ARIES MERRITT
Event: 110m hurdles
Height: 6-1
Weight: 158
PR: 13.09 (2007)
Born: July 24, 1985
Current Residence: Knoxville, Tenn.
High School: Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) HS ‘03
College: Tennessee ‘07
Coach: Norbert Elliott
Agent: Mark Wetmore
Club: Reebok

Career Highlights: 2004 World Junior 110m hurdles champion; 2006 NCAA champion; three-time SEC champion

Merritt’s most memorable performance in 2007 came in his win in Stockholm in the new personal best time of 13.09 seconds. In 2006, Merritt, a seven-time All-America and 2006 NCAA champion at the University of Tennessee, decided to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility to pursue a career in professional track and field. Merritt left Tennessee with 14 total school, meet or facility records, including every high hurdles school record, in his possession. He finished the 2006 college season undefeated in every 55 hurdles, 60 hurdles and 110m hurdles race he finished, including prelims and finals, for a record of 18 wins in 18 complete races. Merritt in 2006 broke the 24-year-old Univ. of Tennessee school record of Willie Gault and the SEC meet record (13.29) of two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell. Merritt Won the 110 hurdles at the 2006 NCAA championships in 13.21 seconds, breaking Greg Foster’s NCAA meet record of 13.22 in 1978 and lowering his own school record (13.22) -- only National Track & Field Hall of Famer Renaldo Nehemiah from the University of Maryland has ever run faster at the collegiate level (13.00, May 6, 1979). While at Tennessee he won Ed Murphey Award (for most outstanding performance) and Most Valuable Track Athlete Award in 2005. As a prep star in Georgia, Merritt was one of only eight hurdlers nationally named to USA Today's All-USA High School Team ... Went undefeated in the 110 hurdles in Georgia his senior year ... Won the 2003 Georgia state 5A title in the 110 hurdles and took runner-up honors in the 300 hurdles ... Received Best Performance trophies at the 2003 5A Georgia state championships for running a 13.76 in the 110 hurdles and 36.71 in the 300 hurdles at the state meet ... Also took home a 2003 state title by running a leg on the winning 4x400 relay ... Earned membership in the Atlanta Track Club for hurdle and relay performance ... Finished third in the 110 hurdles, fourth in the 400 hurdles and ran on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays in the 2003 Junior Olympics ... Came to Tennessee with career-best times of 13.85 (13.76 wind-aided) in the 110 hurdles, 36.61 in the 300 hurdles and 52.50 in the 400 hurdles. A Sport Management major at Tennessee.

2008: 4th at Olympic Trials (13.27)...5th in 110mH at adidas Track Classic (13.54)...2nd in 110mH at Reebok Grand Prix (13.24).
2007: 6th at USA Outdoor (13.24)…1st at Stockholm (13.09PR)…8th at USA Indoors (7.72)…1st at Millrose Games (7.61)…5th in Reebok Grand Prix (13.2)…5th at Nike Prefontaine Classic (13.42)…ranked #7 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 13.09.
 2006: 1st at NCAA Outdoors (13.21)…6th at USA Outdoors (13.43)…5th at Lausanne (13.12PR)…1st at Stockholm (13.17)…ranked #6 in world (#5 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 13.12.
2005: World Junior champion (13.56)…5th at NCAA Outdoors (13.56)…7th at USA Outdoors (13.39)…1st at SEC Champs (13.38)…5th at NCAA Indoors 60mH (7.77)…1st at NCAA Mideast Regional (13.64)…best of 13.38.
2004: 4th at NCAA Outdoors (13.47)…runner-up at USA Junior Champs (13.84)…16th in prelims at NCAA Indoors (7.85)…5th at Mideast Regional 400mH (53.06)…best of 13.47.

 

06/06/08