UT Claims Four Field Event Crowns On Friday At Vanderbilt Invitational

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee track & field program kicked off a weekend in the Volunteer State capital with four field event titles on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational. UT earned victories in the men's pole vault, men's long jump, men's high jump and women's weight throw to headline several Vols and Lady Vols in action at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.

Friday's top performances are highlighted below. Tennessee continues competition at Vanderbilt Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. ET with the men's shot put and concluding at approximately 7:35 p.m. with the men's 4x400-meter relay.

Men's Notables

Tennessee dominated the men's pole vault competition with four Vols placing in the top five, highlighted by PR performances for Evan Puckett and Clarke Byram to earn a 1-2 finish. Puckett cleared 5.42m (17-9.25) to equal VFL Russ Johnson as the No. 10 performer in UT history indoors, while Byram towered over 5.32m (17-5.5) to rank No. 3 among NCAA Division I freshman this season.
One week after setting the collegiate lead in the men's pole vault, redshirt junior Cade Gray made his UT debut in the long jump and earned the win with a leap of 7.76m (25-5.5) in the second round. His mark ranks No. 9 on UT's all-time indoor list and equaled the SEC leader entering the weekend.
All-American sophomore Grant Campbell made his season debut in the men's high jump and picked up a win with his clearance of 2.16m (7-1), equaling his indoor PR which stands as the No. 10 mark in school history indoors. He currently ranks second in the SEC in the event during the 2024-25 indoor season.
Freshman thrower Aidan Ifkovits opened the meet with an impressive mark in the men's weight throw invite, tossing the 35-pound sphere 20.04 meters (65-9) on his first attempt for a new personal best. The mark ranks him as the No. 9 performer in school history and was 13 centimeters shy of the program's freshman record (20.13m / 66-2.25 by Georgios Korakidis in 2018). Additionally, Ifkovits ranks as the top NCAA Division I freshman nationally with Friday's performance.

Women's Notables

True freshman Donna Douglas earned her second consecutive victory in the women's weight throw and added 20 centimeters to her personal record, tossing a mark of 19.47m (63-10.5). She improved her standing as the No. 6 performer in school history and No. 3 NCAA Division I freshman this indoor season.

PR Tracker

Tennessee athletes combined to break or tie seven indoor personal records on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational:
- Grant Campbell – Men's High Jump – 2.16m / 7-1
- Evan Puckett – Men's Pole Vault – 5.42m / 17-9.25
- Clarke Byram – Men's Pole Vault – 5.32m / 17-5.5
- Cade Gray – Men's Long Jump – 7.76m / 25-5.5
- Aidan Ifkovits – Men's Weight Throw – 20.04m / 65-9
- Yahnari Lyons – Women's 200m – 24.48
- Donna Douglas – Women's Weight Throw – 19.47m (63-10.5)

Debut Tracker

Three Tennessee athletes made their official collegiate debuts on Friday in the 200-meter competitions. Yahnari Lyons represented the Lady Vols after redshirting the 2024 campaign, while true rookies Shamar Heard and Jayvian Greene competed on the men's side.

University of Tennessee | Official Athletics Site

UT Claims Four Field Event Crowns On Friday At Vanderbilt Invitational

Players Mentioned

Clarke Byram

Grant Campbell

Donna Douglas

Cade Gray

Jayvian Greene

Shamar Heard

Aidan Ifkovits

Yahnari Lyons

Evan Puckett

Related Videos