UT Claims Three Tennessee Invite Event Titles On Friday

Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

UT Claims Three Tennessee Invite Event Titles On Friday

April 07, 2023 | Track & Field, Cross Country

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The sixth-ranked Tennessee men's track & field program claimed three victories on the second day of action at the Tennessee Invite, winning the long jump and 200-meter dash before securing a clean sweep in the 400-meter hurdles to round out Friday's competition at Tom Black Track.

Competing in his first collegiate outdoor long jump competition, redshirt freshman Leonard Mustari hit the board and leaped 7.78 meters (25-6.25) on his first attempt to place first overall at the home meet. His mark ranks No. 19 on the NCAA national list and No. 10 on the NCAA East Region qualifying list this season.

In the men's 200-meter dash, Tennessee junior Javonte Harding was victorious in his Tom Black Track debut with a wind-aided (+2.4 m/s) time of 20.42 seconds on a chilly evening in Knoxville, fending off runner-up Makanakaishe Charamba of Carson-Newman who clocked in at 20.49.

Tennessee's 400-meter hurdles trio of Jakwan Hale, Clement Ducos and Rasheeme Griffith finished Friday off with a 1-2-3 Volunteer sweep. Hale crossed the line first in 50.32 seconds and was followed closely by Ducos who turned in a near-season best at 50.43, while Griffith took third in 52.45.

UT also had the top-three collegiate finishers in Friday's women's pole vault competition, led by sophomore Sarah Schmitt and redshirt sophomore Ellison Colarossi who each cleared 3.95m (12-11.5) to place third and fourth overall, respectively. True freshman Kendall Ford vaulted over 3.80m (12-5.5) to secure a fifth-place outing in her first home meet as a Lady Vol.

The Big Orange added a trio of runner-up finishes on Friday, highlighted by senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard setting a PR for the second-straight week in the 400-meter hurdles. The Calabasas, California, native clocked in at 57.87 seconds, improving her position as the No. 8 performer in school history and ranking top 25 in the NCAA this season.

Lady Vol junior Jonah Ross made her Tom Black Track debut as well on Friday and won her heat of the women's 200-meter dash in 24.07 seconds, securing a second-place finish out of 46 competitors at the meet. Additionally, junior Skylar Coffey opened Friday's action with a runner-up outing in the men's discus throw with his sixth-round season-best heave of 50.67m (166-3).

PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to record nine outdoor, wind-legal personal records on Friday at the Tennessee Invite.

Uchechi Nwogwugwu - Women's 200m - 24.70
Erin Spreen - Women's 1,500m - 4:42.27
Msgana Araya - Women's 5,000m - 17:13.09
Kyla Robinson-Hubbard - Women's 400m Hurdles - 57.87
Ellison Colarossi - Women's Pole Vault - 3.95m (12-11.5)
Mikele Vickers - Women's Long Jump - 5.99m (19-8)
Suzan Ogunleye - Women's Long Jump - 5.74m (18-10)
Leonard Mustari - Men's Long Jump - 7.78m (25-6.25)
Connor Henson - Men's 1,500m - 3:53.14 (unattached)

The Tennessee Invite concludes Saturday with the Big Orange competing in 16 events, beginning at noon with the women's 100-meter hurdles semifinal and concluding with the men's 4x400-meter relay at 4:45 p.m. The Tennessee track & field program will also honor its class of 28 seniors at approximately 3:10 p.m.