Mile Relay Sweep Rounds Out Opening Weekend Of Outdoor Season

Javonya Valcourt - 2023 SEC Championships

Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Mile Relay Sweep Rounds Out Opening Weekend Of Outdoor Season

March 16, 2024 | Track & Field

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tennessee track & field closed out the UCF Black & Gold Invitational with a pair of 4x400-meter relay victories on Saturday in Orlando, notching two times that currently rank first in the country during the 2024 outdoor season. The Lady Vol quartet of Javonya Valcourt, DaJour Miles, Kyla Robinson-Hubbard and Brianna White took first in 3:29.30, while the Volunteer unit of Clement Ducos, Zyaire Nuriddin, Rasheeme Griffith and Christian Parker turned in a time of 3:05.69 to collect the win.

The eight UT athletes picked up right where they left off after logging First Team All-America performances last week at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, with the women placing fifth and the men taking sixth at the national meet. Both performances at UCF rank No. 1 in the NCAA as of Saturday night, and the women's time of 3:29.30 stands No. 7 on the all-time Lady Vol charts.

UT kicked off the second day at the UCF Track & Field Complex with another relay win, taking home the title in the women's 4x100-meter relay. Jacious Sears, Dennisha Page, Joella Lloyd and Jonah Ross passed the baton around the oval in 43.45 seconds, posting the fastest time in the country this season and equaling the No. 4 mark in school history.

After a strong day of performances in field events on Friday, freshman Grant Campbell kept the momentum going with a first-place outing in the men's high jump. Making his collegiate outdoor debut, the Maryville native and Heritage High School product was clean on every bar up to 2.12 meters (6-11.5) to earn his second college victory. His clearance ranks No. 7 on the combined NCAA Division I list.

Tennessee earned its second individual victory in the men's 400-meter dash when Ducos ran a lap around the track in a lifetime-best 46.79 seconds. The Bordeaux, France, native ranks seventh in the country with his performance on Saturday and was one of three Vols to log outdoor personal-bests in the event. Griffith took second in the heat with a time of 47.09, while Ja'Kwan Hale was third in the heat with a mark of 47.35.

The Lady Vols packed a 1-2 punch in the women's 100-meter dash, led by Joella Lloyd's winning sprint of 11.56 seconds. Newcomer Jada Seaman was second across the finish line in 11.59 seconds for the Big Orange in her first outdoor meet as a Lady Vol.

PR TRACKER: Tennessee athletes combined to log six wind-legal outdoor personal records on Saturday at the UCF Black & Gold Invitational.

Sam McLendon – Men's 100m – 10.83
Clement Ducos – Men's 400m – 46.79
Rasheeme Griffith – Men's 400m – 47.09
Ja'Kwan Hale – Men's 400m – 47.35
Sam McLendon – Men's 110m Hurdles – 13.94*
Aron Alvarez Aranda – Men's Hammer Throw – 56.83m (186-5)

* - McLendon owns a wind-aided best of 13.88 in the 110m hurdles

UP NEXT: UT will go through a training cycle next week before gearing up for a pair of meets the following weekend. A caravan of distance runners will head to NC State for the Raleigh Relays, March 28-30, while UT's sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, throwers and pole vaulters will travel to LSU for the Battle on the Bayou, March 29-30.