Sears Delivers World Leading 200-Meter Dash To Open 2024 Campaign

Saturday, January 13

Columbia, S.C.

University of Tennessee

Gamecock Opener

Photo by: Cayce Smith/Tennessee Athletics

Sears Delivers World Leading 200-Meter Dash To Open 2024 Campaign

January 13, 2024 | Track & Field

Gamecock Opener - Results Commodore Challenge - Results Photo Gallery

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tennessee Lady Vol senior sprinter Jacious Sears dominated her first meet of the year at the Gamecock Opener, highlighted by a victory in the 200-meter dash where she clocked in at 22.88 seconds for the win. Her performance ranks as the fastest time on the 2024 World Athletics top list and the fastest mark on the 2023-24 NCAA Division I rankings for the current indoor season.

The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native also turned in a time of 7.25 in the 60-meter prelims at South Carolina, which currently stands as the No. 4 time in the NCAA this season. She is the only collegiate sprinter with top-five marks in both the 200-meter and 60-meter so far this season.

Sears' performances highlighted several notable showings for the Big Orange as more than 40 athletes began their respective campaigns on Saturday in Columbia and in Nashville at the Commodore Challenge. Tennessee totaled nine event victories from both meets and posted nine marks that cracked the program's all-time top 10 lists.

Super senior quarter miler Emmanuel Bynum opened his fifth year on Rocky Top with a win in the 300-meter dash, tying his school record mark of 32.83. His time ranks fourth on the World Athletics top list and is also fourth in the NCAA this season.

Sean Carlson's distance squad traveled to Nashville and showcased its prowess in the men's mile, grabbing the top five overall places with a slew of historic marks. School record holder Canaan Anderson picked up the win in 4:00.32, followed by Dalton Hengst (4:02.14), Jacob Lewis (4:02.38), Christopher Cherry (4:02.39) and Gabriel Sanchez (4:05.36) to round out the top five. Hengst, Lewis and Cherry now occupy spots two through four on the program's all-time list behind Anderson's record of 4:00.13. Sanchez's time registered a new PR in his Tennessee track debut.

Middle-distance specialists Carolyn Barksdale and Michael Rodriguez-King concluded the trip to Nashville notching personal-bests in the 800-meter, turning in respective times of 2:08.36 and 1:50.92.

Back in Columbia, true freshman Ka'Myya Haywood impressed with her second-consecutive victory in the women's 600-meter dash. The Jacksonville, Florida, native posted a time of 1:30.77, which was the fastest in the world by a U-20 athlete and ranked No. 5 in the NCAA at the time of her performance.

Transfer hurdler Layla Anderson stood out in her Lady Vol debut, contesting the 60-meter hurdles and winning all three of her heats en route to the event title. The junior posted back-to-back performances of 8.23 in the semifinal and final, moving to No. 7 on UT's all-time list and ranking No. 13 in the NCAA this season.

In addition to Bynum's record outing in the event, four members of the UT track program logged top-10 marks in school history in the 300-meter dash on Saturday. Freshman Christian Parker made his collegiate debut on the men's side and posted a time of 33.50 for third place at the meet and seventh on the Vols' all-time list.

On the women's side, three Lady Vols etched their names into program annals with their 300-meter sprints on Saturday in Columbia. Javonya Valcourt finished in 37.46 seconds for the No. 3 time in school history, followed by Dennisha Page (37.55) and Jonah Ross (37.70) who now rank fourth and sixth on the program list. The trio finished third, fourth and fifth at the meet, respectively.

Saturday's field events were highlighted by a Lady Vol sweep in the long jump, led by graduate transfer Jada Seaman's winning leap of 6.17m (20-3) that currently ranks 13th on the Division I list. Mikele Vickers and Alyssa Raymond finished second and third, respectively, posting marks of 5.94m (19-6) and 5.85m (19-2.5).

The Lady Vol pole vaulters also posted a pair of podium finishes, with junior Sarah Schmitt tying for first and freshman Caroline Weems taking third in her collegiate debut. Both athletes cleared 3.87m (12-8.25) before the standings were determined via tiebreaker.

Tennessee concluded the Gamecock Opener with five teams running the 4x400-meter relays. The men's 'A' squad of Emmanuel Bynum, Ja'Kwan Hale, Christian Parker and Zyaire Nuriddin placed first in the event with a time of 3:09.10, while the Lady Vol 'A' team of DaJour Miles, Kyla Robinson-Hubbard, Javonya Valcourt and Brianna White placed second on the women's side in 3:34.57.

Complete results from the Gamecock Opener and Commodore Challenge can be viewed at the links above.

BIG ORANGE DEBUTS: A total of 21 athletes made their Tennessee track & field debuts on Saturday, including 10 transfers and 11 true freshmen: Gr. Jacob Lewis, Gr. Gabriel Sanchez, Jr. Christopher Cherry, So. Aaron Bell, Fr. Nakhi Benjamin, Fr. Kalib Branch, Fr. Grant Campbell, Fr. Zyaire Nuriddin, Fr. Medwin Odamtten, Fr. Avaunt Ortiz, Fr. Christian Parker, Fr. Dawson Welch, Gr. DaJour Miles, Gr. Dennisha Page, Gr. Jada Seaman, Sr. Kayla Sweeney, Jr. Layla Anderson, Jr. Brianna White, Fr. Myla Greene, Fr. Alyssa Raymond and Fr. Caroline Weems.

PR TRACKER: Tennessee track & field athletes combined for 19 indoor personal records on Saturday at the Gamecock Opener and Commodore Challenge.

T'Mars McCallum – Men's 60m – 6.73
DaJour Miles – Women's 60m – 7.31
Nakhi Benjamin – Men's 200m – 21.54
Emmanuel Bynum – Men's 300m – 32.83
Christian Parker – Men's 300m – 33.50
Ja'Kwan Hale – Men's 300m – 33.82
Javonte' Harding – Men's 300m – 34.10
Javonya Valcourt – Women's 300m – 37.46
Dennisha Page – Women's 300m – 37.55
Jonah Ross – Women's 300m – 37.70
Kyla Robinson-Hubbard – Women's 400m – 55.28
Ka'Myya Haywood – Women's 600m – 1:30.77
Michael Rodriguez-King – Men's 800m – 1:50.92
Carolyn Barksdale – Women's 800m – 2:08.36
Dalton Hengst – Men's Mile – 4:02.14
Jacob Lewis – Men's Mile – 4:02.38
Christopher Cherry – Men's Mile – 4:02.39
Gabriel Sanchez – Men's Mile – 4:05.36
Dawson Welch – Men's Mile – 4:08.89

UP NEXT: Tennessee's indoor season continues next weekend with three meets on the docket for Jan. 19-20. The distance squad will return to Nashville for the Vanderbilt Invitational, while the remaining event groups will split up for the New Balance Collegiate Showdown (Boston, Mass.) and the Ted Nelson Invitational (Bryan-College Station, Texas).