ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On Friday, Vanderbilt track and field’s Beatrice Juskeviciute earned a sixth-place finish in the pentathlon and the distinction of First-Team All-American at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
“I am ecstatic and very proud of Beatrice. She’s been on the stage before and she has the talent and the marks, and it’s just the development she’s shown to be able to do it on the big stage,” director of track and field Althea Thomas said. “I’m very happy for her that it all came together in a competition that wasn’t perfect. There were some highs, some mediums and some lows, but she kept it together. I’m very excited for her, Coach [Justin] Byron, Coach [Ashley] Kovacs and for the program as a whole.”
For the third time this season, Juskeviciute set a new Vanderbilt school record in the pentathlon with her score of 4,282 points, which is also a career best.
To start off the day, Juskeviciute finished first and broke the school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a lifetime-best time of 8.23 seconds. This is the third meet in a row that she has improved her mark in this event. Since the inaugural meet of the indoor season, the Commodore Challenge (Jan. 13-14), she has shaved 0.53 seconds off her 60-meter hurdles time.
Juskeviciute improved her season-best twice over the course of three throws in the shot put. Her throw of 13.76 meters was the third farthest in the competition and fifth farthest in Vanderbilt history.
To end the day, Juskeviciute ran a personal-best 2:16.86 in the 800 meters, earning a sixth-place finish in the event and the competition.
“Having someone score at the NCAA Championships is something you should never take for granted. It’s not an easy feat. This is, by far, the hardest league in track and field, and the best to develop and compete on the world stage.” Thomas said. “For us to be here and to be doing the things we’re doing is great. It’s showing that Vanderbilt is a track team. The representation last year in the shot put and the 400 meters and this year with Beatrice in the multi shows that Vanderbilt is the future.”
“Vanderbilt is a place to do well, period, to be a great student, to be a great athlete and to be a great person. This is just the beginning.”
The Vanderbilt women’s track and field team will next travel to Freeport, Bahamas to compete at the Island Relays on March 17-18.
