Lady Vols Dominate Vanderbilt Invite, Adding Four More Championship Titles to Their Legacy!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee track & field concluded the Vanderbilt Invitational with four additional event victories on Saturday, claiming first place in the women’s 60-meter sprint, women’s 60-meter hurdles, women’s pole vault, and women’s shot put to end the weekend on a high note at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.

The Big Orange also showcased impressive performances in the men’s 60-meter sprint from two unattached Vol sprinters. Most notably, Traunard Folson triumphed in the event final with a time of 6.53 seconds – one of the top-five performances globally this season during his first collegiate meet since joining the UT sprint program last fall.

Highlighted performances from Saturday in Nashville are summarized below. The Vols and Lady Vols will be back in action next week traveling to Clemson, South Carolina, for the Orange & Purple Invite – scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24-25.

Men’s Highlights

• A pair of underclassmen Tennessee hurdlers achieved personal-best times on Saturday. Sophomore Kalib Branch recorded a time of 7.84 in the prelims, while true freshman Broderick Davis achieved a PR of 7.92 in the event final.
• Four out of five Vols competing in the men’s 400-meter dash emerged victorious in their heats, led by sophomore Christian Parker’s time of 47.23, finishing third overall in the event. Avaunt Ortiz (47.68), Shamar Heard (47.77), and Rickey Williams III (48.03) also secured heat victories in the men’s quarter-mile.
• The most impressive performance of the day on the men’s side for Tennessee came from a pair of unattached sprinters in the men’s 60-meter dash. Vol junior Traunard Folson clinched the final with a personal-best of 6.53 seconds, which stands as one of the top-five performances worldwide this season. Had he competed officially, his time would have been the fourth-best in school history – significantly surpassing Olympic champion Justin Gatlin’s college-best of 6.54 from 2002.
• Graduate student Deron Dudley also displayed a strong performance in the men’s 60-meter while competing unattached, achieving a PR of 6.63 in the prelims before securing third place in the final with a time of 6.64.

Women’s Highlights

• Lady Vol senior Kiara Smith dominated the women’s 60-meter hurdles, recording a season-best time of 8.25 seconds for the top prelim performance before claiming victory in the final with a time of 8.26. The Lancaster, Texas native ranks 20th on the NCAA Division I list for 2024-25.
• Tennessee showcased their prowess in the women’s 60-meter dash final with a commanding wire-to-wire victory from Lady Vol senior Milan Fields. The Charlotte, North Carolina native achieved a lifetime-best of 7.26 to win the meet, followed closely by sophomore Nigerian Elo Blessing Okpah, who placed second with a PR of 7.40 seconds.
• Freshman field stars Mya Strahm and Donna Douglas capped off the meet with event titles in the women’s pole vault and shot put, respectively. Strahm cleared a height of 4.12m (13-6.25) to secure her first collegiate victory, while Douglas launched a personal-best mark of 15.48m (50-9.5), moving her up to No. 9 in UT history indoors.
• Moreover, three Lady Vol pole vaulters – Ellison Colarossi, Caroline Weems, and Kendall Ford – achieved personal-best clearances of 4.02m (13-2.25), tying for the No. 9 spot in school history indoors.

PR Tracker

• Tennessee athletes collectively achieved 13 indoor personal records on Saturday at the Vanderbilt Invitational.