Hardee Finishes Third In Decathlon At SEC Championships, Punches Ticket For NCAA Championships
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Trey Hardee set a new freshman record in the decathlon and finished third on day two of the 2003 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Vestavia Hills, Ala., freshman broke his freshman record from the Texas Relays in the two-day event, scoring 7,544 points overall. That score ranks second all-time for an individual at Mississippi State.
Hardee now is automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif., in June. He had his best showing in the pole vault, clearing 16-4 3/4 to finish first. He was fourth in the 110m hurdles (14.59) and sixth in the discus (132-6). He ranked seventh in both the javelin (163-10) and 1500m (4:46.57).
For MSU's women, sophomore Tiffany McWilliams outpaced the field, ranking first in the 800m preliminaries. The Red Bay, Ala., native broke her school record with her time of 2:03.89. Freshman Zita Magloire finished 14th in the preliminaries of the 800m (2:11.74).
State's men had three sprinters make the 200-meter finals, set for Sunday. Senior Pierre Browne led the group, ranking third with his win in heat two in 20.99. Sophomore LaChristopher Lewis tied for fifth with his 21.00 time. Junior Marquis Davis, the nation's top-ranked 200m runner, made the finals by clocking in at 21.04, the seventh-fastest time on the evening at Tom Black Track.
Sophomore Glenn McFadden was the first runner cut from the finals, ranking ninth with his 21.09 time. Jamel Ashley and Keston Nelson ranked 16th and 17th, respectively. McFadden and Nelson had previously qualified for NCAA regionals.
Also for the Lady Bulldogs, Jennifer Johnstone set a new personal best in the hammer throw. Her toss of 160-9 ranked 20th in the field. Crystal Averitt finished 22nd in the hammer (151-4). Freshman Mina Thorstenson came in 10th in the 10K run with a time of 38:36.54.
After three events, Florida leads the women's competition with 35 points. Arkansas' men are tied for the top spot on the men's side with host Tennessee, scoring 29 points. The Bulldogs rank fifth with six points.
Saturday's events begin for MSU with the women's long jump at 3:30 p.m. ET, on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
2003 SEC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
May 16, 2003 - Tom Black Track
Team Scores
Men: 1. Tennessee, 29; 1. Arkansas, 29; 3. Georgia, 28; 4. Auburn, 17; 5. Mississippi State, 6; 6. Mississippi, 4; 7. South Carolina, 3, 8. Alabama, 1
Women: 1. Florida, 35; 2. Arkansas, 28; 3. Auburn, 12; 4. Georgia, 11; 4. South Carolina, 11; 6. Vanderbilt, 8; 7. Alabama, 4; 7. Tennessee, 4; 9. LSU, 2; 9. Mississippi, 2.
Finals
Men's Individual Results:
Decathlon - 3. Trey Hardee, 7544 points
Hammer - 16. J.D. Erickson, 154-8
Women's Individual Results:
10,000-Meter Run - 10. Mina Thorstenson, 38:36.54
Hammer - 20. Jennifer Johnstone, 160-9; 22. Crystal Averitt, 151-4
Preliminaries
Men's Individual Results:
200-Meter Dash - 3. Pierre Browne, 20.99q; 5. LaChristopher Lewis, 21.00q; 7. Marquis Davis, 21.04q; 9. Glenn McFadden, 21.09; 16. Jamel Ashley, 21.59; 17. Keston Nelson, 21.62
800-Meter Run - 24. Elmore McConnell, 1:51.97
Women's Individual Results:
800-Meter Run - 1. Tiffany McWilliams, 2:03.89Q; 14. Zita Magloire, 2:11.74