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2009-10 Track and Field Weekly Notebook (week ending 2/7)

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REMINDER:
SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships
Feb. 26-28
Fayetteville, Ark.

Team Notes

Alabama
Men
Freshman Kirani James smashed the 400 meter school record en route to posting the current world's fastest 400 meter time in his debut to lead Alabama at the Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Center on Saturday. James, in his first indoor 400m open race, blazed his way around the oval to claim the individual title with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 45.79. The freshman was hardly pushed, as the second place finisher was almost a full second behind at 46.43. James' time leads the nation by .02 seconds, leads the SEC by .69 seconds and set a new standard for Alabama 400m runners, breaking a 10-year school record of 46.46 held by Cori Loving - also set in South Bend. Fellow freshman Fabian Norgrove placed 10th in the 400m dash with a season-best time of 48.15. James returned at the end of the day to lead off the 4x400m relay team, which included Norgrove, Aaron Stockstell and Matt Watson as well. The relay team members combined to run a provisional qualifying time of 3:09.27 as they placed second in the race. The time ranks as the seventh-fastest time in school history and second-fastest in the SEC. In the 60m dash, senior Ray Jadusingh notched his third consecutive NCAA provisional qualifying mark as he won the 60m dash individual title with a time of 6.71. Junior transfer Joel Rop set a new career-best in the mile run with a time of 4:07.51 on his way to a fourth place finish. Fellow junior transfers Fred Samoei and Julius Bor competed in the Meyo Mile posting times of 4:08.12 and 4:13.63 to finish eighth and 12th, respectively. Earning his second provisional mark of the year, sophomore Tyler Campbell placed fifth in the high jump with a leap of 7-0 1/4 to tie his season-best. Stockstell posted a new season-best 800m time by almost three full seconds. His time of 1:50.07 placed him seventh overall and is the second-fastest time in the SEC. Brandon Spradley also sprinted his way to a new season-best time of 22.04 in the 200m dash. On Friday, Shaun Gaiser leaped his way to a new season-best mark in the long jump by over one foot. Gaiser's mark of 23-11 3/4 was good enough for eighth. The Tide will send split squads to the Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash. and the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, Texas on Feb. 12-13.

Women
Senior Kim Laing found herself once again leading the Alabama women's track and field team in the Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Center this weekend. Laing posted yet another provisional time of 8.35 en route to claiming the individual title in the 60m hurdles. Sophomore Kelsey Johnson came just .81 seconds of a NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 3,000m run as she placed 14th with a career-best time of 9:32.81. In the 60m dash, Heather Matherson tied her season-best with a time of 7.74 while Chealsea Taylor set a new career-best with a time of 7.76. Taylor and Matherson came back in the 200m dash later in the day to set more season-best times. The duo finished sixth and seventh with times of 24.51 and 24.55, respectively. Katlyn Will became the second Alabama performer to run a sub-five-minute mile this season as posted a season-best time of 4:59.02. Leigh Gilmore and Elsbeth Denton set career-best times of 5:01.31 and 5:04.62, respectively. The 4x400m relay team consisting of Talaya Owens, Taylor, Kim Laing and Heather Matherson set a new season-best time of 3:49.88. The distance medley relay team consisting of Johnson, Owens, Gilmore and Will posted a time of 11:44.64 to finish fifth in the race. The time ranks as the fourth-fastest time in the SEC this year and was just nine seconds off of the fifth-fastest time in school history. Sophomore Audra Frimpong set a new season-best in the long jump. Her leap of 18-9 was good enough for an 11th place finish. In sophomore Andrea Torske's first 5,000m race on the oval, she posted a career-best time of 18:22.00. In the weight throw, Amethyst Holmes continued to lead the way for the Tide as she has all season. Holmes heaved the 20-pound weight 51 feet and three inches to place 21st. Up next for the Tide is the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, Texas on Feb. 12-13.

