University of Tennessee Athletics
McLeod Leaps to Fourth SEC Title, UT Takes Home Three Medals
February 26, 2022 | Track & Field
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Carey McLeod captured his fourth SEC title Friday night at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium as he finished first in the men's long jump, while Georgios Korakidis and Sydney Seymour took home silver medals on the opening day of the 2022 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
McLeod entered as the No. 2 long jumper in the SEC this season and leaped a season-best-tying 8.07m (26-5.75) to claim his fourth career SEC gold medal. It is the second time McLeod has won the indoor long jump SEC crown, with the first coming inside the same facility in Bryan-College Station in 2020.
The Kingston, Jamaica, native now has a pair of indoor long jump titles to go along with his 2021 indoor triple jump gold medal and 2021 outdoor long jump crown.
Korakidis snagged a silver medal in the men's weight throw as he heaved a personal-best 21.57m (70-9.25). It is the second-career SEC medal for the Kilkís, Greece, native after he earned bronze at the 2020 Indoor SEC Championships. Korakidis' mark ranks fifth all-time in Tennessee history for the men's weight throw.
In the women's 5,000-meter run, Seymour won the first SEC medal of her career – a silver medal – with a finishing time of 15:47.85. The time is a personal best for the Seven Hills, Ohio, native and makes her the third-fastest performer in Lady Vol history.
ADVANCING TO FINALS
Five Tennessee student-athletes advanced to finals after Friday night's preliminary rounds.
Joella Lloyd punched her ticket to finals in the women's 60-meter dash, finishing in a season-best 7.22 seconds. Her time was the sixth-fastest of the day.
Charisma Taylor will run again in the women's 60-meter hurdles Saturday after posting a personal-best-and-school-record-tying 8.02 run. Her time ranked third in prelims.
Alex Kay and Will Mazur will both run again in the men's 800-meter final Saturday after placing second and fifth in prelims. Kay ran the 800 in 1:49.34, while Mazur went a personal best 1:50.36.
Emmanuel Bynum went a personal-best 20.67 seconds in the men's 200m. His time was the third-fastest in prelims and ranks him sixth all-time in Tennessee history.
MULTIS START STRONG
In the pentathlon, Caroline Lewis represented the Orange and & White, placing fourth with 4,092 points. Her point total is a personal best and ranks second all-time in Lady Vol history for the event. Lewis opened the pentathlon with personal bests in the first three events, starting with a PB in the 60m hurdles at 8.49.
She followed up with a 1.70m (5-7) leap in the high jump and a shot put heave of 10.69m (35-1). In the fourth event, the long jump, Lewis placed third at 5.99m (19-8).
The pentathlon wrapped up with the 800m, which Lewis ran in a personal-best time of 2:21.97. She placed third in the event, which moved her up to fourth place in the pentathlon standings.
The heptathlon rolled through four events Friday and witnessed six combined personal bests from Peyton Davis, Ethan Robinson and Yariel Soto.
Soto posted PBs in the 60-meter dash (6.98) and high jump (1.96m / 6-5), while Davis notched a lifetime-best in the shot put at 12.30m (40-4.25). Robinson put up personal bests in three events – the 60m (6.99), shot put (11.57m / 37-11.5) and high jump (1.93m / 6-4).
Through the first four events, Soto sits third in the standings with 3,139 points, while Robinson is 10th at 2,919 points and Davis ranks 12th with 2,794 points. The final three events of the men's heptathlon will be contested Saturday, beginning with the 60-meter hurdles at 11 a.m. ET.
SEC SCORERS
In addition to UT's three medalists and Lewis' performance in the pentathlon Friday night, Taylor and the women's distance medley relay added to Tennessee's points haul on the opening night of the SEC Indoor Championships.
Taylor finished seventh in the women's long jump at 6.16m (20-2.5), bringing in two points.
The women's DMR quartet of Brooke Dixon, Nicole Sreenan, Emma Dilullo and Olivia Janke scored two additional points for the Lady Vols in the night's final event with their seventh-place finish. The DMR crossed the line in 11:18.79.
PR TRACKER
Yariel Soto – Heptathlon 60m – 6.98
Yariel Soto – Heptathlon High Jump – 1.96m (6-5)
Ethan Robinson – Heptathlon 60m – 6.99
Ethan Robinson – Heptathlon Shot Put – 11.57m (37-11.5)
Ethan Robinson – Heptathlon High Jump – 1.93m (6-4)
Peyton Davis – Heptathlon Shot Put – 12.30m (40-4.25)
Caroline Lewis – Pentathlon 60mH – 8.49
Caroline Lewis – Pentathlon High Jump – 1.70m (5-7)
Caroline Lewis – Pentathlon Shot Put – 10.69m (35-1)
Caroline Lewis – Pentathlon 800m – 2:21.97
Caroline Lewis – Pentathlon – 4, 092 points – 2nd in Tennessee History
Will Mazur – Men's 800m – 1:50.36
Justin Swann – Men's 800m – 1:51.31
Charisma Taylor – Women's 60mH – 8.02 – Tied 1st in Tennessee History
Sydney Seymour – Women's 5,000m – 15:47.85 – 3rd in Tennessee History
Katie Thronson – Women's 5,000m – 16:10.93 – 5th in Tennessee History
Georgios Korakidis – Men's Weight Throw – 21.57m (70-9.25) – 5th in Tennessee History
Fuji Anday – Men's 5,000m – 14:26.09
Emmanuel Bynum – Men's 200m – 20.67 – 6th in Tennessee History
UP NEXT
The SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships conclude Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in Bryan-College Station. The day begins at 11 a.m. ET with the men's heptathlon 60-meter hurdles and wraps up with the men's 4x400-meter relay at 7:10 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
