Lexington, Ky. ? The University of Florida swept both the men?s and women?s titles at the 2004 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky. The titles mark the fifth indoor championship for each team, while the UF men?s victory breaks Arkansas? seven-year title run that dates back to 1997. In addition, four SEC Indoor records were set in the meet by men?s teams and nine records were smashed by women?s teams from around the league in the three-day event.
The most impressive performance from Sunday?s track events finals came from Arkansas junior Tyson Gay in the men?s 200-meter dash. Gay crossed the finish line in 20.40, establishing the fastest time in the world in the 200 meters this year. Gay completed his first SEC Championships tied as the points champion for the men with 20 points, which includes first-place finishes in the 200 and 60-meter dashes. Leevan Sands of Auburn and Alistair Cragg of Arkansas finished the meet tied with Gay with 20 points each. Cragg and Sands also set a new SEC Indoor records in the 5,000-meter run and triple jump, respectively. Cragg set the fastest time in the nation this year in the distance event with his time of 13:42.95, while Sands won the triple jump with a leap of 55-04.75.
UF barley edged out Arkansas in the point standings. The Gators had a two-point edge going into the last event of the day, the 4 x 400-meter relay, but after a jumble of runners fell, UF was disqualified from the event and the Razorbacks did not finish the race, leaving Florida with the overall team title of 128 points. UA followed with 126, and Auburn finished third with 83.
The Gators garnered 18 points in the high jump, as Joe Squittieri and Michael Morrison finished first and second. Both cleared 7-03.00, ranking them in the top-five jumps nationally this year. Brett Frykberg of Tennessee came in third with an impressive leap of 7-01.75.
Hyleas Fountain continued her dominance on the women?s side of the meet, finishing as the points champions for the women with 44 points while breaking an SEC record for points at an SEC Indoor Championship. Fountain, who outscored five teams in the meet by herself, won the high jump, long jump and pentathlon competitions while finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles and third in the triple jump. Kimberli Barret (UF), Muna Lee (LSU), Candice Scott (UF), Veronica Campbell (ARK) and Caitlin Phillips (UK) all finished in a five-way tie for second with 18 points.
Lee got the sprints started off on a great foot with an SEC-record 7.17 in the 60-meter dash, which also holds the top time in the nation in the event. Lolo Jones from LSU set the second SEC Indoor record of the day with an 8.08 performance in the 60-meter hurdles. Campbell and Hazel-Ann Regis of LSU set SEC records in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, respectively, and both the distance medley and the 4 x 400-meter relays set new indoor times as well. The UT squad of Brooke Novak, Toyin Olupona, Mindy Sullivan and Lindsay Hyatt finished the medley in 11:16.61, while LSU?s 4 x 400-meter team of Regis, Neisha Bernard-Thomas, Monique Hall and Nadia Davy crossed the finish line in 3:29.42.
The Gators won the overall team title by six points, outlasting the Lady Vols with a score of 105.50. UT earned 99.50 points across the three days, while LSU and Georgia followed with 84.50 and 81 points. The Gators dominated the field events, taking four of the top-five places in the women?s weight throw and five of the top six in the shot put. Barrett won the title in the shot put with a toss of 58-05.25, a new SEC Indoor Record.
For UK, Phillips won SEC title in the 5,000-meter run on Sunday and came in second in the 3,000-meter race. Brooke Patterson ended her SEC indoor career with a third-place finish and personal best in the mile in a time of 4:42.00, and Beth Heimann took fourth in the 800 meters in 2:05.93. David Freeman of Kentucky won his first SEC title in the mile in a time of 4:01.36, 0.58 ahead of reigning NCAA mile champion Chris Mulvaney. James Doaty and Paul Cuirlys came in fourth and eighth-places, respectively, in the 800 meters, and the Cats were also impressive in the distance medley relays, as both squads finished third.
Complete results from each event can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
