The Tennessee men’s track and field team, ranked second nationally, concluded the 2025-26 indoor regular season with four event wins and five NCAA top-15 performances during meets at the USC Invite in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg, Virginia.
At Virginia Tech, Tennessee swept the podium in the men’s pole vault. Cade Gray and Ismaila Sawaneh each achieved personal-best clearances of 5.69 meters (18-8), tying for third place in school history and ranking eighth nationally this season. Blake Sifferlin finished third with a personal best of 5.64 meters (18-6), moving him to fifth on Tennessee’s all-time list and placing him 12th on the NCAA qualifying leaderboard for 2025-26.
Sprinter Traunard Folson won the men’s 200-meter dash at South Carolina with a personal-best time of 20.55 seconds. His performance set a new facility record at Sheila & Morris Cregger Indoor Track & Field Facility, tied for sixth-fastest in University of Tennessee indoor history, and currently ranks seventh nationally.
In Columbia, Tennessee also claimed victory in the men’s distance medley relay as Gavin Genisio, Harry Barton, Carter Knox, and Nelson Mapi Setek combined for a time of 9:30.66. This result improved their previous season best by 21 seconds, broke the facility record at South Carolina, ranked third in program history and is now listed as 18th fastest nationally this year.
Grant Campbell started competition at Virginia Tech with a win in the men’s high jump after clearing a personal-best height of 2.20 meters (7-2.5). Campbell is now sixth all-time at Tennessee and holds the 13th spot on this season’s NCAA indoor qualifying list.
On the women’s side at South Carolina, freshman Endia Smith took second place in triple jump with a mark of 12.41 meters (40-8.75). At Virginia Tech, Skye Tolbert was fourth in pole vault after clearing 4.34 meters (14-2.75) while Kendall Ford placed sixth with a clearance of 4.09 meters (13-5).
Tennessee athletes broke six individual indoor personal records during Saturday’s events across both competitions: Traunard Folson (men’s 200m – 20.55), Calvin Wetzel (men’s 400m – 46.85), Grant Campbell (men’s high jump – 2.20m/7-2.5), Cade Gray (men’s pole vault – 5.69m/18-8), Ismaila Sawaneh (men’s pole vault – 5.69m/18-8), and Blake Sifferlin (men’s pole vault – 5.64m/18-6).
The next competition for Tennessee will be the SEC Indoor Championships from February 26 to February 28 in College Station, Texas.
