NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee track & field program commenced a weekend in the state capital with four field event championships on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational. UT celebrated triumphs in the men’s pole vault, men’s long jump, men’s high jump, and women’s weight throw to highlight several Vols and Lady Vols participating at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.
The standout performances from Friday are summarized below. Tennessee continues competition at Vanderbilt on 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 4×400-meter relay.
Men’s Highlights - Tennessee excelled in the men’s pole vault event with four Vols finishing in the top five, led by personal record performances for Evan Puckett and Clarke Byram securing a 1-2 placement. Puckett successfully cleared 5.42m (17-9.25) to match VFL Russ Johnson as the No. 10 performer in UT’s indoor history, while Byram surpassed 5.32m (17-5.5) to rank No. 3 among NCAA Division I freshmen this season.
- Just one week after establishing the collegiate lead in the men’s pole vault, redshirt junior Cade Gray made his UT debut in the long jump and clinched the win with a jump of 7.76m (25-5.5) in the second round. His distance ranks No. 9 on UT’s all-time indoor list and matched the SEC leader heading into the weekend.
- All-American sophomore Grant Campbell made his season debut in the men’s high jump and secured a victory with his clearance of 2.16m (7-1), equaling his indoor personal best which stands as the No. 10 mark in school history indoors. Currently, he ranks second in the SEC for the event during the 2024-25 indoor season.
- Freshman thrower Aidan Ifkovits commenced the meet with an impressive performance in the men’s weight throw invite, launching the 35-pound shot 20.04 meters (65-9) on his first try for a new personal record. This mark positions him as the No. 9 performer in school history and was 13 centimeters short of the program’s freshman record (20.13m / 66-2.25 by Georgios Korakidis in 2018). Furthermore, Ifkovits ranks as the premier NCAA Division I freshman nationally following Friday’s results.
Women’s Highlights
- True freshman Donna Douglas achieved her second consecutive victory in the women’s weight throw and improved her personal record by 20 centimeters, with a toss of 19.47m (63-10.5). She enhanced her standing as the No. 6 performer in school history and No. 3 NCAA Division I freshman this indoor season.
PR Tracker
- Tennessee athletes collectively broke or matched seven indoor personal records on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational:
Debut Tracker
- Three Tennessee athletes made their official collegiate debuts on Friday in the 200-meter events. Yahnari Lyons represented the Lady Vols after redshirting the 2024 season, while true newcomers Shamar Heard and Jayvian Greene competed on the men’s side.