April 6, 2018
ATHENS, Ga. – Reagan Bustamante continued her outstanding form Friday, running the fastest 1,500 meters of her career in a victorious race at the Spec Towns Invitational.
Bustamante, from Springfield, Va., captured the 1,500 in 4:25.97, which knocked more than a second off her previous best at the distance. She also paced Commodore teammates Kendall Derry, Megan Huebner, Ginger Hutton and Maddie Criscione to a sweep of the top five places in the race.
Bustamante’s winning effort followed up a career-best performance last week at the Florida Relays where she ran the 800 meters in 2:06.50.
Several other Commodores, including sprinter Jenn Edobi, jumper Sophia Falco and pole vaulters Kristen Denk and Margaret Ollinger, also had solid performances in the first day of competition at the University of Georgia.
Head coach Steve Keith, who entered nine of his runners in the 1,500 meters, was impressed with the corps.
“Having our top three in the 1,500 establish new PRs is reason to be happy,” Keith said. “I thought Ray [Bustamante] ran a big race, but I was just as pleased with Kendall and Megan. Ginger and Maddie also really competed well.
“Jenn was in an impressive field in the 200 and continues to show excellent form. I thought Sophia also put together her best meet of the year. It was a very good day of competition for our squad,” Keith added.
Bustamante has been impressive ever since helping the Commodores to a fifth-place finish in the distance medley relay at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in late February. She nearly set a personal record in the 1,500 at the Black & Gold Invitational to open the outdoor season, then came back at the Florida Relays to post the fourth-fastest 800 ever by a Commodore.
Bustamante took control of the race in the third lap and continued to widen her lead over the Vanderbilt teammates during an impressive final lap. She narrowly missed breaking into the team’s all-time top-10 at the distance.
Derry, a sophomore from Fair Oaks, Calif., and Huebner, a senior from La Quinta, Calif., also posted career-bests behind Bustamante. Derry was second with a time of 4:28.58. Huebner finished third in 4:29.16.
Hutton and Criscione were fourth and fifth in the race with times of 4:31.28 and 4:31.31, respectively. Another Commodore, Mailin Struck, finished ninth in 4:40.54.
Denk, a redshirt sophomore from North Royalton, Ohio, and Ollinger, a sophomore from Fairhope, Ala, cleared 12-11.75 (3.96 meters) to finish fourth and fifth in the pole vault, respectively. Both had three unsuccessful attempts at 13-3.75 (4.06m). The 12-11.75 clearance marked an outdoor best for Ollinger and puts her fifth on the team’s all-time charts.
Edobi, from Union, N.J., ran a season-best 24.39 to earn third place in the featured Gwen Torrence 200-meter dash.
On Saturday, freshman Regan Clay finished fifth in the open 200 with a collegiate-best time of 24.72.
Falco, a freshman from Lakewood Ranch, Fla., set a season-best and equaled the program’s No. 6 long jump distance ever with a leap of 18-10.75 (5.76 meters). Falco’s jump series included four leaps beyond 18 feet.
Falco also came back Saturday to capture third place in the triple jump with a best of 37-6 (11.43 meters).
Vanderbilt results at the Spec Towns Invitational
100 meters – 10. Sophia Falco 12.24.
200 meters (invitation) – 3. Jenn Edobi 24.39.
200 meters (collegiate) – 5. Regan Clay 24.72. 11. S. Falco 25.38.
1,500 meters – 1. Reagan Bustamante 4:25.97. 2. Kendall Derry 4:28.58. 3. Megan Huebner 4:29.16. 4. Ginger Hutton 4:31.28. 5. Maddie Criscione 4:31.31. 9. Mailin Struck 4:40.54. 11. Sara Tsai 4:43.88. 14. Reagan Anderson 4:45.44. 15. Anna Grace Morgan 4:49.26
Pole vault – 4. Kristen Denk 12-11.75 (3.96m). 5. Margaret Ollinger 12-11.75 (3.96m).
Long jump – 7. S. Falco 18-10.75 (5.76m).
Triple jump – 3. S. Falco 37-6 (11.43m)
