RALEIGH, N.C. – Tennessee’s distance runners had a historic night on Thursday at the NC State Raleigh Relays, combining for four times that cracked the program’s all-time top 10 lists.
Graduate student Brandon Olden led three Volunteers that ran sub-28:50 in the men’s 10k, turning in a time of 28:30.52 that ranks No. 4 on UT’s all-time charts. His time was a personal-best by more than 75 seconds, topping his previous PR of 29:46.77 from the 2023 edition of the Raleigh Relays.
Tennessee rookie Dean Casey was fantastic in his collegiate track & field debut, obliterating the program’s 48-year-old freshman record in the 10k with his mark of 28:39.62 for a new personal-best and the No. 6 time in school history. His performance took down former UT athlete and men’s head coach George Watts’ freshman record of 29:04.5 that was set in 1976.
UT grad student Nate Kawalec won his race in the second heat of the men’s 10,000-meter, closing out the 25-lapper with a time of 28:46.21 to set a new lifetime-best by more than 34 seconds. The Chardon, Ohio, native moved up to No. 7 in Tennessee history in the event.
In the last two seasons under distance coach Sean Carlson, the Vols have four of the program’s eight runners to ever crack the 28:50 barrier in the men’s 10k. Dylan Jacobs set the Tennessee record in 2023 with a time of 28:01.34.
Tennessee saw a handful of impressive performances in the men’s 5k, headlined by grad student Jacob Lewis breaking into the program’s all-time top 10 with his time of 13:50.75. The Anthem, Arizona, native’s mark ranks No. 9 in school history.
Christopher Cherry (13:55.09) and Gabriel Sanchez (13:56.58) both dipped under 14 minutes in the outdoor 5k for the first time in their collegiate careers, while Canaan Anderson secured a heat victory with a time of 14:00.33 in his first career outdoor 5,000-meter to highlight a run of strong showings at the 5k distance.
Full results from Thursday at the Raleigh Relays can be viewed here.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will conclude their time in Raleigh on Friday with 16 athletes set to compete, beginning at 3:10 p.m. with the men’s 400-meter and concluding at 9:20 p.m. with the women’s 10,000-meter. Action from LSU’s Battle on the Bayou will also begin Friday in Baton Rouge, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET with the men’s hammer.
Graduate student Brandon Olden led three Volunteers that ran sub-28:50 in the men’s 10k, turning in a time of 28:30.52 that ranks No. 4 on UT’s all-time charts. His time was a personal-best by more than 75 seconds, topping his previous PR of 29:46.77 from the 2023 edition of the Raleigh Relays.
Tennessee rookie Dean Casey was fantastic in his collegiate track & field debut, obliterating the program’s 48-year-old freshman record in the 10k with his mark of 28:39.62 for a new personal-best and the No. 6 time in school history. His performance took down former UT athlete and men’s head coach George Watts’ freshman record of 29:04.5 that was set in 1976.
UT grad student Nate Kawalec won his race in the second heat of the men’s 10,000-meter, closing out the 25-lapper with a time of 28:46.21 to set a new lifetime-best by more than 34 seconds. The Chardon, Ohio, native moved up to No. 7 in Tennessee history in the event.
In the last two seasons under distance coach Sean Carlson, the Vols have four of the program’s eight runners to ever crack the 28:50 barrier in the men’s 10k. Dylan Jacobs set the Tennessee record in 2023 with a time of 28:01.34.
Tennessee saw a handful of impressive performances in the men’s 5k, headlined by grad student Jacob Lewis breaking into the program’s all-time top 10 with his time of 13:50.75. The Anthem, Arizona, native’s mark ranks No. 9 in school history.
Christopher Cherry (13:55.09) and Gabriel Sanchez (13:56.58) both dipped under 14 minutes in the outdoor 5k for the first time in their collegiate careers, while Canaan Anderson secured a heat victory with a time of 14:00.33 in his first career outdoor 5,000-meter to highlight a run of strong showings at the 5k distance.
Full results from Thursday at the Raleigh Relays can be viewed here.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will conclude their time in Raleigh on Friday with 16 athletes set to compete, beginning at 3:10 p.m. with the men’s 400-meter and concluding at 9:20 p.m. with the women’s 10,000-meter. Action from LSU’s Battle on the Bayou will also begin Friday in Baton Rouge, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET with the men’s hammer.
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