400-Meter Duo Shines On Final Day of Tennessee Invite

KNOXVILLE, TN - April 06, 2024 - Javonya Valcourt of the Tennessee Volunteers during Day 2 of the Tennessee Invite at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Cayce Smith/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Cayce Smith/Tennessee Athletics

April 06, 2024 | Track & Field

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Lady Vol 400-meter tandem of Javonya Valcourt and Brianna White had a pair of NCAA top 10 performances on Saturday as UT closed out the Tennessee Invite at home in dominant fashion. Valcourt crossed the line in a lifetime-best 51.69 seconds, while White took second just behind her teammate in a personal record mark of 51.86.

The duo ranks No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, on the 2024 NCAA Division I outdoor list. Additionally, Valcourt checks in at No. 4 on the Tennessee all-time charts while White is ranked No. 7 in Lady Vol history in the outdoor 400-meter.

Valcourt's triumph highlighted 10 Saturday victories for the Tennessee contingent at its annual home track meet. The Big Orange totaled 15 first-place finishes over the course of the Tennessee Invite the past two days.

Tennessee All-American sprinter Dennisha Page ran her first 100-meter as a Lady Vol on Saturday and claimed the victory with a personal-best clocking of 11.27 seconds, equaling the No. 10 performer in school history and ranking No. 18 on the NCAA Division I list this season. On the men's side, sophomore T'Mars McCallum opened up in the 100-meter and posted a college-best mark of 10.25 seconds with a legal wind of 0.5 m/s.

Duane Ross' hurdle squad picked up where it left off with two finals wins on Saturday in the women's 100-meter hurdles and men's 110-meter hurdles. Freshman Myla Greene tabbed a wind-aided (+4.0 m/s) season-best mark of 13.33 to win it for the Lady Vols, while UT grad student Sam McLendon sealed the deal with a time of 13.95 for first place on the men's side.

Tennessee packed a 1-2 punch in the women's 800-meter with a pair of personal-best performances from Carolyn Barksdale and Maia Stewart on their Senior Day. Barksdale was first across the line in a personal-best 2:07.69 and was followed closely by Stewart who turned in a time of 2:08.11.

In the men's 400-meter, freshman Avaunt Ortiz made his collegiate outdoor debut in winning fashion. The rookie from Tempe, Arizona, stopped the clock at 47.38 for the win in his first outdoor race of the season.

After the Senior Day ceremony, freshman distance runners Brody Chapman and Simon Schabort spiked for the 3,000-meter steeplechase for their collegiate track debuts. Chapman was victorious over the barriers and water jumps with a time of 9:09.98, while Schabort finished fourth overall in 9:16.06.

The home meet wrapped up with the 4x400-meter relays, with the women's group of Dennisha Page, Jada Seaman, Kylah Buckle and Myla Greene earning the 10th victory of the afternoon with a time of 3:39.22.

SENIOR DAY: Tennessee track & field honored 25 senior student-athletes Saturday afternoon and two former athletes turned student managers: Yaseen Abdalla, Carolyn Barksdale, Brett Brady, Emmanuel Bynum, Jette Davidson, Brooke Dixon, Clement Ducos, Rasheeme Griffith, Ja'Kwan Hale, Javonte' Harding, Kameron Helmlinger, Nate Kawalec, Jacob Lewis, Joella Lloyd, Sam McLendon, DaJour Miles, Eli Nahom, Brandon Olden, Dennisha Page, Kyla Robinson-Hubbard, Jada Seaman, Jacious Sears, Maia Stewart, Kayla Sweeney, Mikele Vickers, Mike Griffin and Elliot Barner.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will send a group of sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, pole vaulters and throwers to Gainesville, Florida, for the Tom Jones Memorial (April 12-13).