KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore Gray Horn successfully defended his Southeastern Conference decathlon title, capturing the event and its important 10 team points for Florida Friday on the second day of the SEC Outdoors Track and Field Championships on the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.
Horn turned in a career-best score of 7,652 – the second-best decathlon score in school history – to capture the event and become the ninth person in SEC history to win in the event in back-to-back years since 1974. Last year he became the first Gator ever to win the decathlon crown.
Horn entered Friday in second place overall in the competition after the first five events with a school-record, opening-day score of 4,068 and trailed in total points the entire evening before closing the gap in the 1,500 meters – the final event of the day.
Horn started off the day with a personal-record time of 14.50 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing second and earning 911 points. He followed that up with a third-place finish in the discus with a toss of 124 feet, 11 inches, earning him 625 points and giving him 5,604 points, 130 off the lead.
Horn then won the pole vault with a leap of 15 feet, 3 inches, earning 804 points and cutting his deficit to 42 points. He then placed fourth in the javelin with a personal-best throw of 160 feet, 4 inches for 562 points.
Entering the final event, Horn trailed Cory Holman of Georgia by 20 points (7,000-6,980). Holman struggled home 12th in the grueling event, finishing in 5:10.69 to earn 500 points. Horn, meanwhile, had plenty left in his tank and he finished third in 4:41.28 to earn 672 points for his second straight title.
After two days of competition, the Florida men’s team was in fifth place with 13 points, trailing leader Auburn (28), Louisiana State and Georgia (20 each) and South Carolina (14). Florida’s other points came in the hammer throw (freshman Jeremy Postin was seventh with a toss of 190 feet, 11 inches) and 10,000 meters (sophomore Josh Izewski finished eighth in 30:08.33).
In the women’s competition, Florida was tied for eighth with Vanderbilt with 5 points, trailing Georgia (29), Kentucky (26), Auburn and Alabama (13), Arkansas (10), Mississippi State (8) and Louisiana State (7). The Gators got their points in the 10,000 meters as junior Ali Crabb finished sixth in 36:23.69 and senior Laura Garrow was seventh in 36:24.79.
The SEC Outdoors Championships continue Saturday and conclude Sunday.
SEC OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium / University of Tennessee / Knoxville, Tenn. / Friday, May 14 results
MEN
Decathlon
Final standings: 1. Gray Horn (Florida) 7,652 points (10 points); 2. Cory Holman (Georgia) 7,500 (8); 3. Jager Livingston (Auburn) 7,160 (6); 4. Scott Pierce (South Carolina) 7,056 (5); 5. Eddie Stoudemire (South Carolina) 6,858 (4); 6. Trevarus Christian (Mississippi State) 6,840 (3); 7. Michael Hughes (Alabama) 6,794 (2); 8. Terry Prentice (Arkansas) 6,650 (1); 9. Martin Lee (Mississippi State) 6,639; 10. Antoine Lipscomb (Mississippi State) 6,462; 11. Matt Kirbos (Arkansas) 6,364; 12. Justin Brady (Alabama) 6,056.
Gray Horn results: (First day, 2nd place, 4,068 points, new school record) 100 meters, 2nd, 10.77 seconds (912 points); Long jump, 1st, 25 feet, 1 ¼ inches (972); Shot put, 3rd, 41 feet, 3 ¼ inches (642); High jump, 3rd, 6 feet, 4 ¼ inches (749); 400 meters, 6th, 50.48 seconds (794) (Second day, 1st place, 7,652 points) 110-meter hurdles, 14.50, 2nd, (911 points); Discus, 3rd, 124 feet, 10 inches (625); Pole vault, 1st, 15 feet, 3 inches (804); Javelin, 4th, 160 feet, 4 inches (572); 1,500 meters, 3rd, 4:41.28 (672).
Hammer throw
1. Walter Henning (Louisiana State) 237 feet, 3 inches (10 points); 2. Branislav Danis (Georgia) 223 feet, 11 inches (8); 3. Michael Lauro (Louisiana State) 213 feet, 1 inch (6); 4. Mike Zajac (South Carolina) 206 feet, 5 inches (5); 5. David Scheidt (Georgia) 198 feet, 10 inches (4); 6. Chris Bless (Louisiana State) 193 feet, 9 inches (3); 7. Jeremy Postin (Florida) 190 feet, 11 inches (2); 8. Ross Roubion (Louisiana State) 190 feet, 1 inch (1). Florida: 10. David Triassi 169 feet, 10 inches.
10,000 meters
1. Ben Cheruiyot (Auburn) 29:31.82 (10 points); 2. Jean-Pierre Weerts (Auburn) 29:36.66 (8); 3. Barnabas Kirui (Mississippi) 29:40.13 (6); 4. Solomon Haile (Arkansas) 29:44.27 (5); 5. Elkanah Kibet (Auburn) 29:47.99 (4); 6. Michael Spooner (Tennessee) 29:57.24 (3); 7. Eric Fernandez (Arkansas) 30:04.13 (2); 8. Josh Izewski (Florida) 30:08.33 (1). Florida: 9. Jeremy Criscione 30:15.56.
Team standings
1. Auburn 28; 2. (tie) Louisiana State and Georgia 20; 4. South Carolina 14; 5. Florida 13; 6. Arkansas 8; 7. Mississippi 6; 8. (tie) Mississippi State and Tennessee 3; 10. Alabama 2.
WOMEN
Heptathlon
Final standings: 1. Chealsea Taylor (Alabama) 5,672 points (10 points); 2. Laquinta Aaron (Mississippi State) 5,563 (8); 3. Precious Nwokey (Kentucky) 5,543 (6); 4. Buky Bamigboye (Vanderbilt) 5,527 (5); 5. Lucie Ondraschkova (Georgia) 5,467 (4); 6. Makena Alcide (Arkansas) 5,153 (3); 7. Brittany Bozeman (Mississippi) 5,070 (2); 8. Leah Orley (Arkansas) 5,043 (1).
Hammer throw
1. Nikola Lomnicka (Georgia) 207 feet, 7 inches (10 points); 2. Kristin Smith (Kentucky) 202 feet, 9 inches (8); 3. Ashley Muffet (Kentucky) 190 feet, 8 inches (6); 4. Kim Williams (Louisiana State) 189 feet, 5 inches (5); 5. Alesha Asijie (Georgia) 183 feet, 7 inches (4); 6. Amethyst Holmes (Alabama) 175 feet, 2 inches (3); 7. Heather Smith (Kentucky) 174 feet, 8 inches (2); 8. Brieanna Kennedy (Louisiana State) 173 feet, 6 inches (1). Florida: 18. Fidela James 152 feet, 0 inches.
10,000 meters
1. Bridget Lyons (Georgia) 34:44.88 (10 points); 2. Hollie Knight (Auburn) 35:19.30 (8); 3. Miranda Walker (Arkansas) 35:35.26 (6); 4. Laurel Pritchard (Auburn) 36:05.65 (5); 5. Katherine Peterson (Kentucky) 36:15.86 (4); 6. Ali Crabb (Florida) 36:23.69 (3); 7. Laura Garrow (Florida) 36:24.79 (2); 8. Katie Weise (Georgia) 36:39.18 (1). Florida: Kaitlin Shiver DNF.
Team standings
1. Georgia 29; 2. Kentucky 26; 3. (tie) Auburn and Alabama 13; 5. Arkansas 10; 6. Mississippi State 8; 7. Louisiana State 6; 8. (tie) Florida and Vanderbilt 5; 10. Mississippi 2.