EUGENE, Ore. – On the opening day of the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers secured four heat victories and one timed qualifier during the preliminary rounds of the national meet, positioning the Big Orange for a strong push in the team standings at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Junior speedster T’Mars McCallum had a hand in three heat wins during Wednesday’s action, starting with the anchor leg of the men’s 4×100-meter relay as the Vols took Heat 1 in 38.47 seconds. The reigning SEC champion quartet of Deron Dudley, Davonte Howell, Kalib Branch and McCallum finished fifth overall and will run the final on Friday at approximately 8:02 p.m. ET.
McCallum also showed out individually, posting heat victories in the 100- and 200-meter dash semifinals on Wednesday with times of 10.03 and 20.03, respectively. The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, product will make his first individual appearances in national finals on Friday – running the 100-meter at 8:52 p.m. and the 200-meter at 9:37 p.m. ET.
Howell will join McCallum in the men’s 100-meter final after qualifying on time in the semifinals, equaling his lifetime-best with a mark of 10.05 seconds to place fifth overall. Tennessee is one of four programs in the country that qualified two runners to the national 100-meter final – alongside Auburn, LSU and USC in accomplishing that feat.
Vol freshman and reigning SEC champion Saad Hinti advanced to his first career NCAA final in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, securing a heat victory in 49.07 seconds. He will look to become the third different Vol to score in the event in the past three seasons under head coach Duane Ross – running the 2025 final on Friday at approximately 9:14 p.m. ET.
ALL-AMERICANS: The Vols had three athletes earn Second Team All-America status on Wednesday. The All-America second team is comprised of athletes who finished ninth through 16th in their respective events at the NCAA Championships.
- Cade Gray – Men’s Pole Vault – 10th (5.43m / 17-9.75)
- Evan Puckett – Men’s Pole Vault – t-13th (5.33m / 17-5.75)
- Harry Barton – Men’s 400m Hurdles – 16th (50.82)
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols kick off NCAA Championship action on Thursday, beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET with the women’s 4×100-meter relay semifinal. Day 2 from Eugene will conclude at approximately 10:36 p.m. with the women’s 4×400-meter relay semifinal.
