May 18, 2014
Full meet results: Here
Sunday’s SEC release: Here
Freshman Simone Charley literally outdid herself while helping the Vanderbilt track team complete an impressive performance at the SEC Track and Field Championships.
Charley broke her own school record in the triple jump — not just once but twice — on Sunday while earning a fifth-place finish and scoring four points for the Commodores on the final day of the meet in Lexington, Ky.
Charley earned a spot in the finals with a jump of 42-1.75, and followed that up with a mark of 42-8. Both of those distances topped her previous school-record of 41-10.75, which she set in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 12.
Charley’s performance on Sunday was the punctuation mark on Vanderbilt’s strong showing at the four-day meet. Despite the absence of several key performers who were sidelined by injuries, the shorthanded Commodores — who competed only in a limited number of events — amassed 15 points and saw three individuals establish new school records.
In addition to Charley’s effort, freshman Sarah Bell set a new VU record in the pole vault on Saturday by clearing 13-01.50 and junior Rebecca Chandler set a new school standard in the Steeplechase with a time of 10:23.17.
“Breaking school records at the SEC meet is where you want to do it,” Vanderbilt coach Steve Keith enthusiastically told vucommodores.com shortly after Sunday’s action concluded.
The No. 8-ranked Arkansas women finished with 123 to win the team championship. It was the Razorbacks’ fourth SEC title in team history, but their first since 2005. The Florida women were second with 116.5 points, and Texas A&M was third with 113.
For Vanderbilt, the final-day highlights included a solid performance by Sara Barron in the 1500. She posted a time of 4:20.60 and earned a 10th-place finish.
“Sara ran well, (finishing) just off of her lifetime best and better than she has ever run in a final,” said Keith. “She’s getting more and more confidence. (She) knows she can run even better at the upcoming NCAA prelims.”
The Commodores will be sending a large collection of competitors to the NCAA first round. They will find out exactly how many are going when the NCAA finalizes its list of qualifiers next week.
In the meantime, they can reflect back on their performance in Lexington, which included a long list of memorable moments:
* Bell, a freshman, finished in a tie for fifth place and scored 3.5 points for the Commodores with her school-record mark of 13-01.5 in the pole vault while qualifying for the NCAA first round;
* Chandler, a junior, set a 10-second PR while establishing the new school standard in the Steeplechase at 10:23.17. Chandler earned a sixth-place finish;
* Senior Brionne Williams tied for fifth place in the high jump at 5-07.75 to score 3.5 points for Vanderbilt;
* Amira Joseph recorded the second-fastest time of her career in the Steeplechase, finishing at 10:31.99, to finish in eighth place and earn one point for the Commodores.
* Sarah Goodale established four new personal records while competing in the heptathlon, and finished 10th overall. Her PRs came in the 800-meter run (2:16.93), high jump (5-5.25), shot put (34-11.25) and javelin throw (107-10). She finished third in the 800, tied for sixth in the high jump and was seventh in the javelin.
* Reagan Anderson recorded a season’s best time in the 800 at 2:13.20, finishing 15th.
* Skyler Carpenter, who has produced an outstanding season for the Commodores, earned a 13th-place finish in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.80.
* Vanderbilt was also well represented in the 10k, with junior Claire Benjamin taking 15th at 36:23.99 and Vanessa Valentine finishing 17th at 36:45.16.
NOTE: Sunday’s final-day action had an announced crowd of 3,184 at the Kentucky Track and Field Complex.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Arkansas 123
2. Florida 116.5
3. Texas A&M 113
4. Kentucky 104
5. Georgia 70.5
6. LSU 65.5
7. Missouri 62
8. Alabama 36
9. Auburn 30
10. Tennessee 28
11. Miss State 26
12. South Carolina 25.5
13. Vanderbilt 15
14. Mississippi 4
