University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Blankenship Wins Pole Vault on Day 1 of NCAAs
June 09, 2016 | Track & Field
EUGENE, Ore. -- Jake Blankenship capped his Tennessee career as an NCAA Outdoor champion, winning the men's pole vault on Wednesday at Hayward Field.
"It's amazing," Blankenship said. "You think of the guys who have won national championships at Tennessee and all around the NCAA and there are great vaulters. It's a great step in doing the things that I want to do and I'm just really excited. I ended on a great note in my collegiate season."
Blankenship cleared 5.60 meters (18-4.50) to win his first national title and become Tennessee's first men's outdoor national champion since VFL Aries Merritt won the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.21 in 2006. Blankenship is also the first Vol to win the men's outdoor pole vault since Lawrence Johnson won the title in 1996 with an NCAA record 5.81 meters (19-1.00).
"The star of the day was Jake Blankenship," Tennessee director of track and field and cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "This is Tennessee's first national champ in the pole vault in 20 years since Lawrence Johnson won it. We have been fortunate to have had such great history in that event. Jake has just gone through the mill in his senior year. From the injury in the indoor season, preventing an opportunity to happen at the indoor championships, to struggles this outdoor season and a late start, I couldn't be more proud of him. There is no one more deserving in that competition and he won the meet by competing. That's what we have really tried to help him grow into and understand. He just took advantage of it today, went out and competed and brought home a national championship."
Christian Coleman set a new Tennessee record in the 100 meters, running 10.03 (+1.6) in the semifinals on Wednesday to record the second-fastest time of the day and advance to Friday's final. Coleman's time broke VFL Justin Gatlin's school record of 10.05, which he ran in 2002.
Coleman also advanced to the 200-meter final with the third-best semifinal time of 20.32 (+0.3), a new personal best. That time was the fourth-fastest in UT history, passing Vol greats Rubin Williams (20.40, 2007), Jeff Phillips (20.36, 1981) and Leonard Scott (20.34, 2002).
Mustaqeem Williams ran 20.73 in the 200-meter semifinals to take 12th place and earn Second Team All-America honors.
Nathan Strother ran a personal-best 45.07 in the 400 meters, good for the fastest time of the semifinals. That time was also the second-fastest time in Tennessee history, behind only Gary Kikaya's school record of 44.53 set in 2002.
"We set a school record in the 100 meters and at Tennessee that means quite a bit," Sullivan said. "Christian Coleman just looked great in that semifinal and turned around and looked great in his 200 meters. Nathan Strother just caught fire in that 400 meters and split 43.86 in that 4x400."
Tennessee's men's 4x100 of Williams, Coleman, Malik Elion and Strother ran the 11th-fastest time of 39.40, but the squad was disqualified due to a lane violation.
The Vols 4x400 of Ari Cogdell, Williams, Darryl Harris and Strother ran 3:05.21 in the semifinals to finish eight, just missing out of the final by five hundredths of a second. Strother ran an incredible 43.86 anchor leg.
Below are Tennessee's results and full schedule of competition for the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. All times listed are Pacific Time.
NCAA CHAMPION: Jake Blankenship (men's pole vault)
ADVANCING TO FRIDAY'S MEN'S FINALS: Christian Coleman (100m, 200m), Nathan Strother (400m)
NCAA Championships Schedule
Wednesday, June 8
Men's 4x100 Semifinal - Tennessee - (Mustaqeem Williams, Christian Coleman, Malik Elion, Nathan Strother), DQ
Men's Pole Vault Final - 1. Jake Blankenship, 5.60m (18-4.50)
Men's 100m Semifinal - 2. Christian Coleman, 10.03sr (+1.6)
Men's 400m Semifinal - 1. Nathan Strother, 45.07
Men's 200m Semifinal - 3. Christian Coleman, 20.32 (+0.3); 12. Mustaqeem Williams, 20.73 (-0.2)
Men's 4x400 Semifinal - 8. Tennessee (Ari Cogdell, Mustaqeem Williams, Darryl Harris, Nathan Strother), 3:05.21
Thursday, June 9
Women's 4x100 Semifinal - 4:32 p.m. PT: Maia McCoy, Kali Davis-White, Felecia Majors, Felicia Brown
Women's Javelin Throw Final - 5:45 p.m. PT: Maria Jimenez
Women's 100m Semifinal - 5:46 p.m. PT: Felicia Brown
Women's 400m Semifinal - 6 p.m. PT: Felecia Majors
Women's Shot Put Final - 6:30 p.m. PT: Cassie Wertman
Women's 200m Semifinal -6:44 p.m. PT: Felicia Brown, Kali Davis-White
Women's 10,000m Final - 7:08 p.m. PT: Chelsea Blaase
Women's 4x400 Semifinal - 7:48 p.m. PT: Lenysse Dyer, Felecia Majors, Layla White, Felicia Brown
Friday, June 10
Men's 100m Final - 6:22 p.m. PT: Christian Coleman
Men's 400m Final - 6:32 p.m. PT: Nathan Strother
Men's 200m Final - 7:07 p.m. PT: Christian Coleman
Saturday, June 11
Women's 4x100 Final - 3:32 p.m. PT: Maia McCoy, Kali Davis-White, Felecia Majors, Felicia Brown
Women's 100m Final - 4:22 p.m. PT: Felicia Brown
Women's 400m Final - 4:32 p.m. PT: Felecia Majors
Women's 200m Final -5:07 p.m. PT: Felicia Brown, Kali Davis-White
Women's 5,000m Final - 5:25 p.m. PT: Chelsea Blaase
Women's 4x400 Final - 5:51 p.m. PT: Lenysse Dyer, Felecia Majors, Layla White, Felicia Brown