Arkansas
Men
Senior Dorian Ulrey and freshman Drew Butler went 1-2 in the championship race of the 1,000 meters for No. 7 men's track and field at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory Track Center this weekend. Ulrey won the 1,000 meters in a time of 2:21.56. His clocking is No. 3 on Arkansas' all-time list, is a new Armory Track Center facility and New Balance Collegiate Invitational meet record. Butler earned a runner-up finish in the 1,000 meters. His time of 2:24.19 is No. 9 Arkansas' all-time list and was also below the previous facility record of 2:24.36.Senior Alain Bailey finished fourth in the championship long jump. His leap of 25-4.75 is a season best and an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying mark. Senior Scott MacPherson finished eighth in the championship mile. He clocked a personal-best time of 4:06.56. Sophomore Lane Boyer finished 11th in the same championship mile. He also clocked a personal best of 4:08.34. Junior Patrick Russell won the collegiate mile. He clocked a time of 4:07.17. His time is a season and personal best. The Razorbacks will compete next when they host the Tyson Invitational, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 12-13, at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Women:
Head coach Lance Harter's group of middle distance and distance runners clocked Arkansas school records in the 4x400-meter and distance medley relays for No. 11 women's track and field at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory Track Center this weekend. Sophomore Samantha Learch (1,200 meters; 3:26), junior Shelise Williams (400 meters; 52.2), freshman Regina George (800 meters; 2:07.2) and sophomore Kristen Gillespie (mile, 4:39.8) combined for a time of 11:06.56 in the distance medley relay to finish fourth. The quartet's time ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC. They broke the school record of 11:09.09 set by Aneita Denton, Tominque Boatright, Paige Farrell and Erica Sigmont in 2005 at the Armory Track Center. The quartet of senior Karen Thomas (54.56), Williams (52.02), junior Edina Brooks (54.05) and George (52.53) combined for a time of 3:33.18 to win the championship 4x400-meter relay. Their time is the Arkansas school record, the NCAA and SEC leader and an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying time. Their time was also just off the NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 3:33. The quartet broke the school record of 3:33.67 set by Boatright, Jessica Cousins, Sasha Rolle and Farrell in 2006 at the Iowa State Last Chance. The Razorbacks will compete next when they host the Tyson Invitational, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 12-13, at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Auburn
Men
The Auburn men's track and field team won four events and posted four provisional qualifying marks during the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup hosted by Penn State. In the 60 meters, Auburn took the top three spots, with the top two runners posting regional qualifying marks. Marcus Rowland won the event with a time of 6.64 seconds, just shy of his season-best mark of 6.61, while Harry Adams improved his season-best mark and national standing by placing second in 6.67 seconds. In the 200 meters, Rowland won with a new meet record of 20.93 seconds, missing his indoor personal best by just .01 seconds. His time ranks fifth in the NCAA this year. In the high jump, Ryan Fleck won with a height of 2.21 meters (7-3) that ranks second in school history behind only former World Champion Donald Thomas, and is sixth best in the NCAA this year.  Junior Ben Cheruiyot won the men's 3,000 meters, clocking a time of 8:11.60. The Tigers will send athletes to the Tyson Invitational and the Iowa State Classic this weekend.

Women
The Auburn women's track and field team won five events and posted eight provisional qualifying marks during the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup hosted by Penn State. Three women had career-best times and NCAA qualifying marks in the 60-meter hurdles. Krystal Bodie won the event with a time of 8.30 seconds that ranks third in school history, Danielle Gilchrist was just .01 seconds behind, finishing in 8.31 seconds, and Amelia Anderson placed third in 8.34 seconds. Anderson also qualified in the triple jump, winning with a personal-best mark of 12.70 meters (41-8) that ranks eighth in school indoor history. In the women's 400 meters, Joanna Atkins posted a winning time of 52.79 seconds that is tied for third best in the NCAA this year, and marked the third individual event in which she is qualified for the NCAA Championships.  In the 200 meters, Sheniqua Ferguson sped to a provisional qualifying time of 23.66 seconds that ranks fifth in Auburn indoor history and seventh in the NCAA this year. Nivea Smith was close behind, finishing second in 23.76 seconds, moving up to 10th in the NCAA while improving her season best by .03 seconds. Auburn's final victory came from Maya Pressley, who won the women's high jump with a mark of 1.75 meters (5-8.75), which was just one centimeter shy of her season best. The final provisional qualifying time for the Tigers came in the women's 4x400-meter relay. The team of CeCe Williams, Cache Armbrister, Latoya Parkinson and Atkins finished second with a time of 3:39.85 that just missed improving on their previous season best. The Tigers will send athletes to the Tyson Invitational and the Iowa State Classic this weekend.

