EUGENE, Ore. – The 26th-ranked Lady Vols track & field squad posted four second team All-America performances during Thursday’s action at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The All-America second team is comprised of athletes who finished ninth through 16th in their respective events at the NCAA Championships.
The women’s 4×100-meter relay quartet of Elo Blessing Okpah, Kaniya Johnson, Milan Fields and Cydney Wright got the baton around the oval in a season-best 43.36 seconds, placing 13th nationally. The mark secured the 20th All-America recognition in school history in the women’s 4×100-meter relay.
Lady Vol senior Sarah Schmitt rounded out her collegiate career competing in the NCAA women’s pole vault final, tying for 12th place with a leap of 4.24 meters (13-11). The mark earned her third career All-America certificate and second in a row at the outdoor national meet – becoming the only athlete in school history with multiple All-America honors in the women’s outdoor pole vault.
Junior sprinter Javonya Valcourt earned her fifth-career All-America honor with a 13th-place finish in the women’s 400-meter semifinal, clocking in with a time of 51.65 seconds. After placing 16th last season, the Nassau, Bahamas, native becomes the fifth Lady Vol to earn multiple All-America certificates in the outdoor 400-meter dash.
UT rounded out Thursday’s portion of the meet in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, placing 15th overall with a time of 3:32.03. The quartet of Wright, Esther Joseph, Valcourt and Ka’Myya Haywood became the 18th group in school history to earn All-America distinction in the women’s outdoor 4×400-meter relay.
UP NEXT: Men’s competition at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships concludes on Friday, with five individuals and one relay set to represent Tennessee. Action begins at 5:15 p.m. ET with Aron Alvarez Aranda in the men’s discus final, and UT’s final event of the men’s meet will run at 9:29 p.m. with T’Mars McCallum in the 200-meter final.
Lady Vol freshman Donna Douglas will round out the meet for the Big Orange, competing in the women’s discus final on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
