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5/12/2006 Becomes Fifth Commodore to Earn League Individual Title Fayetteville, Ark. — Vanderbilt’s Garnetta Holloway used a pair of career best performances to win the Southeastern Conference heptathlon Friday, becoming just the fifth Commodore to earn a conference individual title. Holloway, a senior from Cleveland, Tenn., notched personal record performances in the javelin and 800-meter run, and turned in a solid effort in the long jump to overtake three competitors in the heptathlon victory. Holloway finished with 5,321 points, the highest accumulation in her Vanderbilt career. She defeated Sarah Gretzmacher of Georgia by 81 points. First day co-leaders Keke Clarke of South Carolina and Marissa Harris of Mississippi State fell to third and fourth, overall. The winning performance also earned Holloway a berth in the NCAA Track & Field Championships, scheduled May 26-27 in Sacramento, Calif. “I just so happy right now and can’t believe I just won at this meet,” Holloway said. “I was real pleased with how I did Thursday. Doing well yesterday put me in a position that if I performed well today, I’d have a good chance. I kept improving with each effort today, that was the secret. In the long jump and javelin, my third attempt was better than the second, which was better than the first. That was a big key,” Holloway added. Holloway is the first Commodore women to win an event at the SEC Championships since heptathlete Josie Hahn and distance runner Erika Schneble captured titles in 2004. The only other Vanderbilt athletes to win at SEC titles are Ryan Tolbert, a two-time winner of the 400 meters in 1997-98, and Kylene Kownurko, winner of the 2002 3,000-meter steeplechase. Holloway entered the second day of competition in fourth place, well positioned to challenge the leaders. In the long jump, she uncorked an 18’8″ effort, third best among the 12 heptathletes, vaulting Holloway into third place. Holloway swept into the overall lead by hurling the javelin 130’5″ on her final attempt. The throw, third longest in team history, broke her previous best by five feet and gave Holloway a 60-point margin over Gretzmacher heading into the last of seven heptathlon events, the 800 meters. “That (javelin) throw was real important. What only did it give me the lead, but I knew how much of a margin I had on second place. When I saw the points after the javelin, I knew I can win,” Holloway said. Holloway closed the heptathlon like a champion, running the 800 meters in 2:24.55. It marks the fastest she has run the distance in competition. In other events Friday at the SEC Championships, Vanderbilt senior Latisha Bryant qualified for the 400-meter hurdle finals on Sunday with a 1:02.99 effort. Another senior, Caitlin Shannon, failed to qualify in the 800, running 2:11.21. Shannon will return Saturday, attempting to qualify in the 1,500-meter run. |