Florida
Men 
The No. 5 Florida men turned in a strong performance at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet this past weekend, recording two event victories, one NCAA automatic-qualifying mark and nine NCAA provisional-qualifying marks/times. Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor the defending NCAA Indoor Champion in the men’s triple jump, punched his ticket to the upcoming NCAA Championships with an automatic-qualifying mark of 16.26m/53-4.25 to claim the event on Saturday. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team was also victorious, capturing the event in a time of 3:07.79. Freshman sprinter Jeff Demps clocked the second-fastest 60-meter time in school history, placing second in the finals of the event at the Virginia Tech Elite in a time of 6.61. Competing for the first time this season, junior thrower Kemal Mesic was the top collegian in the men’s long jump with an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 18.99m/62-3.75. Florida returns to action next weekend when it sends split squads to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, and the Washington Invitational in Seattle.

Women 
The No. 9 Florida women turned in a spectacular performance at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet this past weekend, claiming five event victories, three NCAA automatic-qualifying marks and three NCAA provisional-qualifying marks/times. Senior jumper Shara Proctor had an impressive weekend, winning both the women’s triple jump and long jump competitions, recording automatic-qualifying marks in both and shattering school records in both events. She also is among the world leaders in each of those events. Senior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili, a member of the preseason watch list for The Bowerman – track and field’s highest honor, shattered her personal best and the school record in the process, turning in the No. 3 mark in collegiate history in the women’s shot put with a toss of 18.56m/60-10.75. The women’s 4x400-meter relay team posted a season-best time and the school’s fastest since the 2005 season at 3:39.93. That bettered the previous season-best time of 3:39.96 recorded at the Kentucky Invitational in mid-January. Florida returns to action next weekend when it sends split squads to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, and the Washington Invitational in Seattle.

Georgia
Men
The 22nd-ranked Bulldogs racked up six NCAA provisional qualifying marks, one NCAA automatic qualifying mark and two wins at the Virginia Tech Elite meet in Blacksburg, Va., over the weekend.  Sophomore Torrin Lawrence led the charge by winning the 200-meter dash with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 20.80 (second-fastest time in the world this year, third-fastest of his career) and the 400 with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 46.66.  Lawrence also joined Phillip Adams, Aaron Evans and Baron Brown to earn runner-up honors in the 4x400 relay with an NCAA provisional qualifying 3:09.96, which is the seventh-fastest time in school history.  In the shot put, senior Israel Machovec joined the "60-foot club" after launching a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying toss of 60-6.75 to finish fourth.  The Bulldogs had a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the weight throw as senior John Freeman had a PR of 68-1 to take second and senior Branislav Danis reached 64-1.25 for fourth place.  Aaron LaGarde picked up his first provisional qualifier in the triple jump after traveling a personal-best 51-2.25, which ranks ninth in school history.  Also of note, sophomore Allen Brandon went over the pole vault bar at a career-best height of 17 feet to finish third and flirt with his first provisional mark of the year.  Georgia returns to the road on Feb. 12-13 to the Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.) and the Tiger Paw Invitational (Clemson, S.C.).

Women
The Lady Bulldogs picked up three NCAA provisional qualifying marks and a win at the Virginia Tech Elite meet in Blacksburg, Va., over the weekend.  Two Georgia pole vaulters – freshman Jade Riebold and graduate student Kat Majester – reached a personal-best and provisional qualifying height of 13 feet, 2 1/4 inches to finish first and second, respectively.  This was Riebold’s first collegiate win and her second career-best mark in as many meets.  Sophomore Nikola Lomnicka also continued her habit of setting personal-best efforts in the weight throw, finishing second in the event.  Lomnicka launched a top effort of 65-10.25 to improve her No. 3 spot in the school record books and inch higher on the national performance list.  Also of note, freshman Saniel Atkinson and sophomore Carin Walker cleared 5-8.50 to tie for second in the high jump.  Georgia returns to the road on Feb. 12-13 to the Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.) and the Tiger Paw Invitational (Clemson, S.C.).

Kentucky
Men's track and field sprinter Rondel Sorrillo becomes the nation's new collegiate leader with an NCAA Automatic Qualifying performance in the 60m Dash at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. Friday night.  Senior Rondel Sorrillo smoked his competition with an NCAA Automatic Qualifying time of 6.60. His Virginia Tech Elite Meet victory moves him into the first place slot as fastest 60m run time in the country.  Sorrillo also holds the second fastest 200m time nationally after running a 20.77 last weekend at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet hosted by the Wildcats.  An impressive performance for the Kentucky track and field team concluded with three in the top six of the women's shot put and a win by freshman Walter Luttrell in the 5,000 meters at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet, held on Saturday at Rector Field House.  Ashley Muffet finished in fourth place with her best throw of the season and extended her NCAA provisional qualifying mark to 16.21 meters (53 feet, 02.25 inches). In fifth place was junior Jennifer Svoboda, who claimed an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a throw of 15.33 (50-03.50), followed closely by Mary Angell, who also had a season-best throw of 15.15 (49-08.50) to finish sixth.  A very consistent group of throwers began on Friday with Kristin Smith in the weight throw. Smith threw an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 20.57 meters (67-06.00) to claim victory and furthered her own school record for a third-consecutive competition.

