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In case Mom didn't know, Williams still fast

UT senior named top men's runner

It's a long way from San Jose, Calif., to Tom Black Track. So Rubin Williams made sure his mother got her money's worth this weekend.

Blynthia Williams watched her son, Tennessee's All-America senior sprinter, compete in Knoxville for the first time in his career. He rewarded her by hitting the finish line first three times at the 42nd Sea Ray Relays.

Williams won the 100 meters on Friday and followed up Saturday with a victory in the 200 and an anchor leg on the winning 4x100 relay team. For good measure, he ran a stellar leg on the 4x400 relay that finished third.

"That's the first time she's seen me run a complete meet since high school,'' Williams said Saturday. "I was happy she was able to see me.''

She's coming back in a few weeks to see her son move at a more normal pace, when he walks across the stage to get his diploma.

Saturday, though, he was at full throttle. And for the second time in three years, Williams won the Tony Wilson Award as the meet's outstanding men's runner.

His 20.60 clocking in the 200, his signature event, was fast but left him wanting more.

"I've still got to work on a lot of things,'' he said. "I'm coming close. I'm almost at a breakthrough.''

In Matthieu Pritchett, Evander Wells and Kyle Stevenson, Williams has able teammates in the 4x100 relay.

Last year, that quartet won the SEC title and finished third at the NCAA meet.

Saturday, they teamed up to give UT its sixth Sea Ray 4x100 title in the past eight years, clocked in 39.66 seconds.

Williams was key on the anchor. Last year at Sea Ray he had to yield his spot due to a sore back. Without him, the Vols finished third.

"It's a good team,'' said UT men's coach Bill Webb, "but if we're going to beat the really good teams like LSU and Florida State and Texas A&M, our handoffs could use a little work.

"We have the speed but we have a lot to improve.''

The Lady Vols, meanwhile, won three relays for the first time in meet history. Their previous high was two in 1995.

The 4x100 team defended its 2007 title. The 4x200 victory was the first since 1995.

Spotted a commanding margin by Sarah Bowman's lead leg, the distance-medley relay won for the first time since 2003.

Aside from the relays, freshman Annie Alexander won the invitational discus at 174 feet, 10 inches. Then she finished third in the shot put, wiping out the 26-year-old school record with an effort of 57-3.

"Fam" Is Back: Anthony Famiglietti, the former UT All-American and 2004 Olympian, roared away to win the steeplechase. Famiglietti, who recently moved back to Knoxville from New York City, ran away from a field that included two past champions to win in 8:43.95, the fastest Sea Ray time since he won in 2001.

Best Shirt: Former Lady Vols standout Dee Dee Trotter, a 2004 Olympic relay gold-medalist, wore a T-shirt that addressed the biggest issue in track, if not all of sports. "Test Me, I'm Clean'' was on the front and "Hard Work, Honor, Honesty'' on the back.

Meet Records: Cleopatra Borel-Brown of Nike broke the women's meet record in the shot put with a heave of 61 feet, 8.50 inches.

A.G. Kruger broke the meet record in the hammer throw at 254-4 and was named outstanding male field performance

Huntsman Visits: Former UT coach Stan Huntsman was in the crowd. A men's reunion drew 80 to 90 alumni. Huntsman coached UT's men 1971-85, during which the Vols won 13 SEC outdoor titles and the 1974 NCAA title.

Wilson Winners: The other Tony Wilson Awards for outstanding performances went to Kruger (men's field), Mary Wineburg (women's track) and Borel-Brown (women's field).

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