Ellen Wortham (The Herald /Submitted Photo)

Competing on a splendid Saturday afternoon at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium, the Tennessee track & field teams combined for nine event victories, including six in the higher-caliber “Showcase” races, on the final day of the 46th-annual Sea Ray Relays.

On a day in which 23 UT student-athletes were recognized on Senior Day, Ellen Wortham made her final home appearance one for the record books.

The local product from Maryville cruised to an NCAA-leading and meet-record-tying time of 55.93 seconds to win the Showcase 400m hurdles by three seconds. It marked the third-straight season she won that event at this meet, and she matched the 2005 effort of South Carolina’s Tiffany Ross-Williams to do it.

Annie Alexander (The Herald /Submitted Photo)

After running on UT’s victorious 4x400m relay and winning the long jump at 19-11 3/4, Wortham was named the Tony Wilson Award winner for women’s running events for the second year in a row. Wortham joins Aleen Bailey of South Carolina (2002, 2003) as the only two-time winners for running events. Pittsburgh’s Trecia Smith (1999, 2000) and Annie Alexander of Tennessee (2010, 2011) twice won the award for field events.

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