Shot put helps put import Alexander on the map

The recruiting budget for women's track and field at Tennessee isn't exactly on par with football's. So coach J.J. Clark had to think twice when throws coach John Frazier asked to go recruit on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

"I said, 'That's a big trip, John,' '' Clark recalled, "and he said, 'Trust me,' and I said, 'OK.' ''

Good call.

The result of that trip is Annie Alexander, who is the best shot-putter UT has had since the early 1980s - and that's after only a few weeks on campus.

Alexander, from Port of Spain, Trinidad, arrived at UT on New Year's Eve. Five weeks later she uncorked the best shot-put mark since Rose Hauch in 1982.

And it wasn't a fluke. Heading into the SEC Indoor Championships today at Arkansas, Alexander has 10 of the top 20 shot-put marks in UT history.

That's after three meets.

"Am I surprised she's throwing far?'' Clark asked. "No. She has a great throws coach. But I am surprised by her consistency.''

Consistency is impressive, considering the transition Alexander is undergoing.

While she had traveled extensively to compete, she had spent less than a week in the United States. She'd also been out of school for more than a year before enrolling at UT.

"It was just reading novels, training and sleep,'' she said. "I wouldn't tell no one college is easy because it's not.''

Her teammates helped her get adjusted. They would stand outside her classes and wait so she wouldn't get lost.

Competing has also been a new twist. Alexander had never thrown indoors.

"The outdoor shot is iron, the indoor one is plastic,'' she said. "I can't wait to get outdoors because I also love the discus.''

It was in Blacksburg, Va., that Alexander threw 55 feet, 5 inches. Hauch's school mark is 55-7.75. Two more of Alexander's throws at that meet ranked in UT's top 10.

The following week she heaved the third best mark in UT history, 55-4.25, in Fayetteville, the same facility that stages the SEC meet.

Alexander appeared destined to compete in this meet, though not necessarily wearing orange. She was recruited by Alabama, Florida, LSU and Georgia, among others.

"I chose Tennessee because there is life after track,'' Alexander said. "Coach Frazier was the first one that spoke to me about education.''

Considering the whirlwind of her brand new life at Tennessee, every day is an education.

Complete Team: Clark has called this year's squad his most complete team. That's saying a lot since his 2005 team won the NCAA indoor national title and the 2007 team won the SEC indoor crown.

"If you look at where we're scoring,'' Clark said, "there's a lot of areas where we've got provisional or national marks.''

The Lady Vols are ranked No. 2 nationally, trailing only LSU.

Katie Van Horn ranks No. 1 in the SEC in the 5,000. So does Sarah Bowman in the mile, despite time off due to an appendectomy. The distance-medley relay also has the top mark.

The DMR team includes Bowman, Phoebe Wright and freshmen Brittany Sheffey and Brittany Jones.

Alexander is No. 2 in the shot put. Yet another freshman, Jeneba Tarmoh, ranks No. 2 in the 200.

Senior Cleo Tyson has an NCAA automatic mark in the 60.

Tough Meet: The meet runs through Sunday. LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky are ranked in the top 25.