Tennessee Volunteers track and field
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Volunteers track and field program represents the University of Tennessee
in the sport of track and field
. The indoor and outdoor programs compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference
(SEC). The Vols host their home indoor meets in the Stokely Athletics Center and their home outdoor meets at Tom Black Track at Laporte Stadium, both located on the university's Knoxville, Tennessee
campus. The Volunteers track teams are currently led by head coach and Director of Track & Field J.J. Clark.
was formed. Records before the 1921 season were not kept, and are therefore incomplete. The Vols did not compete in the 1918 and 1919 seasons due to World War I
. The team later joined the Southeastern Conference
in 1933 where they have competed for the past 75 years. The sport was also kept on hold from 1943-1946 because of World War II and would later resume outdoor meets in 1947 and indoor meets in 1960.
Since the formation of the SEC the Tennessee Volunteers have been a consistent force in competition winning a combined 47 SEC titles, 3 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
and 1 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship
.
Throughout Tennessee's track & Field program history there have been several coaches that have been mainly responsible for the success of the UT track & field program. Chuck Rohe, Tennessee's first track & field coach, finished with a record of 87-10 (.896) and won an astonishing 15 consecutive SEC titles. Stan Huntsman took over the program in 1971 and would continue the success started by Rohe. During his tenure he lead the Vols to a record of 93-26-3 (.775), 20 SEC titles and won the programs first NCAA title. In 1986 Doug Brown became the 4th coach for the Vols track & field team and finished with a 53-8 (.869) record and won 4 SEC titles and 1 NCAA title. Bill Webb took the program over following the 1995 season and would finish with a 52-1 (.981) and an unprecedented 4 SEC titles and 2 NCAA titles, becoming the first coach to win multiple national titles at Tennessee.
Clark is a two-time NCAA and six-time SEC champion coach with the Lady Vols track & field and cross country teams. Under his tenure the cross country teams have thrived at Tennessee, earning a national championship and 30 SEC titles. The men's and women's teams have also combined a total of 44 appearances at national championship meets.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the sport of track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. The indoor and outdoor programs compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC). The Vols host their home indoor meets in the Stokely Athletics Center and their home outdoor meets at Tom Black Track at Laporte Stadium, both located on the university's Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
campus. The Volunteers track teams are currently led by head coach and Director of Track & Field J.J. Clark.
History
The Tennessee Volunteers men's track and field program began in 1901 and first started intercollegiate competition in 1909 when the SIAASouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
was formed. Records before the 1921 season were not kept, and are therefore incomplete. The Vols did not compete in the 1918 and 1919 seasons due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The team later joined the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
in 1933 where they have competed for the past 75 years. The sport was also kept on hold from 1943-1946 because of World War II and would later resume outdoor meets in 1947 and indoor meets in 1960.
Since the formation of the SEC the Tennessee Volunteers have been a consistent force in competition winning a combined 47 SEC titles, 3 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
and 1 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship
NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
.
Throughout Tennessee's track & Field program history there have been several coaches that have been mainly responsible for the success of the UT track & field program. Chuck Rohe, Tennessee's first track & field coach, finished with a record of 87-10 (.896) and won an astonishing 15 consecutive SEC titles. Stan Huntsman took over the program in 1971 and would continue the success started by Rohe. During his tenure he lead the Vols to a record of 93-26-3 (.775), 20 SEC titles and won the programs first NCAA title. In 1986 Doug Brown became the 4th coach for the Vols track & field team and finished with a 53-8 (.869) record and won 4 SEC titles and 1 NCAA title. Bill Webb took the program over following the 1995 season and would finish with a 52-1 (.981) and an unprecedented 4 SEC titles and 2 NCAA titles, becoming the first coach to win multiple national titles at Tennessee.
Coaching staff
The Volunteers' current head coach for both the men's track and field teams is J.J. Clark. Clark has had control over the women's track & field programs as well as the women's cross country teams for ten years and has just recently taken control over the men's programs as well as he becomes the first director of both men's and women's track & field/cross country in UT history.Clark is a two-time NCAA and six-time SEC champion coach with the Lady Vols track & field and cross country teams. Under his tenure the cross country teams have thrived at Tennessee, earning a national championship and 30 SEC titles. The men's and women's teams have also combined a total of 44 appearances at national championship meets.
Tennessee Olympic track and field medalists
- Justin GatlinJustin GatlinJustin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.- Biography :Gatlin attended...
, American gold, silver and bronze medalist at 2004 Athens Olympics - Sam GraddySam GraddySamuel Louis Graddy III is a former American athlete and American football player, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics....
, American gold medalist and silver medalist at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics - Lawrence JohnsonLawrence JohnsonLawrence Johnson is a pole vaulter, born in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. LoJo began pole vaulting in 1989 and since has records on all stages and led the charge to return the US to the international medal podium...
, American silver medalist at 2000 Sydney Olympics - Tim Mack, American gold medalist at 2004 Athens Olympics
External links
- http://www.utsports.com/ – Tennessee Volunteers sports news from The Knoxville News Sentinel.
- http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-track/tenn-m-track-body.html – Official webpage of the Tennessee Volunteers track and field teams.