Maines, McLeod Claim SEC Titles With Record-Breaking Performances Friday Night

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Maines, McLeod Claim SEC Titles With Record-Breaking Performances Friday Night

May 15, 2021 | Track & Field

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Tennessee track & field program claimed four medals on Friday at the SEC Outdoor Championships, headlined by individual titles for women's shot putter Latavia Maines and men's long jumper Carey McLeod. The duo put up Olympic standard performances in their respective events within a 20-minute span to cap a successful night at E.B. Cushing Stadium.

In addition to its four podium finishes, Tennessee logged five school records, notched 11 scoring performances and advanced five athletes past preliminary rounds in the running events. Through the second day of the conference meet and eight of 21 events scored, the men of UT are third in the team standings with 41 points while the Lady Vols rank 8th with 19 points.

SHOT PUT ROYALTY: A redshirt junior from Centralia, Illinois, Latavia Maines made her mark in the SEC record book with a throw of 18.71 meters (61-4.75) in the final round of the women's shot put. The performance broke the all-time conference championship meet record of 18.58m (60-11.5) previously held by Raven Saunders of Ole Miss. Maines shattered her own school record, met the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying standard and is now the facility record holder for Texas A&M's E.B. Cushing Stadium.

This marks Maines' third individual conference title in the shot put since joining the Lady Vols last season, as she won back-to-back indoor gold medals in 2020 and 2021. She is UT's first female to win an outdoor SEC shot put title since Annie Alexander topped the podium in 2012.

SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST: Jamaican jumping sensation Carey McLeod claimed his title in dramatic fashion Friday night, leaping 8.34 meters (27-4.5) on his final attempt to move from fourth to first in the men's long jump standings. The Kingston, Jamaica, native broke his own school record, set the facility record and currently ranks No. 2 in the world behind LSU's JuVaughn Harrison—who took silver Friday night at 8.24 meters (27-0.5).

McLeod becomes the fifth Vol in program history to win an SEC outdoor long jump title and the first in 40 years. VFL Jason Grimes was the last to accomplish the feat with a mark of 7.91 meters (25-11.75) in 1981.

SULLIVAN TAKES SILVER IN EPIC BATTLE: In what was perhaps the greatest men's high jump competition in conference history, Tennessee senior Darryl Sullivan finished second overall with a school-record clearance of 2.33 meters (7-7.75) on Friday. The mark equaled his lifetime-best from the 2020 indoor season and finished ahead of the previous meet record of 2.29 meters (7-6). Sullivan ultimately finished behind Harrison of LSU, who jumped a world-leading bar of 2.36 meters (7-8.75) for the win.

CRIGGER CLAIMES BRONZE: Tennessee redshirt junior Alex Crigger claimed his third career SEC medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday night, turning in a time of 8:51.77. The Johnson City, Tennessee, native scored six points for third place overall.

LADY VOLS POST PROGRAM STANDARDS: In addition to Maines, McLeod and Sullivan, two Lady Vols set personal records to break their own all-time school records on Friday. Senior pole vaulter Hannah Jefcoat topped her previous best by one centimeter, clearing the 4.19-meter (13-9) bar on her third attempt to place eighth overall. In the final event of the night, redshirt sophomore Katie Thronson bested her PR in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:06.87 to finish ninth in the conference.

TACKING ON POINTS: Adding on to its four medal-winning showings, the Big Orange tallied seven more point-scoring performances with top-8 finishes at the conference meet.

Hannah Jefcoat - Women's Pole Vault - 8. 4.19m (13-9)
Prom'Myse Hoosier - Women's Long Jump - 6. 6.21m (20-4.5)
Nayoka Clunis - Women's Hammer - 5. 64.56m (211-10)
Kiara Rhodes - Women's Heptathlon - 6. 5,405 points
Anthony Riley - Men's Long Jump - 6. 7.66m (25-1.75)
Jordan West - Men's Shot Put - 19.56m (64-2.25)
Peyton Davis - Men's Decathlon - 6. 6,952 points

MOVING ON: With preliminary events running all night on the track, the Big Orange had five athletes advance to finals competition on Saturday.

Conner Hawkins - Men's 1500m - 9. 3:47.68q
Christopher Bailey - Men's 400m - 4. 45.51q
Emmanuel Bynum - Men's 400m - 9. 45.98q
Maia McCoy - Women's 100m - 4. 11.37Q
Joella Lloyd - Women's 100m - 5. 11.45Q

PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to record 15 outdoor personal records on Friday at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

Olivia Janke - Women's 1,500m - 4:32.39
Domonique Turner - Women's 100m Hurdles - 13.11
Katie Thronson - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase - 10:06.87
Hannah Jefcoat - Women's Pole Vault - 4.19m (13-9)
Latavia Maines - Women's Shot Put - 18.71m (61-4.75)
Kiara Rhodes - Women's Javelin - 32.79m (107-7)
Kiara Rhodes - Women's Heptathlon - 5,405 points
Peyton Davis - Men's 1,500m - 4:29.80
Peyton Davis - Men's 110m Hurdles - 15.39
Yariel Soto - Men's 110m Hurdles - 15.63
Darryl Sullivan - Men's High Jump - 2.33m (7-7.75)
Carey McLeod - Men's Long Jump - 8.34m (27-4.5)
Anthony Riley - Men's Long Jump - 7.66m (25-1.75)
Yariel Soto - Men's Discus - 43.02m (141-2)
Peyton Davis - Men's Decathlon - 6,952 points

UP NEXT: The 2021 SEC Outdoor Championships will wrap up Saturday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET with the men's discus and triple jump competitions running simultaneously. The conference meet will conclude with the women's 4x400-meter relay at approximately 9:40 p.m.

Full results through the first two days of SEC outdoor competition can be found at this link. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter and Instagram.