Five Lady Vols record top distance marks in program history

Five Lady Vols record top distance marks in program history.

Five Lady Vols recorded top 10 all time marks at the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State, at Paul Derr Track in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Senior Kayla Gholar, making her 5K outdoor debut, recorded a time of 16 minutes, 5.28 seconds and finished in sixth place. Her mark is fifth place in program history.

Graduate student Emily Covert (33:34..94), graduate student Ashley Jones (33:34.96) and junior Rachel Sutliff (33:34.97) crossed the finish line simultaneously in the invitational 10K event for Tennessee. Covert posted the third best time in school history. Jones had the fourth best mark, and Sutliff is fifth.

Freshman Caroline Lyerly (34:04) made her debut in the 10K and recorded the sixth best time in program history.

Competing in the open 10K race, senior Msgana Araya recorded a time of 34:49.87 and was the top collegiate athlete. Her mark is the 11th best in Tennessee’s program history.

Jacious Sears named SEC Runner of the Week

Tennessee’s Jacious Sears named SEC Runner of the Week.

Tennessee senior sprinter Jacious Sears was named Southeastern Conference Runner of the Week.

Sears earned the award for a second time this season.

She won the 60-meter and 200-meter dash at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On Saturday, Sears won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.09, the second fastest mark in the NCAA this season. Her time is also the No. 7 time on the 2024 World Athletics top list. She ran the event in 7.18 seconds during the preliminaries.

In the 200-meter dash on Friday, Sears recorded a season-best time of 22.57, which is the No. 3 time recorded in the world this season. It is also the fastest time recorded in the NCAA this season in all conditions.

Emmanuel Bynum, Jacious Sears record top times in New Mexico Collegiate Classic

Tennessee’s Emmanuel Bynum and Jacious Sears record top times in New Mexico Collegiate Classic.

Tennessee took part in the first day of competition on Friday at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic at Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In the men’s 400-meter, Emmanuel Bynum (45.45 seconds) recorded the second fastest time in the world and the top time posted in the NCAA in 2024.

In the women’s 200-meter, Jacious Sears (22.57 seconds) recorded a personal best indoor time was and indoor personal best.

Tennessee’s personal best times on Friday

T’Mars McCallum – Men’s 200m – 20.88
Zyaire Nuriddin – Men’s 200m – 21.00
Jacious Sears – Women’s 200m – 22.57
Dennisha Page – Women’s 200m – 23.12
Jonah Ross – Women’s 200m – 23.37
Layla Anderson – Women’s 200m – 23.69
Kyla Robinson-Hubbard – Women’s 200m – 23.70
Christian Parker – Men’s 400m – 46.78
Clement Ducos – Men’s 400m – 46.97
Javonya Valcourt – Women’s 400m – 52.75
Brianna White – Women’s 400m – 53.37
Ka’Myya Haywood – Women’s 400m – 54.74

Jacious Sears sets top mark in 60-meter dash

A look at Tennessee’s top marks at the Ted Nelson Invitational.

Tennessee sprinter Jacious Sears won the 60-meter dash in the Ted Nelson Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, Saturday in College Station, Texas.

Sears recorded a time of 7.10 seconds in the finals of the event. Her time is the top mark in the NCAA this season.

Saturday marked the second consecutive week Sears set a top mark. She posted a mark of 22.88 seconds in the women’s 200-meter dash at the Gamecock Opener on Jan. 13.

Tennessee graduate transfer Dennisha Page placed second among collegiate athletes in the 60-meter dash. She recorded a personal-best 7.23 finish.

Emmanuel Bynum finished the 400-meter dash in 46.05 seconds for the Vols, which is the second best time of the season in both the NCAA and in the world.

Freshman jumper Grant Campbell recorded a mark of 2.16 meters (7 feet, 1 inch) in the high jump at Texas A&M on Saturday.

The Maryville, Tennessee native is fifth on the Vols’ all-time list in the event.

Jacious Sears named SEC Runner of the Week

Tennessee’s Jacious Sears named SEC Runner of the Week.

Tennessee sprinter Jacious Sears was named co-SEC Women’s Runner of the Week when the conference announced its weekly indoor track and field awards Tuesday.

Spears, a junior and five-time All-America performer, received the honor after her performances at the Gamecock Opener on Jan. 14 in Columbia, South Carolina.

