Abdalla, Covert Secure 10k Bronze; Griffith Sets National Record At SEC Championships

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A pair of Tennessee graduate students earned bronze medals in the 10,000-meter run Thursday night at the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships, while another fifth-year international student established his country’s national record in the 400-meter hurdles to highlight the first day of the conference meet at the University of Florida’s Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium.
 
Yaseen Abdalla took home his fourth career SEC medal and earned his second consecutive podium finish in the 10k with a third-place finish Thursday night, turning in a time of 29:58.93. On the women’s side, Emily Covert also took third in the 25-lapper with a mark of 34:03.22 in her first career SEC Outdoor Championship.
 
This marks the second-straight year that Tennessee distance coach Sean Carlson has produced a pair of podium finishes in both 10k races at the SEC meet. In 2023, Abdalla claimed silver while Jasmine Fehr took home bronze for the Lady Vols.
 
In Thursday’s running event preliminary rounds, fifth-year senior Rasheeme Griffith stood out with the top time in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. The Bridgetown, Barbados, native improved his own national record in the event with a personal-best mark of 48.79 seconds, which ranks ninth on the 2024 world list and fourth in the NCAA this season.
 
Griffith led a trio of Vols that qualified for the 400-meter hurdles final that will run Saturday at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET. Ja’Kwan Hale had the third fastest time in the prelims with a season-best mark of 49.64, while Clement Ducos cruised to a Heat 3 victory with his time of 50.07.
 
Lady Vol senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard also advanced in the 400-meter hurdles, turning in a time of 56.00 seconds to win her heat and automatically qualify for Saturday’s final at 8:15 p.m. ET.
 
Three UT sprinters moved on in the 200-meter competitions, beginning with sophomore T’Mars McCallum throwing down a lifetime-best time of 20.33 into a -1.3 m/s headwind. His mark raised the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, native to No. 7 on the Volunteer all-time list.
 
The Lady Vol senior duo of Dennisha Page and Jacious Sears each secured qualification in the women’s 200-meter prelims, placing fifth and eighth respectively. Page posted a PR of 22.60 (+1.0) to improve her standing as the No. 5 performer in school history, while Sears clocked a wind-aided 22.66 (+2.1) to qualify for her second-consecutive SEC outdoor 200m final.
 
Rookie mid-distance specialist…