University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
SEC Indoor Championships
Two Medals Headline UT's Final Day at SECs
February 28, 2015 | Track & Field
| Name | Event/Place/Mark |
|---|---|
| Jake Blankenship | Pole Vault/2nd/5.58m (18-3.75) |
| Christian Coleman | 60m/3rd/6.62 |
| Matthew Hoty | Shot Put/5th/18.59m (61-0.0) |
| Tavis Bailey | Shot Put/6th/18.12m (59-5.50) |
| Austin Whitelaw | 5000m/6th/14:09.49 |
| Christian Coleman | 200m/7th/21.11 |
| Michael Maira | Pole Vault/7th/5.01m (16-5.25) |
| Tennessee A | 4x400/8th/3:13.13 |
» Final Results
| Name | Event/Place/Mark |
|---|---|
| Felecia Majors | 400m/6th/53.27 |
| Felicia Brown | 400m/7th/53.34 |
| Tennessee A | 4x400m/7th/3:41.42 |
» Final Results
Blankenship earned his second SEC silver in the men's pole vault on Saturday after being edged in a marquee battle with Arkansas' Andrew Irwin. The junior cleared 18 feet, 3.75 inches (5.58) before coming up just short on his three attempts at 18 feet, 6.75 inches (5.66).
The true freshman made the most of a busy day as he helped the Tennessee men gain a valuable nine points on Saturday. After collecting the first SEC medal of his career, a bronze in the 60 meters (6.62), Coleman placed seventh in the 200 meter final (21.11) and helped the 4x400-meter relay team record its fastest time of the season (3:13.13)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The 13th-ranked Tennessee men picked up two more medals during the final day of the 2015 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships, as a silver from Jake Blankenship (pole vault) and a bronze from Christian Coleman (60-meter dash) saw the Volunteer men into seventh place in the final team standings. The UT women finished the weekend in 10th place.
With 48.0 points through 17 events at the Nutter Field House, the Tennessee men's squad was just edged out of sixth by Alabama's 49.0. Florida won the team title with 114.0 points, denying second-place Arkansas its fourth-straight indoor title.
On the women's side, Tennessee his got 22.0 points -- including a valuable pair from the 4x400-meter relay team at the night's close -- situate itself in 10th. The Volunteer women bested 11th-place Auburn by a single point. Arkansas' 130.0 were enough to claim the 2015 SEC Indoor Championship title.
The day opened with one of Tennessee's marquee events: the men's pole vault. Entering competition as the second-ranked vaulter in the SEC, Blankenship quickly found himself in a showdown with No. 1 ranked Andrew Irwin of Arkansas. After separating themselves from the field with clearances of 18 feet, 3.75 inches (5.58), Blankenship and Irwin took aim at 18 feet, 6.75 inches (5.66) with the gold medal on the line. After both competitors missed on each of their first two attempts, Irwin came up short again on the third attempt. Needing just a clearance to win, Blankenship's final effort was off the mark, giving Irwin the SEC gold.
Blankenship snared the second SEC silver of his indoor career, two years removed from his first second-place finish during his freshman season. Ranked third in the country in the pole vault, Blankenship will conclude his indoor season at the NCAA Championships in two weeks' time.
Coleman came away from his first-ever SEC Indoor Championships with a medal in tow after placing third in the men's 60-meter dash on Saturday afternoon. His final time of 6.62 matched his preliminary time from Friday and gave UT its fifth top-three performance of the weekend.
The true freshman wasn't done there, though, turning in another strong performance in the final of the 200-meter dash. While his time of 21.11 missed the medal stand, the seventh-place finish aided the Vols' team score. He finished out his busy weekend by running the second leg in the 4x400-meter relay. The quartet of of Coleman, Nathan Strother, Jerimy Strainge, and Antonio Carter recorded a time of 3:13.13 -- UT's fastest time of the season in the event.
For the women, Felecia Majors and Felicia Brown had a hand in all seven points achieved by Tennessee on the day. The pair went 6-7 in the women's 400 meter final, posting times of 53.27 and 53.34, respectively. Majors and Brown then went on to run critical legs in the 4x400 relay. Teammates London Freeland and Megan Linder joined the tandem in securing the critical two points in that race. Their time of 3:41.42 was the fastest 4x400 meter relay recorded by any UT quartet this season.
Tennessee now returns to Knoxville and awaits Tuesday's announcement as to the field for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. UT arrived in Lexington with six student-athletes in qualifying position.
The NCAA Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 13-14.
WOMEN'S RESULTS SATURDAY AT SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Weight Throw: 16. Danielle Holdren, 13.97 (45-10)
Triple Jump: 14. Brielyn Rogers, 12.08 (39-7.75)
400m FINAL: 6. Felecia Majors, 53.27; 7. Felicia Brown, 53.34
5000m: Chelsea Blaase - dns
DMR: Tennessee `A' - dnf
4x400m: 7. Tennessee A (Brown, Freeland, Majors, Linder), 3:41.42
MEN'S RESULTS SATURDAY AT SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pole Vault: 2. Jake Blankenship, 5.58 (18-3.75); 7. Michael Maira, 5.01 (16-5.25)
60m FINAL: 3. Christian Coleman, 6.62
Shot Put: 5. Matthew Hoty, 18.59 (61-0.00); 6. Tavis Bailey, 18.12 (59-5.50)
200m FINAL: 7. Christian Coleman, 21.11
5000m: 6. Austin Whitelaw, 14:09.49
DMR: 9. Tennessee A (Hilton, Elion, Kelley, Walter), 10.11.87
4x400m: 8. Tennessee A (Strother, Coleman, Strainge, Carter), 3:13.13
! - 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
