q-qualified for the next round
