Tennessee track playing catch-up
On one corner where a multi-purpose pavilion will rise, Tom Black Track is still a construction zone. Otherwise, the renovated facility is ready to shine this weekend during the Tennessee Relays.
Tennessee's track and field program, meanwhile, still has a ways to go.
Beth Alford-Sullivan is in her third season as director of the program. She will roll out a youthful roster this weekend whose best times and distances are down the road.
In the leadership transition from J.J. Clark to Alford-Sullivan, Tennessee has landed in 2016-17 with a roster short on upperclassmen. Cameron Brown, an All-American thrower, is the men's only senior.
Alford-Sulllivan's recruits are freshmen and sophomores. There are a bunch of them.
"It's just a reflection of where the program had been,'' Alford-Sullivan said, "and now we're going to have to grow these kids up and get 'em battle-tested to be effective in a year or two.''
The new regime inherited some elite holdovers. That accounts for UT's men's top-six finishes last year at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets. The women were seventh indoors.
Several of the stars graduated. The significant exception is junior sprinter Christian Coleman. He's the most decorated athlete on campus in any sport.
Coleman has won three NCAA titles, including a sweep of the 60 and 200 indoors this year. He also made the U.S. Olympic team last summer. He'll run the 100 meters Friday and two relays Saturday.
But Coleman was the only UT athlete to score in the NCAA indoor meet. That followed an SEC indoor meet at which the UT men finished 10th, the women 12th.
Alford-Sullivan saw this was going to be a lean year. That's why she is redshirting senior Felicia Majors, an All-American sprinter.
"Next year, these kids will be a year older and we think they'll be more effective,'' Alford-Sullivan said. "(Majors) will finally get to be on a real relay.''
These kids. The UT men's roster has 18 freshmen (counting redshirts) and 11 sophomores. The women have seven freshmen and 13 sophomores.
"You have to give them time to make their freshman mistakes,'' Alford-Sullivan said. "They're tired by outdoor season. They get so much stronger after that first year.
"Even Christian Coleman, his outdoor freshman year he didn't make a final (in the NCAA 100 or 200).''
Tennessee has a proud tradition in the sport. The alumni have generally been gracious, she said.
"Alumni are excited when things go well and frustrated when they don't, but we get that,'' she said. "What we've been able to do is connect with the alums and show them this is the way we're going to go.''
Gold-medal alum Justin Gatlin, still competing, mingled with the Vols last weekend at the Florida Relays. A bunch of alumni will attend these relays, starting Thursday. The event had to be cancelled last year due to renovation delays.
Alford-Sullivan said she is grateful to athletic director Dave Hart for the overdue track revamp. She's heard good things about the new AD, John Currie.
"I'm good friends with Kansas State's coaches,'' she said. "He gets a rave report from them.''
Will the new Tom Black get rave reports? The new layout should be more spectator-friendly.
It's always been athlete-friendly. Since opening in 1966, the facility has hosted royalty, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Marty Liquori, Evelyn Ashford and Dan O'Brien, to drop a few names. And, of course, a parade of All-Americans and Olympians wearing orange.
The newly surfaced track is ready to go fast. Now it's up to the Tennessee athletes who use it to catch up.
Mike Strange may be reached at mike.strange@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at Strangemike44.