University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
USC Open
Tennessee Wins 15 Events at USC Open
April 22, 2017 | Track & Field
USC Open: Results | PDF Results
Virginia Challenge: Results | PDF Results
COLUMBIA, S.C. --Tennessee track and field split the squad this weekend with the majority of the team headed to the USC Open at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track. Tennessee entered competitors in 22 different events and claimed a first or second place finish in 21 of those including 15 event wins. The Vols also notched 30 top three performances and set 10 personal bests on Saturday.
Tennessee opened the day on the track with the 4x100m relays and the women claimed the eight-fastest time in the country. The group of Cidae'a Woods, Shania Collins, Lenysse Dyer and Maia McCoy posted a time of 43.96 to win the competition and record the 11th-fastest mark in school history.
The men's 4x100m team of Bruce DeGrilla, Christian Coleman, Malik Elion and Nathan Strother posted the nation's 14th best mark with a time of 39.51. The Vols took second as South Carolina won the competition in 39.37. The men's 4x400m team of Ari Cogdell, Darryl Harris, Mustaqeem Williams and Joshua McLemore held on for the victory with a time of 3:13.03.
Coleman claimed a pair of first place finishes for the Vols as he won the 100m and 200m dashes. He recorded his 100m time of 10.30 while running into a -1.4 headwind. He defeated Walter Dix, who won eight NCAA Championships in college and has earned two bronze medals at the 2008 Olympic Games. Elion took fifth with a time of 10.80. In the 200m, Coleman won with a time of 20.28 seconds defeating Dix and NCAA leader Ncincilili Titi. Coleman, opening his outdoor season in the 200m, recorded the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this year. Elion took fifth (21.40) as he won the second heat and Strother finished in sixth (21.47).
Tennessee dominated the women's sprints as the Vols swept the top three places in the 200m and took three of the top five spots in the 100m. Collins recorded the eighth best 200m time in school history when she crossed the line in 22.99. That mark ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA this year. Dyer tied her career best mark with a time of 23.36 and took second place. McCoy set a new personal best of 23.58 and took third. Layla White claimed sixth with a time of 24.58. In the 100m, Collins, McCoy and Dyer had to run into a -1.5 m/s headwind, but that didn't stop Collins from winning with a time of 11.67 while McCoy finished in fourth (12.00) and Dyer took fifth (12.03).
Tennessee also claimed wins in both the men's and women's 400m dashes. Strother won the men's side in 46.22 while Ari Cogdell took second in 46.92. White won the women's competition in 53.94.
Tennessee posted two more top-three finishes in the women's triple jump as Woods won with a mark of 12.22m (40-1.25). Brielyn Rogers took third as she leaped 11.94m (39-2.25). On the men's side, Marcellus Fletcher and Weldon Wright finished first and third in the triple jump. Fletcher finished in first with a leap of 14.43m (47-4.25) while Wright jumped 14.30m (46-11) to take third. Tristan Slater earned another Tennessee victory as he cleared 5.05m (16-6.75) on his third attempt.
Tennessee also posted a couple of good marks in the 100m hurdles as Domonique Turner took second place and first among collegians with a time of 13.76. That mark was a season best for Turner and .02 seconds off of the school's all-time top 10 list. Maya Neal won the second heat as she recorded a personal best of 14.08 seconds and took fifth place overall.
Tennessee claimed three of the top four spots in the hammer throw as Stamatia Scarvelis won the competition with a throw of 63.62m (208-9) which came on her first attempt. Savannah Marlow set a personal best and took third place with a throw of 56.90m (186-8). Marlow's throw came on her fourth attempt as she moved into fifth place on the school's record book. Candice Butler took fourth (56.30m/184-8). Tamia Crockett won the discus competition as she recorded a personal best throw of 49.88m (163-8) on her fifth attempt to earn her first collegiate win.
The Vols swept the podium in their second event of the afternoon as Cassie Wertman, SCarvelis and Crockett earned the top three places in the shot put. Wertman won her second event of the season with a mark of 16.26m (53-4.25). Scarvelis took second with a top throw of 16.20m (53-1.75) while Crockett posted a third-place throw of 14.86m (48-9).
On the men's side, Seth Whitener and Cameron Brown took second and third overall and finished as the top two collegians in the men's hammer throw. Whitener recorded the fourth-best throw in school history with a new personal best of 65.74m (215-8). Brown posted a throw of 65.66m (215-5). Matthew Zajac claimed the Vols' 15th win of the day as he claimed the discus crown. Zajac notched a throw of 57.48m (188-7).
