Amara McKell Class: Graduated Hometown: Nashville, Tenn. High School: Pearl-Cohn Height: 5-6 Event: Throws Birthdate: 11/26/1985

2007: Scored Indoors and outdoors at the SEC meets for the first time in her career...Indoors, she carded an eighth-place finish in the shot put at the SEC Championships, nailing a career-best heave of 45-8 1/2...Began the season with a then-PR of 44-4 3/4 to tie for ninth in the shot at the Kentucky Invitational...Participating in an indoor discus competition at that meet, she took third in 146-6 and set the tone for a fine junior season in that event outdoors... During the outdoor slate, she made the scoring cut in the discus at SECs with an eighth-place fling of 146-9...Threw the discus a PR distance of 153-10 at the Sea Ray Relays to place fifth...Also had a mark of 153-10 at the Pepsi Florida Relays to finish fourth in the "B" division...Began the outdoor slate by taking fifth at the Wake Forest Open with a then personal-record spin of 151-10...Was 12th in the shot put at the SEC Championships with a toss of 40-2 1/4...Registered a career best in that event with a fourth-place effort of 42-9 3/4 at the Pepsi Florida Relays...Had a personal best in the javelin as well, stretching the tape to 121-4 at LSU's Alumni Gold meet.

2006: Amara competed in three different events in SEC action as a sophomore...Indoors, she focused on the shot put, charting a pair of PRs...Her latest improvement was to 43-4 1/4 in a fourth-place finish at the Tennessee Indoor Classic...Opened the campaign with a then-PR of 41-10 3/4 in the shot...Outdoors, Amara made the trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the SEC Championships, and she answered the call in three events...She finished 16th in the discus at 134-9, 16th in the shot at 41-8 3/4 and 17th in the javelin at 108-10...The effort in the shot was a season best...Her career-topper in the discus came at the Sea Ray Relays, where she stretched the tape to 139-1.

2005: Did not compete Indoors but saw action in four meets outdoors in her first season as a Lady Vol...Entered in three events at the SEC Outdoor meet, taking 14th in both the javelin (99-2) and shot put (42-3 1/4) and winding up 17th in the discus (135-5) with a season-best throw...Her then lifetime best in the shot came at the Knoxville Twilight, where she came in second with a heave of 42-6 3/4...Peak javelin effort at that point in her career came at the Gatorade Classic, when she let loose a throw of 121-3 to place 11th in a home competition pitting SEC athletes vs. those from the Big Ten...Finished second at the Knoxville Twilight with a jav mark of 104-9.

HIGH SCHOOL: Was a three-sport star at Pearl-Cohn High School, competing in basketball, volleyball and track...Was the 2004 state 3A shot put champion (38-10 1/2) and won the discus (132-1) as well, helping PCHS take fifth in the team scoring...Both the shot and discus marks at that meet were her prep career bests...Was the 2004 Region 3-AAA Section champ in the discus (122-5) and placed second in the shot (38-10 1/2)...Had a personal-record throw of 110-10 in the javelin at the 2003 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympics meet in Oregon to place 13th...Managed finishes of seventh in the shot (38-8 3/4) and 23rd in the discus (100-3) at the 2004 USATF National Junior Olympic competition...Was a member of the Nashville Illusion club track team...Displayed quite a knack on the basketball court, averaging 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals per contest in 2003-04...Named all-region and all-region tournament in volleyball in 2003...Earned class valedictorian acclaim at Pearl-Cohn...Was an academic scholar and a member of student council.

PERSONAL: Amara is majoring in exercise science and has an interest in becoming an athletic trainer...In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music and playing basketball...Played the bass drum in the high school band...Has five siblings: Antonio, 30; and Latoria Wilson, 23; and Ray, 20; Denise, 19; and Kevin McKell, 18...Amara is the cousin of former UT men's basketball standout Charles Hathaway...Amara McKell was born on Nov. 26, 1985, in Nashville, Tenn....Her mom is Carol Wilson.