LSU
Men
Junior All-American and NCAA title contender Walter Henning was dominant once again this weekend in leading the Tigers to a second-place finish in the team standings at the 2010 New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the New Balance Track & Field Center in New York. For the second time in as many weeks, Henning shattered his own LSU school record to win the 35-pound weight throw on Saturday with a personal-best and NCAA-leading mark of 76 feet, 6 ½ inches on his fifth attempt of the competition. His performance also broke the New Balance Collegiate Invitational meet record of 72-8 ½ that he set a year ago, as well as the collegiate facility record at The Armory. Henning wrapped up the weekend the clear No. 1 performer in the NCAA and a true NCAA title threat as Steffen Nerdel of Memphis is nearly two feet behind the LSU star with a top mark of 74-10 this season. Henning was not the only LSU Tiger to win an event title at The Armory this weekend as fellow junior Zedric Thomas equaled his seasonal-best and NCAA-leading mark of 26-3 to win the long jump crown. Thomas has jumped a personal best of 26-3 in consecutive long jump competitions this season as he opened the season with an identical performance in winning the event title at the Purple Tiger Invitational on Jan. 22. Sophomore Barrett Nugent also displayed the form that has earned him recognition as an All-America candidate this season as he finished runner-up in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a new personal-best time of 7.71 seconds in the event final on Friday night. Nugent’s time currently ranks No. 2 in the country for the 2010 indoor season and No. 3 on LSU’s all-time indoor performance list in the event. He is just .02 seconds off the current NCAA leader Jarret Eaton of Syracuse, who was the first-place finisher in the same race with a time of 7.69. Other athletes to record NCAA provisional qualifying times at The Armory include junior Richard Jones (1:48.88) and senior Jamaal James (1:50.10) in the 800 meters, sophomore Marcus McGehee (17-0 ¾) in the pole vault and LSU’s 4x400-meter relay team (3:10.24). Through three weeks of the 2010 indoor season, the Tigers have racked up two automatic qualifiers and nine provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships. They will be back in action this weekend at the Tyson Invitational being held Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

Women
The New Balance Collegiate Invitational this past weekend proved to be an important meet for the Lady Tigers as they added nine new or improved NCAA provisional qualifiers over the course of two days of competition. The Lady Tigers kicked off the action on Friday night with four provisional qualifiers in the 60-meter dash. Freshman Takeia Pinckney led the way with a third-place finish in the event final as she clocked a new seasonal-best and personal-best time of 7.31 seconds to become the top-ranked freshman in the country for the 2010 indoor season. Junior All-American Kenyanna Wilson followed in fourth place as she improved her NCAA provisional time to 7.33, while senior Samantha Henry (7.35) and senior Kristina Davis (7.39) each qualified for the first time this season during Friday’s competition. In addition, junior Tenaya Jones became an NCAA provisional qualifier for the first time this season as she clocked 8.38 in the final of the 60-meter hurdles. The Lady Tigers carried that momentum into Saturday’s competition as three 800-meter runners added their names to LSU’s postseason roster. Senior LaTavia Thomas clocked 2 minutes, 6.06 seconds to place second in her first 800-meter race of 2010, while she was followed by fellow senior Kayann Thompson (2:07.06) in third place and freshman Charlene Lipsey (2:08.94) in sixth place. The Lady Tigers wrapped up the event by running the nation’s fourth-fastest time in the 4x400-meter relay at 3:35.74. The foursome of sophomore Cassandra Tate, Thompson, Henry and Thomas combined for a seasonal-best time to finish runner-up to Arkansas (3:33.18) in the race. Through three weeks of the 2010 indoor season, the Lady Tigers have racked up two automatic qualifiers and 12 provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships. They will be back in action this weekend at the Tyson Invitational being held Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

