American, collegiate record holders highlight SEC Indoor Championship field
Feb 20, 2018 | Track and Field
COLLEGE STATION – The 2018 SEC Indoor Championships in track and field will be hosted by Texas A&M this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, inside the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. The conference meet will feature American and collegiate record holders among an array of talent from the 10 women's and eight men's teams nationally ranked among the top 25.
National team rankings this week have the Arkansas women ranked No. 1, followed by Kentucky (3), Georgia (4), LSU (6), Texas A&M (7), Florida (8), Missouri (12), Tennessee (14), Alabama (17) and Mississippi State (24).
No. 2 Florida headlines the SEC men's teams in the national rankings. The Gators are followed by Arkansas (3), Georgia (5), Texas A&M (7), Alabama (8), Kentucky (11), South Carolina (23) and Auburn (25).
All-session tickets for the SEC Indoor Championships are $35 for adults in reserved sections, $25 for general admission seating and $16 for youth and students. Single day tickets are $20 for reserved sections, $15 for general admission and $8 for youth and students. More information is available at www.12thmanfoundation.com or by calling the Texas A&M ticket office at (888) TAM-12TH (826-1284).
The Arkansas Razorbacks return as double SEC Indoor team champions, the third time they've achieved the combined feat since 2013, with a sweep of titles earned in 2016 and 2017.
On the men's side, Arkansas has claimed five of the last six titles along with 11 of the past 13 indoor team championships, with Florida interrupting the streak in 2011 and 2015. The Razorback women have won three consecutive team titles, becoming just the second school to accomplish the feat, matching the effort by LSU from 1987-89.
Texas A&M men finished in a three-way tie for third place last season, scoring 76 points to equal the total shared by Florida and Mississippi. The Aggies went on to win the NCAA Indoor team title by half a point over the Gators. It marked the fourth time for Texas A&M to place third at the SEC Indoor meet since joining the conference, while the Aggies achieved a runner-up finish in 2016.
The Texas A&M women produced a runner-up finish the last time the Aggies hosted the SEC Indoor meet in 2014 and also finished third twice, in 2013 and 2015. The past two seasons Texas A&M has placed seventh.
The 2018 SEC Indoor Championships feature a total of 19 returning champions, with nine among the men and 10 amid the women's field. Of that group Missouri's Karissa Schweizer is the defending champion in two events, the mile and 3,000 meters, along with Florida's KeAndre Bates in the men's long and triple jumps.
American record holder Keturah Orji, who improved her triple jump record to 47-8 (14.53) this indoor season, seeks a fourth consecutive SEC indoor title in the event. Her victories have included improvements each indoor campaign with SEC titles in 2015 (45-0 ¼), 2016 (46-2 ½) and 2017 (46-11 ¾).
Texas A&M's Audie Wyatt will attempt to claim a third consecutive conference indoor title in the pole vault. His main challenger will be teammate Jacob Wooten, who bettered Wyatt's school record of 18-2 ½ with winning clearances of 18-3 (Arkansas) and 18-4 ½ (Clemson) this season. Wyatt set the previous record as runner-up in the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships which was held at Gilliam.
Another impressive streak of victories is Mississippi with four consecutive wins in the men's distance medley relay. Last year they also secured the meet record with a 9:32.36 performance. The Rebels will also seek a fourth straight victory in the men's mile following wins from three different athletes.
The Aggies have won four of the past five titles in the men's 4x400 relay. Last year Texas A&M produced a world best time of 3:02.39 on an oversized track to set the meet record. Florida, who won the relay in 2016, has been runner-up to the Aggies the four times Texas A&M has claimed the victory.
In addition to the American and collegiate record set by Orji, there have been a couple more collegiate records broken by SEC athletes in 2018.
Schweizer bettered the collegiate record in the 3,000m with an 8:41.60 performance at the Millrose Games in New York City. The previous record of 8:42.03 was set by Colorado's Jenny Simpson (nee Barringer) during the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships held in Gilliam.
Florida's Grant Holloway, defending NCAA and SEC champion in the 60m hurdles, broke the collegiate record at Clemson with a 7.42 as he defeated the previous collegiate record holder, Omar McLeod (Arkansas), in that race. Holloway also ran on the Gator's 4x400 squad that clocked 3:02.23 to better Texas A&M's collegiate record of 3:02.52 from 2017. Florida finished runner-up to USC's 3:01.98 collegiate record victory in the Clemson meet.
A trio of newcomers to the SEC are accomplished athletes already, and will be ready to contend for conference titles as freshmen.
