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Commodore Standout Josie Hahn Returns to Practice 5/10/2005 Likely to Enter Heptathlon on First Day of SEC Championships On campus in Nashville – Four-time Commodore All-American Josie Hahn has returned to practice and likely will defend her Southeastern Conference heptathlon title as athletes from the league’s 12 member schools prepare to converge on the Vanderbilt campus for the ultra-competitive SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hahn, a senior and the Commodores’ top prospect at the SEC meet, returned to training on Sunday after taking three weeks off to rest an ailing foot. Hahn has not competed since the Sea Ray Relays in mid-April. Vanderbilt head coach Lori Shepard said Hahn’s practice sessions Sunday and Monday went well, though she said the resident of Clinton, Tenn., will enter the SEC Championships at less than full strength. “I can’t tell you how great it feels just to have her back training on the track. If all goes well the rest of the week, she will compete,” Shepard said. “I’ll take Josie at 75 percent over nearly any other athlete. She’s that much of a competitor.” The SEC Championships get underway at Vanderbilt Thursday afternoon with the men’s decathlon featuring Chris Helwick and Kevin Yeager of Tennessee and LSU’s Kwami Roberts, starting at 3 p.m., CT, followed by the women’s heptathlon at 4 p.m. Nearly 600 athletes, including several 2004 Olympians and current national title contenders, are expected to compete. The prestigious meet, held on the Vanderbilt campus for the first time in more than 60 years, will continue through Sunday evening. Daily general admission tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth (ages 17 and under). A four-day admission pass is $15 for adults and $9 for youth. The Arkansas men’s and women’s squads enter the meet seeking to retain the team titles, though both will have plenty of competition. In the men’s division, Arkansas is ranked No. 1 in the nation, paced by the tremendous sprint trio of Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon Jr., and Omar Brown, and a deep and talented distance corps that is expected to dominate races from 1,500 to 10,000 meters. The Razorbacks will see plenty of competition from No. 2-ranked Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 7 Auburn and highly regarded Tennessee. Several teams will give Arkansas a battle in the women’s division. No. 3-ranked Florida, led by a deep corps of throwers and sprint-laden No. 4 South Carolina appear to be serious threats to the Lady Backs, while the No. 5 Tennessee Lady Vols, 2005 national indoor champions, feature arguably the best overall depth in the conference. Among the top storylines entering the meet: Men’s Division: Women’s Division: |
