University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Cayce Smith/Tennessee Athletics
Schmitt’s Silver Headlines Day One of SEC Indoor Championships
February 24, 2024 | Track & Field
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Tennessee junior pole vaulter Sarah Schmitt earned her first career conference medal to kick off the 2024 SEC Indoor Championships on Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center, clearing a lifetime-best 4.22 meters (13-10) to tie for second place in the women's pole vault final. With her silver medal-winning performance, the Midlothian, Virginia, native moved up to No. 3 in Lady Vol history and became UT's first podium finisher in the event since 2009.
Schmitt contributed seven points to Tennessee's 17 scored on the women's side on Friday, which currently sits seventh in the team standings.
The Lady Vols added 10 points in the 5,000-meter with a trio of women's distance runners making their SEC Championship debuts in the Orange and White. Graduate students Ashley Jones and Emily Covert placed fourth and fifth with times of 16:01.80 and 16:05.43, respectively, while true freshman Caroline Lyerly clocked in at 16:09.90 to finish eighth. Jones' time was good for a new PR and the No. 7 mark in school history, while Lyerly's performance was the fastest by a freshman at the meet.
On the men's side, UT tallied six points from the men's 5k and distance medley relay. Graduate transfer Brandon Olden placed eighth in the 25-lapper with his time of 13:55.32, while the quartet of Christopher Cherry, Rasheeme Griffith, Carter Knox and Yaseen Abdalla took fourth in the DMR with a mark of 9:40.50.
ON TO THE NEXT ROUND: In Friday's prelims on the track, Tennessee had 10 performances that qualified for Saturday's finals. Senior sprinter Jacious Sears headlined the opening rounds with a pair of heat wins, posting the top mark of the day in the women's 60-meter at 7.12 seconds and clocking in at 22.93 in the 200-meter to place fifth overall.
Sears will be joined in the 60-meter final by Lady Vol grad student Dennisha Page, who turned in a time of 7.19 to place fourth in the prelims for her SEC Championship debut.
Lady Vol rookie Ka'Myya Haywood stood out in the women's 800-meter prelims, smashing her own UT freshman record with a time of 2:04.19 to place second in her heat and automatically qualify for Saturday's final. The Jacksonville, Florida, native moved to No. 6 on Tennessee's all-time list and now ranks third among NCAA Division I freshmen this season.
UT will send a pair of athletes to the 60-meter hurdle finals on both sides. Layla Anderson posted a time of 8.22 for the Lady Vols to grab the final qualifying spot, while Sam McLendon equaled his season-best on the men's side with a mark of 7.81 seconds to place sixth overall.
Two Volunteer short sprinters booked trips to Saturday's finals, beginning with sophomore T'Mars McCallum placing sixth in the 60-meter dash prelims with a time of 6.66. Senior All-American Javonte' Harding capped Friday's individual events with a time of 20.67 to finish sixth in the 200-meter.
A pair of Vols secured qualifying berths in the men's mile to lead off the running events, as Dalton Hengst (4:02.92) and Jacob Lewis (4:04.51) placed fourth and ninth, respectively. The duo will commence running events on the track for UT on Saturday, with the starting pistol set to fire at 5:15 p.m. ET.
PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to break or tie nine indoor personal records on Friday at the SEC Indoor Championships.
Schmitt contributed seven points to Tennessee's 17 scored on the women's side on Friday, which currently sits seventh in the team standings.
The Lady Vols added 10 points in the 5,000-meter with a trio of women's distance runners making their SEC Championship debuts in the Orange and White. Graduate students Ashley Jones and Emily Covert placed fourth and fifth with times of 16:01.80 and 16:05.43, respectively, while true freshman Caroline Lyerly clocked in at 16:09.90 to finish eighth. Jones' time was good for a new PR and the No. 7 mark in school history, while Lyerly's performance was the fastest by a freshman at the meet.
On the men's side, UT tallied six points from the men's 5k and distance medley relay. Graduate transfer Brandon Olden placed eighth in the 25-lapper with his time of 13:55.32, while the quartet of Christopher Cherry, Rasheeme Griffith, Carter Knox and Yaseen Abdalla took fourth in the DMR with a mark of 9:40.50.
ON TO THE NEXT ROUND: In Friday's prelims on the track, Tennessee had 10 performances that qualified for Saturday's finals. Senior sprinter Jacious Sears headlined the opening rounds with a pair of heat wins, posting the top mark of the day in the women's 60-meter at 7.12 seconds and clocking in at 22.93 in the 200-meter to place fifth overall.
Sears will be joined in the 60-meter final by Lady Vol grad student Dennisha Page, who turned in a time of 7.19 to place fourth in the prelims for her SEC Championship debut.
Lady Vol rookie Ka'Myya Haywood stood out in the women's 800-meter prelims, smashing her own UT freshman record with a time of 2:04.19 to place second in her heat and automatically qualify for Saturday's final. The Jacksonville, Florida, native moved to No. 6 on Tennessee's all-time list and now ranks third among NCAA Division I freshmen this season.
UT will send a pair of athletes to the 60-meter hurdle finals on both sides. Layla Anderson posted a time of 8.22 for the Lady Vols to grab the final qualifying spot, while Sam McLendon equaled his season-best on the men's side with a mark of 7.81 seconds to place sixth overall.
Two Volunteer short sprinters booked trips to Saturday's finals, beginning with sophomore T'Mars McCallum placing sixth in the 60-meter dash prelims with a time of 6.66. Senior All-American Javonte' Harding capped Friday's individual events with a time of 20.67 to finish sixth in the 200-meter.
A pair of Vols secured qualifying berths in the men's mile to lead off the running events, as Dalton Hengst (4:02.92) and Jacob Lewis (4:04.51) placed fourth and ninth, respectively. The duo will commence running events on the track for UT on Saturday, with the starting pistol set to fire at 5:15 p.m. ET.
PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to break or tie nine indoor personal records on Friday at the SEC Indoor Championships.
- Jonah Ross – Women's 200m – 23.30
- Clement Ducos – Men's 400m – 46.92
- Rasheeme Griffith – Men's 400m – 47.13
- Brianna White – Women's 400m – 53.20
- Ka'Myya Haywood – Women's 800m – 2:04.19
- Ashley Jones – Women's 5,000m – 16:01.80
- Kalib Branch – Men's 60m Hurdles – 7.92
- Sarah Schmitt – Women's Pole Vault – 4.22m (13-10)
- Kendall Ford – Women's Pole Vault – 3.97m (13-0.25)
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/ Track & FieldEverything Orange S2 | Sarah Schmitt (Track & Field)
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