Tennessee junior Davonte Howell ran a world-leading time of 6.49 seconds to win the men’s 60-meter dash at the Clemson Invitational on Saturday in Clemson, South Carolina.
The personal best performance highlighted a dominant day for Tennessee sprinters, who swept the top three spots in the competitive final.
Howell got away to a strong start and held his form through the finish line to edge teammate Traunard Folson in a photo finish. Folson, who represents the Cayman Islands, was also credited with 6.49 seconds but placed second after the timing system showed he finished in 6.485 compared to Howell’s 6.486.
Read More: Azeem Fahmi and Reese Webster Lead Auburn to Strong Start at UAB Blazer Invite
The race was one of the fastest 60-meter finals of the young indoor season. The top three finishers all dipped below 6.60 seconds, while four of the eight finalists set personal bests.
Tennessee’s T’Mars McCallum, who won his preliminary heat earlier in the day, claimed third place in the final with a time of 6.59 seconds. Andre Hodge finished fourth in 6.61, and fellow Tennessee sprinter Nigel Ancrum took fifth place in 6.64.
Howell and Folson were evenly matched throughout the competition. In the preliminary heats, both runners clocked identical times of 6.57 seconds to advance to the final.
The women’s 60-meter final was equally exciting. Georgia’s Kaila Jackson posted 7.22 seconds to narrowly defeat teammate Karsen Phillips, who earned a personal best of 7.23 seconds in second place.
Lauren Jarrett of Tennessee finished third in 7.27 seconds, matching her personal best. Clemson’s Makhaila Mills set a personal best of 7.31 for fourth place.
In the hurdles events, Jamaica’s Danielle Williams dominated the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a world-leading time of 7.94 seconds. The two-time world outdoor champion controlled the race from start to finish.
Dylan Beard of the United States won the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a world-leading 7.61 seconds. Le’Ezra Brown of Georgia finished second in 7.68.
Click here for complete results
