University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Penn Relays
UT Sprint Medley Relay Wins Penn Relays Championship of America
April 24, 2009 | Men's Track
April 24, 2009
Tennessee's sprint medley relay team of Evander Wells, Kyle Stevenson, Nathan Grace and Joseph Franklin won the Championship of America at the Penn Relays Friday evening. The UT contingent posted a time of 3:17.77 out of the first heat, outrunning second-place Washington, which finished in 3:18.81.
The win gives Tennessee its 71st all-time Penn Relays win and its 33rd relay wheel, which is the fourth most among collegiate programs in meet history. The Vols have now won five sprint medley wheels with the last coming in 2003. The wheel is the second for Wells and Stevenson, who participated on UT's championship 4x200m team last season.
"There were about five teams in the race at the start of the final leg," said Tennessee assistant head coach George Watts. "Joe stayed with the pack through the first 500 meters, then made a gutsy move and pulled away in the final 100. Evander ran a heck of an opening leg, and both Nathan and Kyle kept us in a position to win with the legs they ran."
In other relay action, the distance medley relay group of Axel Mostrag, Alan Bachman, Emerson Peacock and Chris Rapp finished sixth in the college section at 9:56.27. In that race, Mostrag and Peacock both posted splits that would rank as lifetime-best performances--Mostrag on the 1,200m leg at 2:59.8 and Peacock on the 800m leg at 1:48.8.
In the 4x100m relay, the UT contingent of Akeem Hardnett, Wells, Stevenson and Joseph Morris placed 17th with a clocking of 41.00, which earned them a spot in Saturday's collegiate final.
Friday's individual competitors were Charlton Rolle and John Hewitt. Rolle placed 19th in the prelims of the 110m hurdles with a 14.28 clocking, falling short of the time needed to qualify for the final. Hewitt placed 20th in the championship section of the 400m hurdles at 53.23.
Tennessee finishes competition at the Penn Relays on Saturday beginning at 1:25 p.m. ET. UT athletes in action include Hardnett in the triple jump, Joseph Berry, Brad Holtz and Michael Seaman in the pole vault and groups in the 4x100m and 4x800m relays.
Six of the Vols' field event athletes are in San Diego, Calif., competing Saturday at the Triton Invitational. Those events get underway at 1 p.m ET.
| TENNESSEE RESULTS | |||
| 110 Hurdles - Prelims | |||
| 1. | Jason Richardson | South Carolina | 13.44 |
| 19. | Charlton Rolle | Tennessee | 14.28 |
| 400 Hurdles - Championship | |||
| 1. | William Wynne | Florida | 50.02 |
| 20. | John Hewitt | Tennessee | 53.23 |
| 4x100 - Prelims | |||
| 1. | Clemson | 39.73 | |
| 17. | Tennessee | 41.00 | |
| Akeem Hardnett, Evander Wells, Kyle Stevenson, Joe Morris | |||
| Distance Medley Relay - College | |||
| 1. | Virginia | 9:43.59 | |
| 6. | Tennessee | 9:56.27 | |
| Axel Mostrag, Alan Bachman, Emerson Peacock, Chris Rapp | |||
| Sprint Medley Relay - Championship of America | |||
| 1. | Tennessee | 3:17.77 | |
| Evander Wells, Kyle Stevenson, Nathan Grace, Joe Franklin | |||
