SEC Track & Field: Day One Complete

SEC Track & Field: Day One Complete

5/12/2005

Performing on an ailing foot, Vanderbilt senior Josie Hahn is eighth overall after the first day of the heptathlon at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday.

Hahn finished the first day with 2977 points. Jessica Stockard of Georgia enjoyed the first day lead with 3505 points, 44 points more than runner-up LaToya McBride of Ole Miss. Junior Beyonka McDowell of Arkansas, the SEC indoor pentathlon champion, is closely behind in third with 3454 points, followed by Megan Akre of LSU, Caitlin Ward of Tennessee, Dianne Harrison of LSU, Reanna Townsend of South Carolina and Hahn. Commodore sophomore Garnetta Holloway is 10th overall.

In the men’s competition, Tennessee’s Chris Helwick is the first-day leader with 3977 points. Helwick, the 2004 SEC decathlon runner-up, posted a first-day personal best. He holds a seven-point lead over Alleyne Lett of LSU, with LSU’s Kwami Roberts and Chris Martland of UT in third and fourth, respectively.

The SEC Championships, staged on the Vanderbilt campus for the first time in nearly 70 years, continues Friday with the full schedule of track preliminaries, field finals and the conclusion of both the heptathlon and decathlon.

Hahn, the reigning SEC heptathlon champion, started slowly in the 100-meter hurdles, yet regained confidence while competing in the high jump, shot put and 200-meter dash. “After the hurdles, I didn’t think I was going to make it through the day. It was very uncomfortabe at first,” Hahn said.

After running the hurdles in 15.52, Hahn came back to post a 5’6.5″ clearance in the high jump and toss the shot put 36’11.75″. She ended the day with a 26.57 effort in the 200 meters.