Texas A&M's Sammy Watson, the 2016 World Junior 800m champion, is second in the SEC 800 (2:03.42) to teammate Jazmine Fray (2:02.30), the collegiate record holder in the event at 2:00.69. Watson is currently the world junior leader for 2018 in the 800 and 1,000 (2:42.12).
Kentucky's Sydney McLaughlin, an Olympic 400m hurdler in 2016, currently leads the SEC in the 200 (22.95) and 400 (51.44) meters while also setting an U.S. junior and American collegiate record at 300m (36.12). Georgia's Lynna Irby, the 2016 World Junior 400m silver medalist, is second best in the 200 (22.96) and 400 (51.48), just a fraction behind McLaughlin.
Current collegiate leaders among the SEC schools heading into the conference championships include three events among the men's field and 10 events among the women's field:
Men – 60m hurdles, Grant Holloway, Florida; Triple jump, KeAndre Bates, Florida; Heptathlon, Tim Duckworth, Kentucky.
Women – 60m, Mikiah Brisco, LSU; 400m, Sydney McLaughlin, Kentucky; 800m, Jazmine Fray, Texas A&M; 3,000m, Karissa Schweizer, Missouri; 5,000m, Karissa Schweizer, Missouri; 60m Hurdles, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kentucky; High jump, Logan Boss, Mississippi State; Pole vault, Olivia Gruver, Kentucky; Long jump, Kate Hall, Georgia; Triple jump, Keturah Orji, Georgia.
Among the crew of defending SEC Indoor champions returning to the 2018 edition of the conference meet, 10 currently have marks that lead the SEC with six also leading the nation.
Defending SEC Indoor Champions – Current conference and national rankings
National team rankings this week have the Arkansas women ranked No. 1, followed by Kentucky (3), Georgia (4), LSU (6), Texas A&M (7), Florida (8), Missouri (12), Tennessee (14), Alabama (17) and Mississippi State (24).
No. 2 Florida headlines the SEC men's teams in the national rankings. The Gators are followed by Arkansas (3), Georgia (5), Texas A&M (7), Alabama (8), Kentucky (11), South Carolina (23) and Auburn (25).
All-session tickets for the SEC Indoor Championships are $35 for adults in reserved sections, $25 for general admission seating and $16 for youth and students. Single day tickets are $20 for reserved sections, $15 for general admission and $8 for youth and students. More information is available at www.12thmanfoundation.com or by calling the Texas A&M ticket office at (888) TAM-12TH (826-1284).
The Arkansas Razorbacks return as double SEC Indoor team champions, the third time they've achieved the combined feat since 2013, with a sweep of titles earned in 2016 and 2017.
On the men's side, Arkansas has claimed five of the last six titles along with 11 of the past 13 indoor team championships, with Florida interrupting the streak in 2011 and 2015. The Razorback women have won three consecutive team titles, becoming just the second school to accomplish the feat, matching the effort by LSU from 1987-89.
Texas A&M men finished in a three-way tie for third place last season, scoring 76 points to equal the total shared by Florida and Mississippi. The Aggies went on to win the NCAA Indoor team title by half a point over the Gators. It marked the fourth time for Texas A&M to place third at the SEC Indoor meet since joining the conference, while the Aggies achieved a runner-up finish in 2016.
The Texas A&M women produced a runner-up finish the last time the Aggies hosted the SEC Indoor meet in 2014 and also finished third twice, in 2013 and 2015. The past two seasons Texas A&M has placed seventh.
The 2018 SEC Indoor Championships feature a total of 19 returning champions, with nine among the men and 10 amid the women's field. Of that group Missouri's Karissa Schweizer is the defending champion in two events, the mile and 3,000 meters, along with Florida's KeAndre Bates in the men's long and triple jumps.
American record holder Keturah Orji, who improved her triple jump record to 47-8 (14.53) this indoor season, seeks a fourth consecutive SEC indoor title in the event. Her victories have included improvements each indoor campaign with SEC titles in 2015 (45-0 ¼), 2016 (46-2 ½) and 2017 (46-11 ¾).
Texas A&M's Audie Wyatt will attempt to claim a third consecutive conference indoor title in the pole vault. His main challenger will be teammate Jacob Wooten, who bettered Wyatt's school record of 18-2 ½ with winning clearances of 18-3 (Arkansas) and 18-4 ½ (Clemson) this season. Wyatt set the previous record as runner-up in the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships which was held at Gilliam.
Another impressive streak of victories is Mississippi with four consecutive wins in the men's distance medley relay. Last year they also secured the meet record with a 9:32.36 performance. The Rebels will also seek a fourth straight victory in the men's mile following wins from three different athletes.
