University of Tennessee Athletics
Track Opens Outdoor Season at Shamrock Invitational
March 17, 2016 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After an impressive finish to the 2016 indoor track and field season with a pair of top-10 team showings at NCAA Championships, Tennessee opens the outdoor track and field season this weekend at the 20th Annual Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Coastal Carolina is hosting this week's invitational from March 17-19 at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.
The meet started on Thursday morning with Seth Whitener and Matthew Zajac competing in the men's hammer throw and LaChyna Roe competing in the women's heptathlon. VFL Ellen Wortham is also competing unattached in the women's heptathlon.
Whitener took fifth place in the men's hammer throw with a throw of 57.19 meters (187-7.00). Zajac took eighth with a throw of 53.66 meters (176-0.00).
In Thursday's four women's heptathlon events, Roe placed ninth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.83), 12th in the shot put (8.78 meters/28-9.75), ninth in the high jump (1.49 meters/4-10.50) and 11th in the 200 meters (27.93).
Wortham won the women's heptathlon (14.04) and took seventh in the shot put (9.40 meters/30-10.25), third in the shot put (1.64 meters/5-4.50) and first in the 200 meters (23.76).
The women's heptathlon continues on Friday with the long jump, javelin and 800 meters. After Day 1, Wortham is in second place with 3,250 points and Roe is in 11th with 2,431 points.
On Friday, Tennessee will run 4x800 and 4x200 men's relays and a 4x200 women's relay. In men's individual events, Jalen Hunter will compete in the 400 meters, Kyle Quinn will compete in the javelin throw and Mustaqeem Williams and Darryl Harris will compete in the men's long jump seeded division. In women's individual events, Brielyn Rogers and Maya Neal will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, Savannah Marlow and Danielle Holdren will compete in the women's hammer throw, Erin Champion and Kristen Denk will compete in the pole vault seeded division and Cidae'a Woods, Chyna Ries and Felecia Majors will compete in the long jump seeded division.
Outdoor Season Outlook
The Tennessee men placed third and the UT women took seventh at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.
"The indoor season could not have ended any better with two top-10 teams, a trophy and just a tremendous amount of momentum coming out of Birmingham and into this, "Tennessee director of track and field and cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan said.
Tennessee returns seven 2015 NCAA Outdoor All-Americans in Jake Blankenship (men's pole vault), Chelsea Blaase, (women's 10,000 meters), Felicia Brown (women's 200 meters) Christian Coleman (men's 100 meters, men's 200 meters), Maria Jimenez (women's javelin - honorable mention), Tyler Porter (men's pole vault) and Nathan Strother (400 meters - honorable mention).
Of that group of returning 2015 Outdoor All-Americans, Blankenship, Blaase, Brown, Coleman and Strother all reached the NCAA Championships this past indoor season and will look to continue that momentum into the outdoor season. Coleman took home three trophies at NCAAs, winning the men's 200 meters (20.55), taking third in the men's 60 meters (6.52) and placing fifth with the men's 4x400 (3:06.29). Brown won the women's 200 meters in an electrifying 22.47 and took fifth with the women's 4x400 (3:31.17). Strother earned two trophies at NCAAs with a breakthrough performance in the men's 400 meters (46.28) to take silver and a strong anchor leg of UT's fifth-place 4x400 relay. Blankenship finished the indoor season with the nation's top mark of 5.27 meters (18-9.25). Blaase took third in the women's 5,000 meters with a PR of 15:42.47.
Porter and Jimenez make their season debuts this week after months of training.
"Kyle Quinn is an outstanding national-caliber javelin thrower and he has had a tremendous fall and winter training," Sullivan said. "We are looking forward to seeing him in action for his senior year."
"Maria Jimenez was at the national championship finals last year and we are excited to get her in competition."
