Two members of the Tennessee men’s track and field team posted performances on April 25 that rank among the top ten in the National Collegiate Athletic Association during the current outdoor season. The achievements took place at the Tiger Track Classic in Auburn, Alabama.
The results are significant as they highlight both individual excellence and national competitiveness for Tennessee athletes this season.
Ismaila Sawaneh, a junior pole vaulter and reigning Southeastern Conference indoor champion, won his event with a new outdoor personal best of 5.72 meters (18-9.25). This result improves his position to third in both program history and national rankings for this season. Sawaneh, who is from Normandy, France, surpassed his previous personal record by one inch after entering the weekend as the SEC leader in pole vault.
Igor Olaru, a sophomore thrower, also reached a milestone by joining the “70-meter club” with a winning mark of 70.26 meters (230-6) in the men’s hammer throw. This performance places him second all-time in Tennessee history and tenth nationally this year.
Other notable performances included seniors Roddy Schenk and Evan Puckett achieving regional-level marks. Schenk threw 67.83 meters (222-6) in javelin to become the top collegiate finisher and now ranks twentieth on the NCAA East Region qualifying list. Puckett cleared 5.40 meters (17-8.5) in pole vault to tie for fourteenth regionally this season.
On the women’s side, freshman Hannah Grace continued her unbeaten streak through three collegiate competitions by winning her event with a clearance of 4.35 meters (14-3.25).
Tennessee will conclude its outdoor regular season next weekend at two meets: May 1–2 at both the Jim Green Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky, and Duke Twilight in Durham, North Carolina.
