University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Hoosier Open
Vols Thrive At Hoosier Open With 5 Wins
December 12, 2015 | Track & Field
Hoosier Open Results HTML | Hoosier Open Results PDF
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Tennessee opened its indoor season with a splash, posting five wins and 20 top-five finishes in Friday's Hoosier Open at Indiana's Gladstein Fieldhouse.
On the men's side, Nathan Strother won the 300m and Cameron Brown won the men's weight throw convincingly. Leading the way for the UT women, Felicia Brown took first in the 300m and Cassie Wertman won the shot put. Felicia Brown, Kali Davis-White, Lenysse Dyer and DeAndra Greer led Tennessee to a victory in the women's 4x400-meter relay (3:41.80).
"Today was really good," Tennessee director of track & field and cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "What I was looking for from today was just the team atmosphere, the ability to compete, to fight, to react, to execute even under circumstances of shaking the rust off. All of those things that can be excuses, they really weren't. Our kids went to town and tested themselves and put themselves out there. We did really, really well. There was fight all the way through the relays. It was great today."
Tennessee Men
Cameron Brown set the tone early, winning the men's weight throw, hurling 68 feet, eight inches (20.93 meters) on his second throw before blowing the field away with 72 feet, 11.25 inches (22.23 meters) on his fifth throw. He also threw 69 feet, 1.53 inches (21.07 meters) on his sixth attempt and was the only thrower at the meet to hit the 20-meter mark. Matthew Zajac took third place, saving his best throw of 63 feet, six inches (19.35 meters) for last.
UT's young sprinters were very impressive. Sophomore Malik Elion clocked a new PR in the 200 meters, taking second in 21.87. He also ran anchor on the men's 4x400 relay (Ari Cogdell, Christian Coleman, Strother, Elion) that took third with a time of 3:15.55. Strother 300-meter winning time of 33.67 was a new personal best as well. Coleman was a hundredth of a second (33.68) behind Strother to take second in the 300 meters. Cogdell took third place in the 500m with a time of 1:03.37.
Redshirt senior distance runner Austin Whitelaw battled hard in his season debut, weaving his way through a crowded pack to take 10th in the 5,000 meters (14:17.70).
Senior Wesley Edwards took second in the high jump, clearing 2.07 meters, the second-best mark of his career.
Tennessee Women
Felicia Brown ran a career-best 37.12 to win the 300m and gave the Tennessee 'A' 4x400 relay (Brown, Kali Davis-White, Lenysse Dyer, DeAndra Greer) a great start as the first leg of the winning team. Her 37.12 in the 300 meters was the second-fastest time in Tennessee history. Felecia Majors also set a PR in the 300m, clocking a 37.50 to take second place and post the third-fastest time in program history. Majors ran the first leg of the Tennessee 'B' 4x400 relay (Majors, Maia McCoy, Layla White, Cidae'a Woods) that won its heat and took second place with a time of 3:48.07.
Wertman won the shot put with a throw of 54 feet (16.56 meters), good for the fourth-best throw of her career.
Woods was very impressive in the long jump, setting a new PR and taking second place with a jump of 20 feet, 2.25 inches (6.15 meters). That's nearly a foot better than her previous PR of 19 feet, 3.89 inches, which she set at the 2015 SEC Indoor Championships.
Brielyn Rogers was just as great in the triple jump, setting a personal best and placing second with a jump of 40 feet, seven inches (12.37 meters). Freshman LaChyna Roe took third place in the event with a jump of 40 feet, four inches (12.29 meters)
The Vols' next meet is Jan. 9 when the return to Bloomington for a dual meet against Indiana.
Men's Results Hoosier Open
60m: 7. Malik Elion, 6.98
200m: 2. Malik Elion, 21.87
300m: 1. Nathan Strother, 33.67; 2. Christian Coleman, 33.68; Mustaqeem Williams, DNF
500m: 3. Ari Cogdell, 1:03.37; 5. Antonio Carter, 1:03.82; 15. James Robinson, 1:07.45
5000m (Fast Section): 10. Austin Whitelaw, 14:17.70
4x400m Relay: 3. Tennessee 'A' (Ari Cogdell, Christian Coleman, Nathan Strother, Malik Elion), 3:15.55
High Jump: 2. Wesley Edwards, 6-9.50 (2.07m); 10. Josh Brennan, 5-10.75 (1.80m)
Long Jump: 10. Weldon Wright, 22.10 (6.73m)
Weight Throw: 1. Cameron Brown, 72-11.25 (22.23m); 3. Matthew Zajac, 63-6.00 (19.35m); 9. Seth Whitener, 56-1.75 (17.11m)
Women's Results Hoosier Open
60m: 4. DeAndra Greer, 7.57
200m: 7. DeAndra Greer, 25.26
300m: 1. Felicia Brown, 37.12; 2. Felecia Majors, 37.50; 5. Lenysse Dyer, 38.80; 9. Kali Davis-White, 39.40; DQ: Maia McCoy (out of lane)
500m: 5. Layla White, 1:13.84; 12. London Freeland, 1:15.77
4x400m Relay: 1. Tennessee 'A' (Felicia Brown, Kali Davis-White, Lenysse Dyer, DeAndra Greer), 3:41.80; 4. Tennessee 'B' (Felecia Majors, Maia McCoy, Layla White, Cidae'a Woods), 3:48.07
Long Jump: 2. Cidae'a Woods, 20-2.25 (6.15m)
Triple Jump: 2. Brielyn Rogers, 40-7.00 (12.37m); 3. LaChyna Roe, 40-4.00 (12.29m)
Shot Put: 1. Cassie Wertman, 54-0.00 (16.56m)
Weight Throw: 11. Savannah Marlow, 50-9.50 (15.48m); 14. Danielle Holdren, 48-2.75 (14.70m)
! - Personal Best, $ - SEC Record, a - American Record, b - Banked Track, c - Collegiate Record, adv. - Advanced, dna - Did Not Advance, dnf - Did Not Finish, dnr - Did Not Run, dns - Did Not Score, dq - Disqualified, F - Foul, f - Facility Record, fr - Freshman Record, fr* - Tied Freshman Record, fs - False Start, H - Heptathlon, h - Hand-Timed, mr - Meet Record, nh - No Height, nm - No Mark, P - Pentathlon, sr - School Record, u - Undersized Track, w - wind-aided, wr - World Record
