May 11, 2018
Live Results | SEC Championship Central
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Courtney Clayton, an All-American last summer in the 800 meters, qualified for the finals in her specialty Friday at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
Clayton, a fifth-year senior from Roscoe, Ill., posted a 2:07.19 clocking in 800-meter prelims, the fourth-fastest time among 22 entrants. She will return Sunday evening for the 800-meter finals.
While Clayton advanced to the finals, sophomore Mailin Struck just missed producing Vanderbilt’s first team points with a ninth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run.
Clayton and Struck provided the top Vanderbilt highlights during the opening day of action at the SEC Championship, being held at the University of Tennessee Tom Black Track Facility. On Saturday, eight more Commodores will attempt to qualify for track finals scheduled Sunday evening.
Clayton, who returned to competition in mid-April after a three-month layoff, was superb in her 800-meter heat. After running the opening 400 meters in 1:01.46, she cruised home to finish second behind LSU’s Ersula Farrow in the prelim.
The 2:07.19 is an outdoor season-best for Clayton, who set the school record of 2:04.02 last year while finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships. The performance also qualifies Clayton for the NCAA East Regionals, scheduled May 24-26 in Tampa.
Struck was competing in her first 10,000 meters on the track in more than a year. A product of Pinneberg, Germany, Struck ran much of the race among the top 12 runners. In the closing mile, she passed Regan Hime of Arkansas and Avery Bussjager of Kentucky, but could not catch Ole Miss’ Emily Bean for eighth place. Struck finished the race in 36:41.86, just 11 seconds off her collegiate best.
In other competition Friday involving Commodores, junior Jenn Edobi paced two teammates in the 200-meter dash with a 24.12 effort. Freshmen Sophia Falco and Regan Clay, also competed in the 200-meter prelims. Falco set a season-best of 24.55, with Clay running 24.74.
Vanderbilt head coach Steve Keith was happy with the team’s opening-day performance.
“I was impressed with Courtney. She ran the race she wanted to run. Any time a runner automatically qualifies to the final, the coach is pleased,” Keith said. “Sophia came away with a collegiate best in the 200 and I was really proud of Mailin’s effort too because it was a war of attrition. She ran a gutsy race.”
On Saturday, more Vanderbilt runners will look to duplicate Clayton’s feat and move into finals. Sophomore Reagan Bustamante, who enters the SEC meet on a string of strong performances, will look to advance in the 1,500-meter run where she owns a personal-best of 4:21.19. She will be joined by teammates Maddie Criscione, Kendall Derry and Ginger Hutton in the prelims.
Edobi returns Saturday competing in her specialty, the 400-meter dash. She enters the competition with a season-best of 53.33, the second-fastest time ever by a Commodore.
Vanderbilt also has sophomore Kacie Breeding set in the 3,000-meter steeplechase late Saturday. Breeding has set two personal records in the event this spring, including a 10:43.86 last month at the Duke Invitational.
SEC Championship Results
Friday, May 11
800-meter run (prelims): 4. Courtney Clayton 2:07.19 (qualified to finals). 22. Reagan Anderson 2:27.33.
200-meter dash (prelims): 21. Jenn Edobi 24.12. 24. Sophia Falco 24.55. 25. Regan Clay 24.74.
10,000-meter dash (final): 9. Mailin Struck 36:41.86.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, May 12
6:10 p.m. – 1,500-meter run (prelims): Reagan Bustamante, Maddie Criscione, Kendall Derry, Ginger Hutton
6:30 p.m. – Long jump (prelims/finals): S. Falco
6:55 p.m. – 400-meter dash (prelims): J. Edobi, R. Clay
7:45 p.m. – 100-meter dash (prelims): S. Falco
8:35 p.m. – 3,000-meter steeplechase (final): Kacie Breeding
Sunday, May 13
2:00 p.m. – Triple jump (prelims & finals): S. Falco
5:20 p.m. – 1,500-meter run (final): TBA
5:30 p.m. – Pole vault (final): Kristen Denk, Caleigh Lofstead, Margaret Ollinger
6:00 p.m. – 400-meter dash (final): TBA
6:40 p.m. – 800-meter run (final): Courtney Clayton
7:40 p.m. – 5,000-meter run (final): Devon Grisbaum, Megan Huebner, Anna Grace Morgan, Gillian Mortimer, Caroline Pietrzyk, Sara Tsai