Virginia Challenge
Tennessee sent its distance corps to Charlottesville, Virginia to compete in a very competitive field at the Virginia Challenge at Lannigan Field.
Late on Friday night, Chelsea Blaase opened her 2017 outdoor season in the 10,000m competition as she claimed a third place finish with a time of 34:17.68. That mark ranks 26th in the East Region so far this season.
Zach Long headlined Saturday's competition as the sophomore took 35th place with a time of 3:50.27 in the 1500m. Drew Kelley finished 54th with a time of 3:54.31.
USC Open Results
Women's Competitors
100m: 1. Shania Collins, 11.67 (-1.5); 4. Maia McCoy, 12.00 (-1.5); 5. Lenysse Dyer 12.03 (-1.5)
200m: 1. Shania Collins, 22.99 (+1.3); 2. Lenysse Dyer, 23.36 (+1.3); 3. Maia McCoy, 23.58 (+1.3); 6. Layla White, 24.58 (+1.3); 15. Maya Neal, 22.55 (+1.7); 17. Domonique Turner, 25.74 (+1.3)
400m: 1. Layla White, 53.94
100m Hurdles: 2. Domonique Turner, 13.76 (+0.6); 5. Maya Neal, 14.08 (+1.3)
400m Hurdles: 2. Brooklynn Broadwater, 1:00.23
4x100m Relay: 1. Tennessee (Cidae'a Woods, Shania Collins, Lenysse Dyer, Maia McCoy), 43.96
4x400m Relay: 2. Tennessee (Lenysse Dyer, Maia McCoy, Layla White, Shania Collins), 3:41.63
Triple Jump: 1. Cidae'a Woods, 12.22m/40-1.25; (-0.5); 3. Brielyn Rogers, 11.94m/39-2.25 (-3.0)
Hammer: 1. Stamatia Scarvelis, 63.62 (208-9); 3. Savannah Marlow, 56.90m (186-8); 4. Candice Butler, 56.30m (184-8)
Shot Put: 1. Cassie Wertman, 16.26m (53-4.25); 2. Stamatia Scarvelis, 16.20m (53-1.75)l 3. Tamia Crockett, 14.86m (48-9)
Discus: 1. Tamia Crockett, 49.88m (163-8)
Men's Competitors
100m: 1. Christian Coleman, 10.30 (-1.4); 5. Malik Elion, 10.80 (-1.6); 11. Matthew Moore, 11.03 (-1.7); 28. Bruce DeGrilla, 11.44 (-1.4)
200m: 1. Christian Coleman, 20.28 (-0.1); 5. Malik Elion, 21.40 (0.1); 6. Nathan Strother, 21.47 (-0.1); 13. Darryl Harris, 22.18 (0.6); 15. Matthew Moore, 22.21 (0.6)
400m: 1. Nathan Strother, 46.22; 2. Ari Cogdell, 46.92
4x100m Relay: 2. Tennessee (Bruce DeGrilla, Christian Coleman, Malik Elion, Nathan Strother), 39.51
4x400m Relay: 1. Tennessee (Ari Cogdell, Darryl Harris, Mustaqeem Williams, Joshua McLemore), 3:13.03
Pole Vault: 1. Tristan Slater, 5.05m (16-6.75); Nate Harper, NH
High Jump: 2. Darryl Sullivan, 2.08m (6-9.75)
Triple Jump: 1. Marcellus Fletcher, 14.43m/47-4.25 (-0.8); 3. Weldon Wright, 14.30m/46-11 (+1.0)
Hammer: 2. Seth Whitener, 65.74m (215-8); 3. Cameron Brown, 65.66m (215-5); 7. Matthew Zajac, 57.67m (189-2)
Discus: 1. Matthew Zajac, 57.48m (188-7)
Javelin: 8. Nick Hassler, 49.67m (162-11)
Virginia Challenge Results
Women's Competitors
1500m: 70. Peighton Meske, 4:51.61
10,000m: 3. Chelsea Blaase, 34:17.68
Men's Competitors
800m: 49. Trey Quealy, 1:57.65
1500m: 35. Zach Long, 3:50.27; 54. Drew Kelley, 3:54.31; 79. Adam Johnston, 4:02.09; 83. Tyler Woodrome, 4:12.53
5000m: 48. Wesley Robinson, 14:51.44; 52. Brad Swiney, 15:03.22
