University of Tennessee Athletics
Sheffey Paces UT At New Balance
February 05, 2011 | Women's Track
Feb. 5, 2011
The University of Tennessee men's and women's track & field teams closed out their stay at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational Saturday by posting team finishes of sixth and 10th, respectively, at one of the nation's most high-profile indoor meets.
Team scoring for this meet wasn't what UT Director of Track & Field J.J. Clark had on his mind when he made the trip to the Big Apple. He is more concerned about the finishes at the upcoming SEC Indoor and NCAA Indoor Championships, but he saw some performances that could very well impact those showings this season.
In the Championship division events, Tennessee posted nine top-10 finishes on the final day at The Armory, led by runner-up performances from junior Brittany Sheffey in the women's mile and senior Joe Berry in the men's pole vault. Both were of the comeback variety.
For Berry, it was a return from injury, which plagued him all last season, forcing him to miss the entire outdoor campaign. Saturday's return was a strong one at that, as he made his 2011 debut with an indoor career-best readout of 17-8 3/4 that enabled him to earn a tie for second place. The three-time SEC champion's mark did not breach the automatic qualifying threshold for the NCAA meet, but his SEC-leading and No. 4-ranked NCAA effort does appear to be a height that should earn him a trip to College Station, Texas, on March 11-12.
Joe Berry looked great today, Clark said. He really is going to contribute to our program, and he put his mind to coming on out and helping us. It's very positive to see him so explosive and fast down the runway and get over the bar. I am sure coach Johnson will want to clean up some things, technically, but we're very happy to have him back.
Sheffey, meanwhile, rebounded from a disappointing 1200m leg Friday night on UT's distance medley relay team, which had eyed an automatic qualifying time but ended up sixth. She put that race behind her on Saturday, clicking to a time of four minutes, 44.14 seconds that was just off her personal record and seven seconds shy of the NCAA auto mark in the mile. That effort was good enough for second place in the Championship division and moved her into the top 15 nationally and atop the SEC, just ahead of teammates Jackie Areson and Liz Costello.
Obviously, Brittany didn't have a great race yesterday (opening leg of distance medley relay)," Clark said. She came back today and ran close to a personal-best performance and showed she is in good fitness. We were just very happy to see her competitive out there and very proud of what she's done.
Sophomore Jessie Harrison produced the third-best mark of her career in the Championship women's weight throw, and that effort of 58 feet, six inches was good enough to earn her fourth place. Junior teammate Laquoya Kelly checked in seventh at 57-1 1/2.
For the Vols, Peter Sigilai had one of the best efforts of the day in the Championship 800m run final. The senior wound up fifth in a career-best 1:50.43, overcoming being tripped with 70m to go and fighting hard to the finish.
In the men's Championship 200m dash final, Vol redshirt freshman Dentarius Locke wound up fifth, making a trip around the oval in 21.47 after posting a 21.28 in the prelims. True freshman Jarael Nelvis, who had qualified with a 21.62 effort in the prelims, was charged with a false start in the final.
In the women's Championship 800 meters, junior Chanelle Price led a trio of Lady Vols. Price set the pace in the fastest section but was unable to hold the lead in taking fifth at 2:06.80. Sophomore Nijgia Snapp was seventh at 2:09.52, while freshman Kianna Ruff was 12th at 2:11.59.
The women's and men's 4x400m relay units closed with season-best clockings. The Lady Vol lineup of Ellen Wortham, Nijgia Snapp, Martinique Octave and Kianna Ruff checked in fourth in 3:39.87, while the men's tandem of Deaundra Dailey, Nelvis, Varick Tucker and Terry Benson crossed the line seventh in 3:12.43.
Finally, in the men's weight throw, sophomore Drew Thomas was good for a throw of 56-5 1/4 in placing 10th.
In College division results, the Big Orange carded seven top-10 efforts. In the women's College 200m dash final, junior Ashley Harris ran the second-fastest time of her career to place second in 24.63. Only Ohio State's Letecia Wright was faster in that race at 24.03.
Freshman Tyler Porter added a fourth-place finish in the men's College pole vault. The rookie sailed over the bar at 16-0 3/4 to post his highest placing as a collegian and the second-best clearance of his career.
In the College division of the women's 800m, freshman Brittney Jackson was the fastest of four Lady Vols in action. Her 2:12.58 readout, just shy of her indoor PR, was good for fifth place. In the men's College 800m, freshman Ford Bell snared sixth, logging a 1:54.53 effort.
Freshman Amber Zimmerman began the day for the Lady Vols by taking fifth in the College division of the women's 3000m. She covered the distance in a career-best 10:10.36.
Overall, the team gave solid performances - not only today but throughout the meet," Clark said. "We had solid marks in the 200, mile, 4x4 and pole vault, and it was just a good day all around.
This is just another meet that we're using to sharpen ourselves for the championship competitions. I am just very happy overall with what we've been able to achieve for the past two days.