Porter earned Second Team All-America accolades in 2015 with an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, vaulting 17-4.50 (5.30 meters). He qualified for his first NCAA Championships since 2013 by clearing 17-2.75 (5.25 meters) to take sixth at the NCAA East Preliminary Round
Jimenez was impressive in 2015, finishing 23rd at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a throw of 147-5.00 (44.94 meters). She qualified for her first NCAA Championships with a PR throw of 160-7.00 (48.95) to finish in eighth place at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Erin Champion also makes her 2016 debut in the outdoor women's pole vault this weekend. Champion cleared 13-1.75 (4.01 meters) at 2016 SEC Outdoor Championships and took 40th at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
20th Annual Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational
THURSDAY MEN'S EVENTS
Hammer Throw: 5. Seth Whitener, 57.19m (187-7.00); 8. Matthew Zajac, 53.66m (176-0.00)
THURSDAY WOMEN'S EVENTS
Heptathlon - Day 1 Standings: 11. LaChyna Roe, 2,431 points
Heptathlon - 100mH: 9. LaChyna Roe, 15.83
Heptathlon - Shot Put: 12. LaChyna Roe, 8.78m (28-9.75)
Heptathlon - High Jump: T9. LaChyna Roe, 1.49m (4-10.50)
Heptathlon - 200m: 11. LaChyna Roe, 27.93
FRIDAY MEN'S EVENTS
1:20 p.m. - 400m: Jalen Hunter
3:30 p.m. - Javelin: Kyle Quinn
4 p.m. - 4x800m: Tennessee
4:40 p.m. - 4x200m: Tennessee
5 p.m. - Long Jump-Seeded: Mustaqeem Williams, Darryl Harris
FRIDAY WOMEN'S EVENTS
10:45 a.m. - Heptathlon: LaChyna Roe
1 p.m. - Hammer Throw: Savannah Marlow, Danielle Holdren
4 p.m. - Pole Vault-Seeded: Kristen Denk, Erin Champion
4:20 p.m. - 4x200m: Tennessee
5 p.m. - 100mH: Brielyn Rogers, Maya Neal
5 p.m. - Long Jump-Seeded: Cidae'a Woods, Chyna Ries, Felecia Majors
SATURDAY MEN'S EVENTS
9 a.m. - Discus: Matthew Zajac, Hunter Harrison, Cameron Brown
9 a.m. - Long Jump: Wesley Edwards, Jonathan Mays
11:15 a.m. - 4x100m: Tennessee
12:55 p.m. - 400m-Seeded: Darryl Harris, Malik Elion, Mustaqeem Williams
1 p.m. - High Jump-Seeded: Wesley Edwards, Jonathan Mays
1:30 p.m. - Shot Put: Cameron Brown, Seth Whitener
2 p.m. - Pole Vault: Tyler Porter, Ocean Walters-Carlson
2:30 p.m. - Triple Jump: Weldon Wright
3:20 p.m. - 200m-Seeded: Malik Elion, Jalen Hunter, Ari Cogdell
4:25 p.m. - 3000m: Jack Little, Zach Long, Tyler Woodrome, Austin Whitelaw
5:30 p.m. - 4x400m: Tennessee
SATURDAY WOMEN'S EVENTS
9 a.m. - Long Jump: Maya Neal
10 a.m. - Javelin: Maria Jimenez
10:30 a.m. - Shot Put: Cassie Wertman, Candice Butler
10:30 a.m. - Mile-Seeded: Jessica Rizor, Peighton Meske, Emma Reed
11:15 a.m. - 4x100m: Tennessee
12:25 a.m. - 400m-Seeded: London Freeland, DeAndra Greer, Maia McCoy
1:30 p.m. - Triple Jump: Cidae'a Woods, Brielyn Rogers, LaChyna Roe, Rebecka Miranda
2:15 p.m. - 400mH: London Freeland
3 p.m. - 200m-Seeded: Maia McCoy, Lenysse Dyer, DeAndra Greer, Layla White
3:45 p.m. - 3000m: Jessica Rizor, Peighton Meske, Emma Reed
5 p.m. - 4x400m: Tennessee
