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AUBURN, Ala. - Annie Alexander knew it the minute she threw it.

So, she screamed.

The Tennessee freshman from Trinidad earned the exuberance. She won the shot put competition on her last throw at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Auburn's Hutsell-Rosen Track.

Alexander won the indoor title in March. She is the first Lady Vol to win indoor and outdoor conference titles in the shot put in the same year.

The Lady Vols scored 13 points Saturday to move into eighth place with 21 points. Florida leads the women's race with 70, followed by Arkansas with 52.5.

The Vols, the defending men's champion, finished the second full day of competition in sixth place with 21 points. Arkansas leads with 45, followed by Auburn with 39.

Alexander won the outdoor title on her last attempt in the final. Her throw of 56 feet, 6 3/4 inches beat Georgia's Mariam Kevkhishvilli's best throw of 54-9 1/4.

"I was hungry for the championship," Alexander said. "I had been fighting myself. By the time the shot left my hand, I said, 'That's it.' I started screaming."

Lady Vols Coach J.J. Clark said he knew Alexander was a good prospect when she came to Tennessee, but she has exceeded his expectations with indoor and outdoor conference titles.

"I'm sure that's very rare," Clark said. "It's something that is very, very promising coming in as a true freshman. She's a little bit better than I expected. We're just happy she's here."

Sophomore Lynne Layne scored three points for Tennessee with a sixth-place finish in the long jump.

The Lady Vols qualified three runners in today's finals of the 1,500-meter run, two in the 100 and single runners in the 100 hurdles and 400.

Men's coach Bill Webb had to see how close the Vols came in the 110 hurdles. UT qualified senior Jangy Addy and freshman Charlton Rolle, but sophomore DeLon Isom missed the final by .007 of a second.

It was so close Webb went to look at the photo finish. Every scoring opportunity is crucial in what is shaping up as a tightly bunched team race.

"That hurt us to not get that third person qualified," Webb said. "We're in position to do some things (today). It's a fantastic track meet. Whoever doesn't like this doesn't like track and field."

The Vols scored just three points Saturday, but Webb still considered that a good showing. Junior Nick Panezich finished eighth in the discus, and junior Brenard Wilson, who wasn't expected to score, finished seventh in the long jump.

Tennessee also qualified three in the 100 and another in the 1,500.

"We picked up some points in the long jump that weren't expected," Webb said. "We had a good day. I don't know who helped themselves and who hurt themselves."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.