Alabama Strikes Gold on Opening Day of SEC Track and Field Indoor Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Alabama track and field teams kicked off the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships in style by striking gold in four different events.

Bobby Colantonio Jr. set the pace for the Crimson Tide, defending his individual title in the men’s weight throw. Alabama would secure its remaining gold medals on the track, sweeping the 5,000-meter races behind efforts from Victor Kiprop and Mercy Chelangat. UA’s distance medley crew (Jami Reed, Amara Obi, Flomena Asekol and Hilda Olemomoi) ended the day with yet another first-place finish for the Tide, clocking 11:04.99. The performance is now UA’s second-fastest time in program history.

Alabama closed the first day with the men tied for first in the team standings with 28 points, while the women’s squad is sixth with 23 points.

Gallery: (2-23-2023) 022423 MWTR SEC

Crimson Tide Top Finishes

• Colantonio Jr.’s 23.71m (77-9.50) gold-medal throw secured the Tide its first event win of the meet
• Louis Martinez grabbed the Tide’s first point of the day in the men’s pole vault, logging a season-best performance of 5.20m (17-0.75)
• Asekol (4:43.19) and Reed (4:43.79) finish first and second, respectively, in the women’s mile prelim to advance to Saturday’s final
• In the men’s 400m prelim, Chris Robinson clocked a 45.89 run to set a new personal best time and move to No. 3 on UA’s all-time top-10 list. The run also advanced Robinson into Saturday’s final.
• Kiprop’s gold-medal run (14:08.19) in the 5,000m gave Alabama’s men the lead in team points
• Tarsis Orogot clocked the fastest time of the men’s 200-meter prelim (20.43) to advance to Saturday’s event final
• Chelangat secured the Crimson Tide the 5,000-meter sweep after defending her individual title by clocking 15:44.48
• Chelsea Igberaese scored more points for the women’s side, throwing 21.19m (69-6.25) in the weight throw for a sixth-place finish
• Alabama concluded the first day with a victory in the women’s distance medley relay (Reed, Obi, Asekol, Olemomoi). The 11:04.99 performance is now the second-fastest time in UA history. 

Up Next

• Alabama returns to Randal Tyson Track Center Saturday for track event finals, along with men’s and women’s shot put and men’s triple jump

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