Tennessee Shatters Records with 10 Stellar Titles at McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Tennessee track and field program commenced the new year with vigor in the Lone Star State, achieving 10 top finishes and showcasing numerous remarkable performances at the McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational on Friday inside Texas A&M’s R.A. Fasken Indoor Track and Field Facility.
 
The Vols and Lady Vols secured event titles in the throws, sprints, hurdles, and relays in College Station, and also noted a pair of impressive runner-up performances in the pole vault events. In total, Tennessee amassed 36 top-five finishes, 13 top-10 records in school history, and set one school record at the event.
 
Men’s Highlights

• Nigerian newcomer Consider Ekanem captured attention in his college debut, clinching the men’s 60-meter final in 6.57 seconds for a new personal best and the No. 5 mark in school history. The freshman’s time currently leads the SEC in 2025 and ranks second among NCAA Division I sprinters for the 2024-25 indoor season.
• Junior star T’Mars McCallum forms a formidable duo with Ekanem, having opened with two 6.61 60-meter efforts in the preliminaries and finals. His time stands fourth on the NCAA list this season and seventh in Tennessee history.
• After sitting out the 2024 season, Cade Gray made a significant Tennessee debut on Friday in the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 5.56m (18-3). This mark established a meet record, ranked No. 4 on Tennessee’s all-time indoor list, and matched the collegiate leading height early in the 2025 indoor season.
• Redshirt senior distance runner Canaan Anderson shattered the men’s 1,000-meter school record on Friday with a finish time of 2:23.38. The UT record was previously held by Alex Kay at 2:23.91, set during the 2021 indoor season.
• True freshman Gavin Genisio also attained UT’s freshman record in the indoor 1k with a time of 2:26.15. The former rookie record was also owned by Alex Kay with a time of 2:26.97 in 2020.
• New thrower Aidan Ifkovits commenced the meet with his first career victory in the 35-pound weight throw, achieving a distance of 19.01m (62-4.5) that just missed the Tennessee all-time top 10 performers list.
• Redshirt junior John Bruder aided Tennessee in securing the indoor throws double with a victory in the shot put in his inaugural official competition with the Volunteers. He came in first with a distance of 18.38m (60-3.75).
• Freshman hurdler Broderick Davis triumphed in his college debut, finishing with a time of 7.95 in the men’s 60-meter hurdles final. His time ranks fourth among NCAA Division I freshmen this season.

Women’s Highlights

• Lady Vol graduate student Myreanna Bebe made her Tennessee debut on Friday in the 60-meter hurdles and recorded the collegiate lead with her time of 8.06 in the prelims. This time matched the No. 3 performer in Lady Vol history.
• Tennessee achieved a 1-2-3 finish in the women’s 60-meter hurdles final, topped by Bebe’s winning mark of 8.13. Layla Anderson secured second at 8.23, followed closely by Kiara Smith in 8.42. The three results rank in the top-20 nationally this season.
• Freshman thrower Donna Douglas accomplished a double win in her collegiate debut, finishing first in both the women’s weight throw (19.27m / 63-2.75) and shot put (15.34m / 50-4). These marks rank the Jonesboro, Arkansas, native No. 10 and No. 6 on Tennessee’s all-time indoor list, respectively.
• Less than two weeks after joining the Lady Vols as a midyear enrollee, true freshman Mya Strahm was Tennessee’s top performer in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.20 meters (13-9.25), finishing second overall. Her mark ranks No. 6 in UT indoor history and second among NCAA Division I freshmen this season, just two centimeters shy of the program’s rookie record.
• Sophomore newcomer Faith Okwose clinched first place in the women’s 60-meter dash final, achieving a lifetime-best mark of 7.34 seconds. Her time currently ranks seventh on the NCAA Division I leaderboard.
• Fifth-year senior Brianna White put forth a strong performance in the women’s 300-meter with a personal best of 37.37 – winning her heat, placing second overall, and moving to No. 3 on the Tennessee all-time chart.
• The Lady Vols showcased a 1-2 finish in the women’s 1,000-meter on Friday. Sophomore Ka’Myya Haywood led the race and won with a time of 2:52.70, closely followed by rookie Kylie Feeney, who finished strong at 2:52.87.
• UT wrapped up the meet with a victory in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, as the team comprising Javonya Valcourt, Kaniya Johnson, Cydney Wright, and Brianna White completed the event with a time of 3:32.96. This time ranks eighth in Lady Vol history and currently holds the collegiate lead, with White anchoring the team with a split time of 52.63 seconds.

PR Tracker

• Tennessee athletes collectively broke or equaled 17 indoor personal records on Friday at the McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational.
  

Upcoming Events

• The indoor season proceeds next week with an outing to the midstate for the Vanderbilt Invitational, scheduled for Jan. 17-18 in Nashville.