SATURDAY RESULTS AT NEW BALANCE COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Volunteers
Championship Pole Vault: t2. Joe Berry, 17-8.75/5.40m!; t11. Robert Rasnick, 16-5/5.00m
College Pole Vault: 4. Tyler Porter, 16-0.75/4.90m; NH - Chase Brannon, F
Championship 200m Final: 5. Dentarius Locke, 21.47b; NM - Jarael Nelvis, FS
Championship 4x400mR: 7. Deaundra Dailey / Jarael Nelvis / Varick Tucker / Terry Benson, 3:12.43b
Championship 200m Prelims: Adv. Dentarius Locke, 21.28p/1st, ht. 4 (3rd); Adv. Jarael Nelvis, 21.62p/1st, ht. 5 (6th)
Championship 800m: 5. Peter Sigilai, 1:50.43b!; 11. Joe Franklin, 1:51.76b
College 800m: 6. Ford Bell, 1:54.53b; 23. Breon Dixon, 1:55.58b
Championship Weight Throw: 10. Drew Thomas, 56-5.25/17.20m
College 5000m: 15. Tom Gilmartin, 14:56.25b!
College Mile: 17. Jordan Chaney, 4:16.89b!; 37. Chris Rapp, 4:22.65b
Lady Volunteers
Championship Mile: 2. Brittany Sheffey, 4:44.14b
College 200m Final: 2. Ashley Harris, 24.63b
Championship 4x400mR: 4. Ellen Wortham / Nijgia Snapp / Martinique Octave / Kianna Ruff, 3:39.87b
Championship Weight Throw: 4. Jessie Harrison, 58-6/17.83m; 7. Laquoya Kelly, 57-1.50/17.41m
Championship 800m: 5. Chanelle Price, 2:06.80b; 7. Nijgia Snapp, 2:09.52b; 12. Kianna Ruff, 2:11.59b
College 3000m: 5. Amber Zimmerman, 10:10.36b!
College 800m: 5. Brittney Jackson, 2:12.58b; 22. Ty-Vonna Jackson, 2:16.23b; 41. Charity Honeycutt, 2:18.83b; 48. Kim White, 2:20.40b
College Mile: 13. Ramzee Fondren, 5:01.10b!
Championship 200m Prelims: 31. Kia Jackson, 24.82p/3rd, ht. 11; 37. Brittany Jones, 25.18p/5th, ht. 11
FRIDAY RESULTS AT NEW BALANCE COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Volunteers
Championship Long Jump: 1. Justin Hunter, 25-10.25/7.88m; 14. Desmond Brown, 22-11.25/6.99m
Championship 60m Final: 3. Dentarius Locke, 6.66!
Championship 60m Prelims: Adv. Dentarius Locke, 6.73p/1st, ht. 4 (5th); 24. Jarael Nelvis, 6.93p/2nd, ht. 6
Championship 5000m: 5. Chris Bodary, 14:21.14b!; 16. Steve Fassino, 15:31.29b
Championship Distance Medley Relay: 6. Peter Sigilai/Terry Benson/Joe Franklin/Daniel Tobin, 9:57.70b
Eastern College Men's 3000m: 7. Daniel Tobin, 8:35.70b!; 14. Jake Rainey, 8:41.42b!
Championship 1000m: 11. Ford Bell, 2:27.82b!; 17. Jordan Chaney, 2:29.05b!
Championship 400m Prelims: 12. Varick Tucker, 48.54bp/3rd, ht. 5; 15. Deaundra Dailey, 48.70bp/2nd, ht. 6
Championship 60m Hurdles Prelims: 18. Terry Benson, 8.21p!/5th, ht. 3
Championship Shot Put: 25. Ben Bartholomew, 49-11.25/15.23m
College 400m Prelims: 41. Terry Benson, 50.18p/3rd, ht. 13
Lady Volunteers
Championship Distance Medley Relay: 6. Brittany Sheffey/Ellen Wortham/Chanelle Price/Liz Costello, 11:12.40b
Championship Shot Put: 7. Aslynn Halvorson, 46-11.75/14.32m; 36. Laquoya Kelly, 40-5/12.32m
College 200m Prelims: Adv. Ashley Harris, 24.69bp/1st, ht. 4 (3rd); 53. Bianca Blair, 26.28bp/4th, ht. 13
Championship 400m Prelims: Adv. Martinique Octave, 55.26bp!/3rd, ht. 2 (10th); 13. Kianna Ruff, 55.85bp!/n/a
Championship 60m Prelims: 17. Kia Jackson, 7.49p!/4th, ht. 8; 38. Martinique Octave, 7.65p/7th, ht. 8; 44. Brittany Jones, 7.72p/6th, ht. 4; 45. Ashley Harris, 7.72p/4th, ht. 9
Championship 60m Hurdles Prelims: 20. Ellen Wortham, 8.56p/3rd/ht. 7; 30. Bianca Blair, 8.73p/3rd, ht. 8
Championship Long Jump: 23. Jazmen Townsend, 17-9.75/5.43m; 39. Kia Jackson, 17-3.25/5.26m
College 400m Prelims: 23. Charity Honeycutt, 57.74p!/2nd, ht. 11; 46. Kim White, 59.12p/4th, ht. 12
Championship Pole Vault: NH - Linda Hadfield, F
* - NCAA automatic qualifying mark, ! - personal record, ^ - oversized track, b - banked track, DNF - did not finish, DQ - disqualified, F - foul, fr - facility record, FS - false start, h - heat, m - meters, mr - meet record, NM - no mark registered, NH - no height registered, p - preliminary round, sr - school record