Ole Miss
Sophomore jumper Brian Knight set a new school record and turned in an NCAA automatic mark in the high jump with a distance of 7-04.25 and Ole Miss posted six other NCAA provisional marks Saturday at the Meyo Invitational.  Knight surpassed the previous school record in the high jump of 7-02.00 set by former Rebel great Savante' Stringfellow in 1999.  Knight's mark ties him for first in the nation.  The Miami, Fla., native went on to place fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 48-06.00.  Freshman Ricky Robertson placed sixth in the high jump with an NCAA provisional mark of 7-00.25, marking the fourth-highest jump in school history.  Distance runner Barnanas Kirui picked up an NCAA provisional time of 14:09.95 in the 5000 meters en route to a second place finish.  Junior LaJada Baldwin had the best finish for the women's team as she won the 400 meters with an NCAA provisional time of 53.36.  Middle distance runner Sofie Persson turned in an NCAA provisional time of 2:05.47 in the 800 meters on her way to a fourth place finish.  Logan Waites set a new school record in the 3000 meters with a time of 10:06.07.  The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Sofia Hellberg-Jonsen, Persson, Jasmine Dacus and Baldwin finished in fourth place with an NCAA provisional time of 3:39.88, which is also the fourth-fastest time in school history.  In field events, sophomore Aria Gaines earned a fourth place finish in the triple jump with a distance of 40-11.00 to post the third-longest mark in school history.  Junior Betty Williams turned in a fifth place finish in the shot put with an NCAA provisional distance of 49-11.00 to mark the second-furthest mark in school history.  Senior Davina Orieukwu took eighth in the weight throw with a mark of 58-07.75.  It was the second-furthest distance in school history.  Ole Miss returns to action Feb. 13 when the Rebels take part in the SEC/Big 12/Conference USA Challenge from College Station, Texas.

Mississippi State
Did not compete.

South Carolina
South Carolina concluded its week with a No. 10 national ranking for the women's team and No. 18 national ranking for the women's team. Michael Zajac hit a new personal best and hit the nation's fifth best mark in the weight throw to lead South Carolina at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational. The Gamecocks had 19 season best times at the two-day meet and hit 12 NCAA provisional qualifying marks. Carolina continues its championship stretch this weekend when a split team travels to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational. The other half of the team will compete at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, S.C.

Tennessee
Men
The Volunteers added two NCAA provisional qualifiers to their season list at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational…Junior Joe Berry became the second UT pole vaulter of the campaign to make the national list, matching earlier qualifier and sophomore teammate Robert Rasnick’s 17-0 ¾ clearance…Berry utilized that effort to finish second in the Championship division of the vault over the weekend…Sophomore Desmond Brown soared to a career-best measurement of 25 feet in the long jump to make the provisional cut…That performance was good for fifth in the Championship division…Senior Evander Wells posted a runner-up finish in the 200 meters, circling the oval in 21.15 to earn that distinction…Freshman middle distance runner Terrance Livingston, who prepped at Great Neck (N.Y.) South High School, returned to his old stomping grounds and won the College division of the 800 meters in 1:52.45…Peter Sigilai ran the top SEC time in the mile through Feb. 6, logging in at 4:05.64 to take fourth in the Championship division…He is just outside UT’s all-time top 12 in that event.

Women
The fifth-ranked Lady Volunteers turned in the fourth-best mark in school history and the No. 3 time in the country this season in taking second in the distance medley relay at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational…The Lady Vols, who posted a readout of 11:02.85, were nipped at the line by Villanova (11:02.83) and were runners-up by 2/100ths of a second…Nonetheless, UT gained its fourth NCAA automatic qualifying performance of the season, with the quartet of Brittany Sheffey, Ellen Wortham, Chanelle Price and Phoebe Wright joining Jackie Areson (3000m) and 800m autos by Wright and Price in that club…Another UT relay, the 4x200m combination of Wortham and freshmen Kia Jackson, Nyosha Bryant and Martinique Octave, ran the third-best clocking in program history with a 1:38.68 effort that left the Big Orange second by 4/100ths of a second behind BYU…Wortham also had a victory in the Eastern College division of the high jump at 5-5, while junior Annie Alexander was second in the Championship division of the shot put at 52-8.

Vanderbilt
The Vanderbilt Commodores took a brief hiatus from competition this past weekend, but will return to take on two different meets this weekend. The team will split into two units to travel to Ames, Ia. for the Iowa State Classic, and Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invitational. The Commodores’ most recent competition, the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational, brought out the best in the ‘Dores with three athletes now sharing the second spot on the VU all-time indoor list for pole vault. "The next couple months are going to be exciting. Records are going to fall," cautioned field coach Clark Humphreys. "Stay tuned!"