The Aggies have won four of the past five titles in the men's 4x400 relay. Last year Texas A&M produced a world best time of 3:02.39 on an oversized track to set the meet record. Florida, who won the relay in 2016, has been runner-up to the Aggies the four times Texas A&M has claimed the victory.
In addition to the American and collegiate record set by Orji, there have been a couple more collegiate records broken by SEC athletes in 2018.
Schweizer bettered the collegiate record in the 3,000m with an 8:41.60 performance at the Millrose Games in New York City. The previous record of 8:42.03 was set by Colorado's Jenny Simpson (nee Barringer) during the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships held in Gilliam.
Florida's Grant Holloway, defending NCAA and SEC champion in the 60m hurdles, broke the collegiate record at Clemson with a 7.42 as he defeated the previous collegiate record holder, Omar McLeod (Arkansas), in that race. Holloway also ran on the Gator's 4x400 squad that clocked 3:02.23 to better Texas A&M's collegiate record of 3:02.52 from 2017. Florida finished runner-up to USC's 3:01.98 collegiate record victory in the Clemson meet.
A trio of newcomers to the SEC are accomplished athletes already, and will be ready to contend for conference titles as freshmen.
Texas A&M's Sammy Watson, the 2016 World Junior 800m champion, is second in the SEC 800 (2:03.42) to teammate Jazmine Fray (2:02.30), the collegiate record holder in the event at 2:00.69. Watson is currently the world junior leader for 2018 in the 800 and 1,000 (2:42.12).
Kentucky's Sydney McLaughlin, an Olympic 400m hurdler in 2016, currently leads the SEC in the 200 (22.95) and 400 (51.44) meters while also setting an U.S. junior and American collegiate record at 300m (36.12). Georgia's Lynna Irby, the 2016 World Junior 400m silver medalist, is second best in the 200 (22.96) and 400 (51.48), just a fraction behind McLaughlin.
Current collegiate leaders among the SEC schools heading into the conference championships include three events among the men's field and 10 events among the women's field:
Men – 60m hurdles, Grant Holloway, Florida; Triple jump, KeAndre Bates, Florida; Heptathlon, Tim Duckworth, Kentucky.
Women – 60m, Mikiah Brisco, LSU; 400m, Sydney McLaughlin, Kentucky; 800m, Jazmine Fray, Texas A&M; 3,000m, Karissa Schweizer, Missouri; 5,000m, Karissa Schweizer, Missouri; 60m Hurdles, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kentucky; High jump, Logan Boss, Mississippi State; Pole vault, Olivia Gruver, Kentucky; Long jump, Kate Hall, Georgia; Triple jump, Keturah Orji, Georgia.
Among the crew of defending SEC Indoor champions returning to the 2018 edition of the conference meet, 10 currently have marks that lead the SEC with six also leading the nation.
Defending SEC Indoor Champions – Current conference and national rankings
| Men | Event | SEC | NCAA |
| Sean Tobin, Mississippi | Mile | 1st | 20th |
| Jack Bruce, Arkansas | 3,000m | 4th | 23rd |
| Grant Holloway, Florida | 60m Hurdles | 1st | 1st |
| Darius Carbin, Georgia | High Jump | 5th | 11th |
| Audie Wyatt, Texas A&M | Pole Vault | 2nd | 7th |
| KeAndre Bates, Florida | Long Jump | 3rd | 7th |
| Triple Jump | 1st | 1st | |
| Denzel Comenentia, Georgia | Shot Put | 1st | 2nd |
| Daniel Haugh, Alabama | Weight | 1st | 4th |
| Women | Event | SEC | NCAA |
| Aleia Hobbs, LSU | 60m | 2nd | 2nd |
| Jazmine Fray, Texas A&M | 800m | 1st | 1st |
| Karissa Schweizer, Missouri | Mile | 1st | 2nd |
| 3,000m | 1st | 1st | |
| Taylor Werner, Arkansas | 5,000m | dnr | dnr |
| Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kentucky | 60m Hurdles | 1st | 1st |
| Madeline Fagan, Georgia | High Jump | 2nd | 5th |
| Victoria Weeks, Arkansas | Pole Vault | 3rd | 3rd |
| Keturah Orji, Georgia | Triple Jump | 1st | 1st |
| Janeah Stewart, Mississippi | Weight | 1st | 2nd |
Players Mentioned
Middle Dist.
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Middle Dist.
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Pole Vault
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Pole Vault
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