March 17, 2016
The Vanderbilt cross country and track and field teams continue to make a major impact on the national level.
The two Commodore programs are currently ranked No. 13 in the USTFCCCA’s Program of the Year Standings based on their strong showings at the NCAA national meets in cross country and indoor track.
The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award standings are based on each qualifying institution’s success at at the NCAA Championships for the cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field seasons.
Vanderbilt finished No. 15 in the Program of the Year standings last year, which marked the first time in school history that the Commodores have earned a spot on the list. Vanderbilt was one of only two schools from the SEC — along with Arkansas — to qualify for the honor last season.
“It has always been our objective to score in all three seasons at the national level,” said Vanderbilt head coach Steve Keith. “Last year was the first time we’ve done it, and we now have set the bar at a high level. We’re off to a great start this year placing higher in both cross country and indoor.”
Vanderbilt earned its current No. 13 ranking in the standings thanks to Simone Charley’s performance at the recent NCAA Indoor Championships and the performance of the women’s cross country team at last fall’s NCAA meet.
Charley took second place in the triple jump — and broke her own school record — at the NCAA Indoor Championships in front of her hometown fans in Birmingham, Ala. Charley posted a mark of 44-0 (13.41m) and earned First Team Indoor All-American honors for the second consecutive year. It was the best performance by a Commodore since Ryan Tolbert captured a national championship in the 400 hurdles in 1997.
The Commodores’ cross country team finished 19th at the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21, representing the second-best finish in program history. The Vanderbilt squad, which captured its second consecutive South Region championship, enjoyed another terrific season that was fueled by the season-long success of SEC Freshman of the Year Caroline Pietrzyk.