She won the 200-meter dash, recording a time of 22.88 seconds. Her mark ranks as the fastest time on the 2024 World Athletics top list and as the fastest mark on the 2023-24 collegiate list.

Spears, a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, also recorded a time of  7.25 seconds in 60-meter dash preliminaries. The time stands as the No. 5 mark in the NCAA, and the No. 9 mark in the world.

She is the only collegiate sprinter with top five marks in the two events this season.

Spears shared SEC Co-Women’s Runner of the Week honors with Sanu Jallow of Arkansas.

Social media reaction of Vols, Lady Vols celebrating Christmas

A look at social media reaction of Vols and Lady Vols celebrating Christmas.

The University of Tennessee is celebrating Christmas on social media Monday.

The next University of Tennessee athletics event will take place Sunday with the Lady Vols’ basketball team playing at Liberty. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN+.

Tennessee football will conclude its 2023 season in one week.

The Vols will play Iowa on Jan. 1, 2024 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

READ: Tennessee-Iowa Citrus Bowl transfer portal and opt-outs tracker

Below is University of Tennessee athletics and former Vols celebrating Christmas on Monday.

Tennessee adds two assistant coaches ahead of 2023 season

Tennessee adds two assistant coaches ahead of 2023 season.

Tennessee head coach and director of cross country and distance Sean Carlson hired two assistant coaches for the upcoming cross country season.

Carlson announced Judy Pendergast and Danny Kilrea have joined Tennessee’s distance staff.

“I am thrilled to welcome Danny and Judy to our staff,” Carlson said in a press release. “They were both decorated athletes in their careers, but more importantly, are great people. Both of them will be tremendous resources for our student-athletes.”

Pendergast comes to Tennessee after serving as an assistant coach at Harvard last season. She worked with Harvard’s men’s and women’s middle distance runners, coaching two cross country All-Americans, 10 individual Ivy League champions, three indoor NCAA championship qualifiers and 12 outdoor NCAA qualifiers.

Kilrea comes to Tennessee after coaching men’s and women’s distance runners at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He was a captain of the Fighting Irish’s cross country team in 2021, winning a ACC championship.

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Three Tennessee athletes earn medals at Pan American U20 Championships

Three Tennessee athletes earn medals at Pan American U20 Championships.

Three Tennessee track and field athletes won medals at the XXI Pan American U20 Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Lady Vols’ hurdler Myla Greene won the women’s 100-meter hurdles championship, while Vols’ rising freshman Grant Campbell captured a gold medal in the men’s high jump.

Greene won gold medals while representing Team USA at the Pan American Championships.

“We are so proud of Myla and Grant for their efforts on the international stage and representing Team USA at a championship level,” Tennessee head coach Duane Ross said. “We can’t wait to welcome those two and the rest of our signing class to campus in a couple weeks and get to work.”

Greene recorded a time of 13.70 seconds in the finals. Campbell recorded a leap of 2.19 meters (7 feet, 2.25 inches).

Tennessee sophomore Brandon Pottinger finished third in the men’s high jump, while competing for Jamaica.

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Dylan Jacobs earns Indoor National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year honors

Tennessee’s Dylan Jacobs earns Indoor National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year honors.

Tennessee distance specialist and graduate student Dylan Jacobs was named 2023 National Indoor Scholar Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Jacobs is the first Vol to receive the honor.

Jacobs transferred to Tennessee from Notre Dame. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Business and Human Resources at the University of Tennessee.

Jacobs won three SEC championships and claimed the Vols’ first national title in the 5,000-meter run.

He announced intentions in competing professionally, signing with On Running. Jacobs will remain in Tennessee and train with Vols’ distance coach Sean Collins.

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Duane Ross agrees to contract extension through 2027-28

Tennessee head coach Duane Ross agrees to contract extension through 2027-28.

Tennessee head coach and director of track and field Duane Ross agreed to a contract extension through 2027-28 on Wednesday.

In one year under Ross, the Vols and Lady Vols totaled 15 school records, 32 All-America honors and 22 Southeastern Conference medals during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

“In just one season, Duane has started building the foundation to restore our track & field program as one of the nation’s truly elite programs,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White said in a press release. “It was an encouraging sign of progress to see both programs finish in the top five at both SEC championship events for the first time since 2008, and watching our women’s program place in the top-10 nationally at indoors and outdoors for the first time since 2009 was eye-opening.”

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