University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
NCAA Indoor Championships
Blaase, Brown Each Take 3rd Place At NCAAs
March 11, 2016 | Track & Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Chelsea Blaase and Cameron Brown recorded personal bests to reach the NCAA awards podium and sprinters Christian Coleman, Felicia Brown, Nathan Strother and Kali Davis-White punched their tickets to finals on Friday at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships at Birmingham CrossPlex.
After the first day of competition, the Tennessee men and women each rank 14th. Each has six points. Oregon leads the men with 25 points. Georgia is in first place on the women's side with 27 points.
Blaase closed the night with a courageous effort in the women's 5000 meters, battling through a head cold to run a personal-best 15:42.47 and take third place. She ran with the front group for most of the race and pulled away from the pack with the top four runners over the final 10 laps. Blaase has now earned All-America honors in five-straight seasons (2014 cross country, 2015 indoor, 2015 outdoor, 2015 cross country, 2016 indoor).
Cameron Brown had a brilliant performance in the men's weight throw, taking third place after throwing a career-best 23.54 meters (77-2.75) on his second throw. Brown was the event's leader from the second round until the end of the sixth round when Southeastern Louisiana's Alexander Young threw 23.80 meters (78-1.00) and Purdue's Chukwuebuka Enekwechi threw 23.65 meters (77-7.25).
Coleman shined in both of his sprint semifinals. He ran a PR 6.54 to win the first heat of the 60 meters and post the third-fastest time of the semifinals. Coleman ran the fastest time of the 200-meter semis, clocking 20.63. He enters Saturday with a full schedule as he will run in the men's 60-meter final at 4:55 p.m. CT, the men's 200-meter final at 5:50 p.m. and the men's 4x400-meter final at 6:40 p.m. Brown earns indoor All-American honors for the third time in his incredible UT career (2014, 2015 honorable mention, 2016).
Felicia Brown and Davis-White bounced back from disappointing finishes in the 60-meter semifinals with impressive showing in the 200-meter semis. Brown heads to Saturday's 200-meter final with the top time of 22.59 and Davis-White matched her PR of 23.23 to qualify with the sixth-fastest time. Brown and Davis-White ran good times in the women's 60-meter semifinals, but did not qualify for the finals. Brown was 10th with a time of 7.30 and Davis-White clocked the 11th-fastest time at 7.33. Brown will also compete in the women's 4x400 relay on Saturday at 6:55 p.m. CT.
Strother clocked a 46.52 in the men's 400-meter semifinals to punch his ticket to Saturday's final. He took second place in the fourth heat, using a late burst to qualify. Like Coleman, Strother will also run in tomorrow's men's 4x400.
Felecia Majors just missed out on reaching the women's 400-meter finals. She ran 53.15 in the semifinals, good for ninth place and missing out of the final qualifying spot by just six hundredths of a second. Majors will run in UT's women's 4x400-meter relay on Saturday.
Jake Blankenship, battling through injury, did not record a height in the men's pole vault.
Coleman will be the first Vol on the UT men's side in action on Saturday with the men's 60-meter final at 4:55 p.m. Cassie Wertman will be the first Vol on the women's side in action with the women's shot put final at 5 p.m.
NCAA Indoor Championships
FRIDAY TRACK EVENTS
Men's 60m Semifinals: 3. Christian Coleman, 6.53Q! (1st in Heat 1)
Women's 60m Semifinals: 10. Felicia Brown, 7.30 (4th in Heat 1); 11. Kali Davis-White, 7.33 (7th in Heat 2)
Men's 400m Semifinals: 6. Nathan Strother, 46.52q (2nd in Heat 4)
Women's 400m Semifinals: 9. Felecia Majors, 53.15 (3rd in Heat 1)
Men's 200m Semifinals: 1. Christian Coleman, 20.63q (1st in Heat 2)
Women's 200m Semifinals: 1. Felicia Brown, 22.59q (1st in Heat 1); 6. Kali Davis-White, 23.23q (2nd in Heat 3)
Women's 5000m Finals: 3. Chelsea Blaase, 15:42.47!
FRIDAY FIELD EVENTS
Men's Weight Throw Final: 3. Cameron Brown, 23.54m! (77-2.75)
Men's Pole Vault Final: Jake Blankenship, nh
Saturday Track Events
| Start Time (CT) | Event | Competing For Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 4:55 p.m. | Men's 60m Final | Christian Coleman |
| 5:10 p.m. | Men's 400m Final | Nathan Strother |
| 5:50 p.m | Men's 200m Final | Christian Coleman |
| 6 p.m. | Women's 200m Final | Felicia Brown, Kali Davis-White |
| 6:40 p.m. | Men's 4x400m Final | Tennessee |
| 6:55 p.m. | Women's 4x400m Final | Tennessee |
Saturday Field Events
| Start Time (CT) | Event | Competing For Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 5 p.m. | Women's Shot Put | Cassie Wertman |
