University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
SEC Outdoor Championships
TRACK VOLS LEAD HEADING INTO FINAL DAY OF SEC OUTDOORS
May 12, 2007 | Men's Track
May 12, 2007
The Tennessee men's track and field team leads the 75th SEC Outdoor Championships with 54.5 points after scoring in four events and advancing five athletes to finals during competition Saturday.
"We had an excellent day today," head coach Bill Webb said. "We had a great performance in the pole vault. I believe they scored the most points in one event since I have been at Tennessee. I was happy with our qualifiers and Brenard (Wilson) as well."
The Vols hold a 6.5-point lead after three days of competition and nine events scored. Arkansas is second with 48 points, followed by Auburn with 41. Mississippi and LSU round out the top five with 39 and 37 points, respectively.
Tennessee scored 24.5 points in the pole vault as all four vaulters placed in the top six. All-America Michael Hogue claimed his first outdoor conference title while extending his winning streak to six after clearing the bar at 17-1 3/4. Senior Andy Lane celebrated his 23rd birthday by tying a season-best mark of 16-10 3/4 and placing second. Freshman Brad Holtz earned his first SEC points after finishing fifth with a personal-best clearance of 16-6 3/4. Team captain Chris Helwick rounded out the scoring by tying for sixth after recording a season-best mark of 16-2 3/4.
"Russ Johnson is doing a fantastic job for us as our volunteer pole vault coach," Webb said. "I can't say enough about him. He more than earns his ride to the meet and the per diem we give him."
Matthew Maloney extended his personal-best throw in the javelin as he launched the spear 232-7 to finish second. Maloney improved his mark in sixth on Tennessee's all-time performance list in the event. Helwick placed fourth with his throw of 216-4, and senior Kevin Duffy finished 10th after recording a throw of 196-2.
Senior Jeff Day added one point to Tennessee's total by placing eighth in the steeplechase. The Springfield, Va., native finished the event in 9:02.39 to score at the conference outdoor meet for the third time in his collegiate career. Brenard Wilson finished eighth in the high jump with a season-best clearance of 6-8 1/2 in his first SEC outdoor meet after tying for sixth at the SEC Indoor Championships. Helwick finished 13th in the event after clearing the bar at 6-4 3/4. Sophomore Nick Panezich finished 10th in the discus with his throw of 165-4.
Tennessee earned three of the nine lanes in Sunday's final of the 100 as Evander Wells, Rubin Williams and Matthieu Pritchett advanced through the preliminaries. Williams earned the third lane choice by winning his heat in a season-best time of 10.35. Wells clocked a personal-best time of 10.32, but qualified fourth after finishing second in his heat. Pritchett earned the seventh lane choice after recording a personal-best time of 10.35.
Team captain Tyler DeVault qualified for the finals of the 1,500 with the fourth-fastest time as he crossed the finish line in 3:50.16. Freshman De'Lon Isom ran a personal-best time of 13.90 to qualify fifth for the 110 hurdles final. Fellow freshman Samdi Fraser earned a personal-best, regional-qualifying time of 47.00 in the 400, but did not advance to the final. Senior Jacob Dennis also earned a regional-qualifying time by lowering his season-best performance in the 400 to 47.09.
Kris Fant finished 13th in the preliminaries of the 110 hurdles with his time of 14.82. Steve Tobin finished the 1,500 in 3:57.73 to place 19th, and freshman Nathan Grace ran a time of 48.64 to finish 33rd in the 400.
Tennessee has 10 athletes qualified in six of the seven finals that required a preliminary round. In addition, the Vols have contestants in the 5,000, 4x100 and 4x400 relays, triple jump and shot put.
The SEC Outdoor Championships conclude Sunday with 12 events to be contested. The triple jump kicks off the action at 2 p.m. Central Time, and the 4x100 relay is the first scheduled track event with a start time of 5 p.m. Live results can be found throughout the day at UTsports.com.
| TENNESSEE RESULTS SEC Outdoor Championships, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Saturday, May 12, 2007 | ||
| Team Standings | ||
| 1. | Tennessee | 54.5 |
| Steeplechase | ||
| 1. | Barnabas Kirui, Miss. | 8:33.59* |
| 8. | Jeff Day, Tenn. | 9:02.39* |
| High jump | ||
| 1. | Donald Thomas, Auburn | 7-6* MR |
| 8. | Brenard Wilson, Tenn. | 6-8 3/4 SB |
| 13. | Chris Helwick, Tenn. | 6-4 3/4 |
| Pole vault | ||
| 1. | Michael Hogue, Tenn. | 17-1 3/4* |
| 2. | Andy Lane, Tenn. | 16-10 3/4* SB |
| 5. | Brad Holtz, Tenn. | 16-6 3/4* PR |
| 6-t. | Chris Helwick, Tenn. | 16-2 3/4 SB |
| Discus | ||
| 1. | Westley Stockbarger, Fla. | 199-5* |
| 10. | Nick Panezich, Tenn. | 165-4 |
| Javelin | ||
| 1. | Chad Radgowski, LSU | 239-8* |
| 2. | Matthew Maloney, Tenn. | 232-7* PR |
| 4. | Chris Helwick, Tenn. | 216-4* |
| 10. | Kevin Duffy, Tenn. | 196-2 |
| 100 preliminaries | ||
| 1. | Trindon Holliday, LSU | 10.14* |
| 3. | Rubin Williams, Tenn. | 10.35* SB |
| 4. | Evander Wells, Tenn. | 10.32* PR |
| 7. | Matthieu Pritchett, Tenn. | 10.35* PR |
| 400 preliminaries | ||
| 1. | Calvin Smith, Fla. | 46.04*q |
| 11. | Samdi Fraser, Tenn. | 47.00* PR |
| 14. | Jacob Dennis, Tenn. | 47.09* SB |
| 33. | Nathan Grace, Tenn. | 48.64 |
| 1,500 preliminaries | ||
| 1. | Emmanuel Bor, Ala. | 3:47.61*q |
| 4. | Tyler DeVault, Tenn. | 3:50.16q |
| 19. | Steve Tobin, Tenn. | 3:57.73 |
| 110 hurdles preliminaries | ||
| 1. | John Yarbrough, Miss. | 13.54*q |
| 5. | De'Lon Isom, Tenn. | 13.90*q PR |
| 13. | Kris Fant, Tenn. | 14.82 |
| MR-SEC Outdoor Championships Meet Record; PR-personal record/career best mark; q-qualified for finals | ||
