University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Florida Relays
Coleman, Majors Sharp at Florida Relays
April 03, 2015 | Track & Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A trio of underclassmen turned in top-10 national times for Tennessee track on Friday at the Pepsi Florida Relays as Christian Coleman (men's 100m), Felecia Majors (women's 400m), and Nathan Strother (men's 400m)led the Volunteers.
In all, UT collected five finishes inside the top 15 to go along with four PRs during its first day of competition at the Florida Relays. The Vols wrap up their weekend in Gainesville on Saturday with three more events: the men's sprint medley relay, the men's high jump invitational, and the women's triple jump.
Making his outdoor season debut, Coleman picked up where he left off following his All-American indoor season in the 60-meter dash. The true freshman placed third in his heat and fifth overall in the men's 100-meter dash behind a time of 10.22. That mark is good for 11th all-time at Tennessee and is projected to rank eighth in the NCAA and third in the SEC at the weekend's conclusion.
Coleman was the only SEC representative to place inside the top five of the 100 meters and was just one of three collegians to place fifth or better. Former Alabama standout Diondre Batson (10.04) placed first for Stellar Athletics and 2008 Olympian Rondel Sorrillo (10.17) was fourth.
The freshman from Atlanta impressed once more when he turned in the sixth-fastest time in the SEC later that afternoon in the 200-meter dash. He placed 23rd with a time of 21.08.
"Chris Coleman just continues to charge forward," said Tennessee director of track and field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan, who was in California on Friday night at the Stanford Invitaitonal. "He had a great opener in both the 100 and 200 and he is really showing his talents."
Not long thereafter, Majors turned in a season-best time of 52.92 in the 400-meter dash -- a mark that will come in as the third-fastest in the SEC this season and the fifth-fastest in the NCAA. The sophomore finished 10th overall in the event after winning her heat.
Majors competed in the invitational section of the women's 200-meter dash later that afternoon, finishing in 17th with a new career-best effort of 23.40. That time moves her inside the top 20 all-time at UT and will come in as the fourth-fastest time in the SEC this season.
"Fe Majors really stepped in on a mission to get things going and I thought it was just a great day for her," Sullivan said.
Teammate Felicia Brown was not far behind Majors in the 200 meters as she placed 19th overall with a time of 23.48.
For the second time in three weeks, freshman Strother recorded a new PR in the men's 400-meter dash. On Friday he established the new career-best in a time of 46.64 seconds. He had entered the weekend ranked 15th in the NCAA in the event and is now projected to move into a tie for ninth overall. It is also the No. 6 time in the SEC this season.
"Nate Strother took another huge step forward, running a very solid race," Sullivan said. "I'm really proud of our contingent out in Florida."
In the field events, Maria Jimenez got her outdoor season off to a strong start when she finished 12th in the women's javelin behind a throw of 141 feet, eight inches (43.17m). Cidae'a Woods added another top-15 finish to the tally when her leap of 18 feet, 11.25 inches (5.77m) came in 14th in the women's long jump.
Six athletes will be in action for UT on Saturday at the Florida Relays. Aside from the four members of the sprint medley relay team, which start competition at 12:45 p.m. ET, Wesley Edwards will take part in the men's high jump invitational at 2:30 p.m. and Brielyn Rogers rounds out the weekend in the women's triple jump at 4 p.m.
MEN'S RESULTS AT FLORIDA RELAYS
Friday
100m: 5. Christian Coleman, 10.22!
400m: 15. Nathan Strother, 46.64!; 69. Jerimy Strainge, 49.96!
800m: 38. Nick Kaiser, 1:51.27; 53. Chase Hilton, 1:53.47
200m Invite: 23. Christian Coleman, 21.08
WOMEN'S RESULTS AT FLORIDA RELAYS
Friday
100mH: 58. Cidae'a Woods, 14.58
400m: 10. Felecia Majors, 52.92; 38. Felicia Brown, 54.29
200m Invite: 17. Felecia Majors, 23.40!; 19. Felicia Brown, 23.48
Long Jump: 14. Cidae'a Woods, 18-11.25 (5.77); Felecia Majors - f
Javelin: 12. Maria Jimenez, 141-08 (43.17)
! - 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
