Vols Claim Three Gold Medals Friday At SEC Indoor Championships

Photo by: Maury Neipris/Tennessee Athletics

Vols Claim Three Gold Medals Friday At SEC Indoor Championships

February 29, 2020 | Track & Field

Friday Results Photo Gallery Meet Schedule

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Tennessee track & field captured three individual conference titles Friday evening as the Vols opened postseason action at the SEC Indoor Championships. Carey McLeod was the top finisher in the men's long jump, while Latavia Maines and Joseph Maxwell put together a shot put double for the Big Orange

Entering the meet as the NCAA leader, McLeod jumped a personal-best 8.19 meters (26-10.5) to claim the first SEC long jump title for Tennessee since 1995. His mark improved the all-time school record by three centimeters and tied the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium facility record. The Kingston, Jamaica, native now ranks as the No. 17 performer in collegiate history and No. 3 in the world for the 2019-20 indoor season.

Maines has been the top performer in the SEC women's shot put all season long, and that held up Friday evening as the junior college transfer from Centralia, Illinois, struck gold with a throw of 16.84 meters (55-3). She is the fourth Lady Vol to ever win the SEC indoor shot put title and the first since Annie Alexander in 2012.

Collecting his third-career SEC medal and his first conference title, Maxwell took first place in the men's shot put with a toss of 19.83m (65-0.75) on Friday night. The Canadian senior captain was the first SEC men's indoor shot put champion for the Vols since 2009 and only the second in the past 33 years.

Friday marked the second time in program history that Tennessee won both the men's and women's shot put at the SEC Indoor Championships. Scott Lundy (18.60m / 61-0.5) and Patricia Walsh (16.05m / 52-8) helped UT accomplish the feat in 1984.

Tennessee also earned four bronze medals by way of the women's distance medley relay, as Katie Thronson (3:33.40), Martina Weil (54.98), Nicole Adams (2:11.01) and Olivia Janke (4:45.21) combined for a season-best time of 11:24.59. The third-place finish for the Lady Vols was their highest at the conference meet since winning the event in 2012.

Through the first of two days at the SEC Indoor Championships, Tennessee sits second in the men's team standings with 32 points while the Lady Vols are fourth with 21 points. Read below for more highlights of Friday's action in College Station.

BIG ORANGE SCORERS: Outside of the four podium finishes, Tennessee had six top-8 scoring performances on Friday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.

Lady Vol rookie Prom'Myse Hoosier stood out in her SEC meet debut, placing fifth in the women's long jump with a new indoor personal record. Her mark of 6.26 meters (20-6.5) was the best by a freshman at the meet and ranks as the No. 5 performance in Lady Vol history indoors.

Sophomore jumper Alonie Sutton added a point for the Lady Vols in the long jump with her leap of 6.08m (19-11.5), placing eighth overall on Friday.

The Tennessee men's distance medley relay placed fifth for the second year in a row to tack on four points for the Big Orange. Nick Boogades (3:02.19), Rasheeme Griffith (46.92), Riley Buchholz (1:53.50) and Conner Hawkins (4:03.31) teamed up for a season-best mark of 9:45.91.

Tennessee senior Tristan Slater scored in the men's pole vault for the third-consecutive SEC indoor meet, placing sixth with his season-best clearance of 5.11 meters (16-9.25). Jordan West also placed sixth in the men's shot put, throwing 18.90 meters (62-0.25) as the redshirt-sophomore scored for the second time in his career at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Running his first collegiate indoor 5,000 meter, sophomore Karl Thiessen turned in a time of 14:24.18 for seventh place to round out UT's point scorers on Friday.

ON TO THE FINALS: In Friday night's preliminary rounds, the Tennessee track & field program had five athletes advance to their respective event finals.

A pair of Lady Vols will run the 60-meter hurdles final Saturday afternoon, as Alexis Duncan and Domonique Turner advanced to represent UT in the event. Duncan clocked a time of 8.10 in her preliminary heat to put her in a solid qualifying position for the NCAA Indoor National Championships, and the mark was good for the second-best performance in Lady Vol history. Turner won Friday's third and final heat with a time of 8.20 to automatically advance to Saturday.

In the mile, Alex Crigger (4:12.13) and Katie Thronson (4:54.26) each picked up qualifying spots for Tennessee to open the evening session. Crigger secured the final timed qualifying spot with his performance, while Thronson placed third in her heat to automatically advance.

Freshman Alex Kay kept up the strong performances for the UT middle distance crew, running a personal-best time of 1:49.97 in the men's 800-meter prelims. His mark was the fourth-fastest on the day.

SOTO HEADLINES COMBINED EVENTS: Through four events of the men's heptathlon, Tennessee freshman Yariel Soto sits third in the standings with 2,993 points. The Hatillo, Puerto Rico, native had the top performances in the 60-meter dash (6.99) and long jump (7.34m / 24-1) on Friday.

Peyton Davis currently stands seventh with a day-one personal best 2,849 points, as he recorded new indoor PRs in the 60m (7.43), shot put (12.15m / 39-10.5) and high jump (1.93m / 6-4).

#PRTRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to break or tie 16 indoor personal records on Friday at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Kenney Solomon - Men's 60m - 6.80
Yariel Soto - Men's 60m - 6.99
Eric Parker - Men's 60m - 7.11
Peyton Davis - Men's 60m - 7.43
Alex Kay - Men's 800m - 1:49.97
Kameron Helmlinger - Men's 800m - 1:53.74
Peyton Davis - Men's High Jump - 1.93m (6-4)
Carey McLeod - Men's Long Jump - 8.19m (26-10.5)
Eric Parker - Men's Long Jump - 6.80m (22-3.75)
Peyton Davis - Men's Shot Put - 12.15m (39-10.5)
Jada Chambers - Women's 200m - 23.86
Megan Murray - Women's 5000m - 16:44.53
Alexis Duncan - Women's 60m Hurdles - 8.10
Kiara Rhodes - Women's 60m Hurdles - 8.21
Prom'Myse Hoosier - Women's Long Jump - 6.26m (20-6.5)
Kiara Rhodes - Women's Shot Put - 10.57m / 34-8.25

UP NEXT: Tennessee continues the SEC Indoor Championships Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. ET with the men's heptathlon 60-meter hurdles. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.