FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Commodores came together to total 25 points and three medals over two days at the SEC Indoor Championships. Scoring came from eight Dores in seven events.
“Our goal was to be as efficient and precise as we possibly could be with our athletes, putting them in the right position to make sure they’re prepared,” director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas said. “I think we executed that. We scored in six out of 11 events. I think it was very well executed.”
Graduate student Sarah Omoregie posted an indoor personal best in the shot put to take home bronze in the event. Her 17.11-meter throw is third in program history. Veronica Fraley placed seventh to add points for the Dores, recording a 16.59-meter throw. Matching her 15.39 meter season best was Sarah Marvin who came in 11th.
In the 3,000 meters, Julia Rosenberg came in as the seventh overall finisher with a time of 9:19.94. Caroline Eck finished 13th with a time of 9:28.23.
On Friday, Giavonna Meeks turned in a 1.16-meter PR in the weight throw (23.04 meters) to earn a bronze medal and reset the program record for the fourth time this season.
“Giavonna is just an amazing athlete, but she is even more amazing to watch because you can see she’s there for business,” Thomas said. “She does a very good job of shutting out the noise. We could see in her warmups how she was executing her speed and her form that this was going to be a big day. When she launched that third throw, it was just electrifying for the moment and for the rest of the team.”
The distance medley relay of Emma Curry, Allyria McBride, Audrey Allman and Rosenberg made the podium as the third-place finishers with a mark of 11:15.13. The time is second-best in school history.
McBride shattered the 28-year-old long jump school record with a 6.13-meter mark. She placed seventh in the competition.
In the pentathlon, Madison Murray moved up to seventh on Vanderbilt’s all-time performers list with another PR. Her score of 3,640 points earned eighth place. She matched her all-time personal best in the high jump, clearing the 1.68-meter bar.
In the 5,000 meters, Bria Bennis (16:17.40) and Eck (16:28.39) recorded the second and fifth-fastest respective times in Vanderbilt history.
“We, as coaches, have to constantly evaluate and prepare and train them mentally and emotionally,” Thomas said. “As we met as a group, we could all just feel this calming effect. We were starting to just manage the athletes, rather than forming them mentally and emotionally. So, before we even left Nashville, everybody knew that we were here on a mission. And everyone knew that the mission was attainable. It was a reflection of that culture that you work to get as a coach.”
Qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships will be announced March 1. The national meet will be March 8-9 in Boston Massachusetts.
“We have four graduate students on the team—Veronica and Sarah O. in the throws, Madison Murray in the multi and Caroline Eck on the track,” Thomas said. “It’s a very strong core. This is just a special group. I’m really happy for this group of ladies to have a team with them. They are part of the foundation for this staff and for this era of track and field.”
