University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics
Sears Shatters School Record With SEC-Leading 60m Sprint At Tiger Paw Invite
February 10, 2023 | Track & Field
CLEMSON, S.C. — Running the 60-meter dash at Clemson's Tiger Paw Invitational on Friday, Tennessee track & field senior Jacious Sears clocked a personal-best time of 7.12 seconds in the semifinals to break the Lady Vol program record and overtake the SEC lead for the 2022-23 indoor campaign. Her mark also set a Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex facility record and ranks as the No. 4 performance in the NCAA this season.
The previous school record of 7.15 was held by LVFL Courtney Champion and fifth-year senior Joella Lloyd, Sears' teammate and training partner. Lloyd ran a season-best time of 7.17 in Friday's final to take home the event crown at the Tiger Paw Invite, and her mark ranks fourth in the SEC and seventh nationally over the course of the 2022-23 indoor season.
Redshirt junior Emmanuel Bynum stood out for the men of Tennessee on Friday with a lifetime-best performance of 45.67 seconds in the 400-meter dash. He moved to No. 2 on UT's all-time indoor list in the event, ranking fourth among collegians this winter and becoming the first Vol to run sub-46 indoors since Nathan Strother did so at the 2018 NCAA Championships.
Read below for more highlights from Tennessee's Friday showing at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Tennessee's complete results from Clemson can be accessed via AdkinsTrak Timing Associates.
HURDLE U: In the 60-meter hurdles, graduate student Charisma Taylor clocked a season-best 8.06 in the semifinals before coming back to run 8.08 in Friday's final for second place at the meet. The Bahamian international and school-record holder at 7.93 now ranks sixth in the NCAA and fourth in the SEC this season.
On the men's side, Leonard Mustari made his Tennessee debut and progressed throughout the day, running 7.81 in 60-meter hurdles qualifying, 7.74 in semifinals and 7.70 in the final to place fourth overall at the Tiger Paw Invite. He went to No. 5 on UT's all-time list and ranks tied for 12th in the country this season.
Additionally, graduate transfer Rasheem Brown clocked a season-best 7.84 in the qualifying round to place himself 10th on the Tennessee indoor top 10 list.
TENNESSEE TOP 10: Redshirt sophomore Mikele Vickers used her first attempt in the women's long jump to move up the all-time Lady Vol charts, leaping a personal-best 6.30m (20-8) and moving up three spots to No. 6 on the Tennessee performance list. Her mark also tied the No. 12 performer in the NCAA this season, and UT is one of two schools in the country with multiple athletes in the top-12 nationally for women's long jump (Taylor, 6.44m/21-1.5).
Freshman sprinter Javonya Valcourt makes her first appearance on the Tennessee top 10 list in the indoor 400-meter dash after clocking a personal-best 53.33 on Friday at Clemson. The mark ranks Valcourt 10th in Lady Vol history, and it was the fastest time by a Tennessee freshman since Britton Wilson went 52.99 in 2020.
The women's pole vault duo of sophomore Sarah Schmitt and freshman Kendall Ford made their mark on the Tennessee toplist with a pair of PRs recorded on Friday. Schmitt cleared four meters (13-1.5) for the first time in her career to become the No. 8 vaulter in Lady Vol history, while Ford jumped 3.95m (12-11.5) for the No. 11 performance in UT annals. The pair placed second and third in Friday's unseeded pole vault, followed by Ellison Colarossi who tied for fifth with a clearance of 3.75m (12-3.5).
PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to record seven indoor personal records on Friday at the Tiger Paw Invitational.
The previous school record of 7.15 was held by LVFL Courtney Champion and fifth-year senior Joella Lloyd, Sears' teammate and training partner. Lloyd ran a season-best time of 7.17 in Friday's final to take home the event crown at the Tiger Paw Invite, and her mark ranks fourth in the SEC and seventh nationally over the course of the 2022-23 indoor season.
Redshirt junior Emmanuel Bynum stood out for the men of Tennessee on Friday with a lifetime-best performance of 45.67 seconds in the 400-meter dash. He moved to No. 2 on UT's all-time indoor list in the event, ranking fourth among collegians this winter and becoming the first Vol to run sub-46 indoors since Nathan Strother did so at the 2018 NCAA Championships.
Read below for more highlights from Tennessee's Friday showing at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Tennessee's complete results from Clemson can be accessed via AdkinsTrak Timing Associates.
HURDLE U: In the 60-meter hurdles, graduate student Charisma Taylor clocked a season-best 8.06 in the semifinals before coming back to run 8.08 in Friday's final for second place at the meet. The Bahamian international and school-record holder at 7.93 now ranks sixth in the NCAA and fourth in the SEC this season.
On the men's side, Leonard Mustari made his Tennessee debut and progressed throughout the day, running 7.81 in 60-meter hurdles qualifying, 7.74 in semifinals and 7.70 in the final to place fourth overall at the Tiger Paw Invite. He went to No. 5 on UT's all-time list and ranks tied for 12th in the country this season.
Additionally, graduate transfer Rasheem Brown clocked a season-best 7.84 in the qualifying round to place himself 10th on the Tennessee indoor top 10 list.
TENNESSEE TOP 10: Redshirt sophomore Mikele Vickers used her first attempt in the women's long jump to move up the all-time Lady Vol charts, leaping a personal-best 6.30m (20-8) and moving up three spots to No. 6 on the Tennessee performance list. Her mark also tied the No. 12 performer in the NCAA this season, and UT is one of two schools in the country with multiple athletes in the top-12 nationally for women's long jump (Taylor, 6.44m/21-1.5).
Freshman sprinter Javonya Valcourt makes her first appearance on the Tennessee top 10 list in the indoor 400-meter dash after clocking a personal-best 53.33 on Friday at Clemson. The mark ranks Valcourt 10th in Lady Vol history, and it was the fastest time by a Tennessee freshman since Britton Wilson went 52.99 in 2020.
The women's pole vault duo of sophomore Sarah Schmitt and freshman Kendall Ford made their mark on the Tennessee toplist with a pair of PRs recorded on Friday. Schmitt cleared four meters (13-1.5) for the first time in her career to become the No. 8 vaulter in Lady Vol history, while Ford jumped 3.95m (12-11.5) for the No. 11 performance in UT annals. The pair placed second and third in Friday's unseeded pole vault, followed by Ellison Colarossi who tied for fifth with a clearance of 3.75m (12-3.5).
PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to record seven indoor personal records on Friday at the Tiger Paw Invitational.
- Jacious Sears - Women's 60m - 7.12
- Javonya Valcourt- Women's 400m - 53.33
- Alanna Smith - Women's 400m - 55.97
- Sarah Schmitt - Women's Pole Vault - 4.00m (13-1.5)
- Kendall Ford - Women's Pole Vault - 3.95m (12-11.5)
- Mikele Vickers - Women's Long Jump - 6.30m (20-8)
- Emmanuel Bynum - Men's 400m - 45.67
Players Mentioned
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & FieldEverything Orange S2 | Sarah Schmitt (Track & Field)
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