Competing at home for the first time in 2025, the Tennessee track & field program secured eight victories to open up the Tennessee Invitational on Friday at Tom Black Track. The Vols and Lady Vols posted 11 marks that rank top 20 on the NCAA Division I list this outdoor season – including the collegiate lead in the 400-meter hurdles along with top eight national performances in the men's javelin, women's 200-meter dash, men's pole vault and women's pole vault.
UTC was among the competing squads.
Vol graduate Jevon Williams stormed to an NCAA lead in his 400-meter hurdles season opener, clocking in at 49.96 seconds to narrowly miss his lifetime-best of 49.94 set during his time competing for Clemson.
The Pompano Beach, Florida, native sits seventh on Tennessee's all-time list in the event and becomes the fourth Vol coached by
Duane Ross to run under 50 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles.
Freshman standout
Nick Reynolds capped Day 1 on Rocky Top with a spectacular performance in the men's javelin, demolishing his personal-best with a heave of 75.58 meters (247-11) in the second round. That mark ranks the Concord, New Hampshire, native third in the NCAA this season and third on the U-20 world list, in addition to ranking fifth all-time at Tennessee and shattering the UT freshman record held by teammate
Kevin Burr Jr.
Burr was also stout for the Vols with a second-place finish in the javelin, heaving the spear a personal-best 73.17 meters (240-0) for the No. 7 performance in the NCAA this season. The Eastampton, New Jersey, product improved his standing as the No. 7 performer in school history.
Tennessee's pole vault squad had two notable showings in its victories on the men's and women's side at the home meet. Senior All-American
Sarah Schmitt improved her own school record with a winning leap of 4.38m (14-4.5), ranking sixth in the NCAA for the 2025 outdoor season. For the Vols, redshirt junior
Evan Puckett eclipsed a lifetime-best mark of 5.51m (18-1) – marking his first career clearance over 18 feet. The performance currently ranks third in the NCAA, leads the SEC and sits eighth on UT's all-time outdoor list.
The Lady Vols were well represented in the women's 200-meter dash with athletes tied to Tennessee going 1-2-3-4-5 in the event. Fifth-year
Brianna White ran unattached and earned the victory in her first post-collegiate appearance with a time of 22.83, while graduate student
Cydney Wright finished second with a time of 22.98 that ranks eighth in the country this outdoor season.
Javonya Valcourt (23.20),
Victoria Aransiola (23.42) and
Esther Joseph (23.47) rounded out Friday's top-five.
Additional victories for the Big Orange on Friday included:
The Tennessee Invite concludes Saturday with the Big Orange competing in 18 events, beginning at 9 a.m. with the men's hammer throw and wrapping up at approximately 4:45 p.m. with the men's 4x400-meter relay.