University of Tennessee Athletics
Wright, Harrison Lead Lady Vols At USAs
June 24, 2010 | Women's Track
June 24, 2010
By Eric Trainer, Associate Director of Media Relations
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Twelve past, present or future University of Tennessee track & field athletes were in action Thursday at the USA Outdoor Championships, and the Big Orange counted a victory and advanced competitors on to the next round in several events at Drake Stadium.
A Tennessee men's signee taking part in the USA Junior portion of the meet picked up a win and qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championships later this summer in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Justin Hunter, who hails from Virginia Beach, Va., and Ocean Lakes High School, won the long jump competition and made the U.S. Junior squad with his very first attempt, a leap of 24 feet, 9 3/4 inches. He improved his victorious mark, though, to a career-best 25-10 3/4 (7.89m) on his sixth and final jump.
Hunter also set personal bests this season in the high jump (7-3) and triple jump (50-8 1/4) and previously had a PR leap of 25-8 3/4 in the long jump. He won all three events at the VHSL AAA State Championship meet in early June. The World Junior Championships are slated for July 19-25, and a determination will be made later as to whether the Vol football signee's schedule will allow him to represent the U.S. in that meet
In the women's 800 meters in the USA Senior Championships, Lady Vol Phoebe Wright advanced on to Friday's semifinals, while teammate Kimarra McDonald did not. Wright, who recently won the NCAA Outdoor title in that event, improved to 14-0 this season at 800 meters by taking heat one in 2:02.33 and posting the No. 2 mark of the 16 qualifiers. She was the only collegiate among the top six. McDonald placed seventh in heat two in 2:05.89 and wound up 21st overall, while three-time Olympian Hazel Clark, sister and pupil of UT Director of Track & Field J.J. Clark, moved on to the semis with a 2:02.45 readout that left her fourth in heat two and 10th among the advancers.
In the first round of the USA Senior men's 100m dash, a trio with Vol ties advanced to the semis. Former UT standout Rubin Williams (3rd, heat 1) and current sprint star Evander Wells (4th, heat 3) each posted 10.37 readouts and moved along with the ninth and 10th fastest marks of the 16 qualifiers. Wells' teammate Kyle Stevenson joined him in qualifying, taking sixth in heat one in 10.54 with the No. 15 time of the group.
Lady Vol freshmen Jessie Harrison and Kia Jackson were in action in three separate events on Thursday in the USA Junior Championships. Harrison had a solid day in the hammer throw, unleashing a toss of 173 feet (52.75m) to snare sixth place with her sixth and final attempt of the competition. Jackson, meanwhile, wound up 10th in the long jump at 17-11 1/2 (5.47m) and finished fifth in heat one and 13th overall with a time of 11.97 in the first round of the 100m dash.
Former Lady Vols Sarah Bowman and DeeDee Trotter moved on in the 1500m and 400m, respectively, in USA Senior competition. Bowman, running for New Balance, moved on to Saturday's final by placing fourth in heat two and seventh of the 12 qualifiers with a 4:13.34 readout. Trotter, who represents Saucony, was third in heat two at 52.39 and posted the No. 8 mark of those moving along to Friday's semifinals.
In the senior women's 100m dash first round, former Lady Vols Tianna Madison and Cleo Tyson were in action. Madison, representing Saucony, moved on by taking third in heat three with the ninth-best mark of the 16 qualifiers at 11.41. Unattached competitor Tyson wasn't as fortunate, fighting a head wind of -2.4 meters per second to a time of 11.65 that left her sixth in heat two and 18th overall. Madison will run in the semis on Friday.
Much of the action for the senior level events will be televised. ESPN will broadcast on June 25 (8 to 10 p.m. ET), June 26 (1 to 2:30 p.m. ET) and June 27 (1 to 2:30 p.m. ET). NBC's telecasts will be June 26 (3 to 4 p.m.) and June 27 (3 to 4 p.m.).
For a live results link for USA Championships, please go to: http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/schedule.asp
For live video, please go to: http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/video.asp
