Tide Men Take Sixth Place at the SEC Championships
5/15/2006 12:00:00 AM
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.??After the first three days of the SEC Outdoor Championships, the Crimson Tide’s distance runners had figured prominently in Alabama’s success. But on the final day of competition in Fayetteville, the Tide’s sprinters stole the show leading Alabama to 67.5 points and a sixth place finish, Alabama’s best showing since 2002.
Chauncey Harris won the SEC 100m championship with the third fastest time in school history, 10.14 seconds. The time is also the fifth fastest time by an American this year. Harris is the Tide’s first SEC 100m champion since Clive Wright won the event in 1990.
Harris’s win coupled with Augustus Maiyo’s championship in the 3,000m steeplechase on Saturday night marks the first time since the 2001 SEC Championships that Alabama has had more than one individual champion.
“It was wonderful to add another conference champion,” Alabama head coach Harvey Glance said. “He helped lead the way to our best finish in awhile. Our goal was to be in the middle of the pack. Anytime you are in the top six of the SEC, you’ve established yourself as one of the top teams in the nation. I’m glad to see we are back in both indoors, outdoors and cross country. I’m really proud of these guys.”
Harris added a sixth place finish in the 200m with a time of 20.83.
In addition to Harris, Michael Cooley led the way in the sprints. He took fifth in the 200m dash with a time of 20.80 and added points for the Tide with a sixth place finish in the 400m, running the sprint in 46.81.
“Michael Cooley did an outstanding job for us,” Glance said. “He wasn’t even supposed to make the finals and then he placed in both the 200 and 400.”
Harris and Cooley also teamed with Byron Gibson and Marcus Siwemuke to take fifth place in the 4x100m relay with a time of 40.20.
In the distance races, Augustus Maiyo continued his outstanding meet finishing third in the 5,000m. Titus Koeh and Peter Etoot added finishes of sixth and seventh in the 800m run with times of 1:52.07 and 1:52.51, respectively.
In the field events, three of Alabama’s four throwers scored in their events. Jason Dixon and Steven Boozer both scored points for the Tide with their performance in the discus. Dixon had his second best throw of the year, 174’2”, to take fifth place. Boozer placed eighth with a mark of 165’5”. Grant Stone placed sixth in the javelin with his second best throw of the year, 199’3”. Keith Baker also competed in the javelin and placed tenth with a season best 185’2”.
Brandon Schneider picked up an eighth place finish in the pole vault, clearing a height of 16’2.75”.
The Tide has next weekend off in preparation for the Mideast Regionals in Knoxville, Tenn. on May 26-27.
SEC Championship Standings
1. Arkansas 137.5
2. Tennessee 126.5
3. Florida 110
4. LSU 109
5. S. Carolina 77
6. Alabama 67.5
7. Kentucky 58
8. Georgia 52.5
9. Auburn 31
9. Ole Miss 31
11.Miss. St. 19
