Commodores Set for Tennessee Relays

The Vanderbilt track and field team will travel to Knoxville this weekend to take part in the 52nd annual Tennessee Relays.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt track and field team will travel to Knoxville this weekend to take part in the 52nd annual Tennessee Relays.

Twenty-three Commodores, led by fifth-year sprinter Jenn Edobi, senior pole vaulter Kristen Denk and freshmen Taiya Shelby, Grace Jensen and Haley Walker, are expected to compete at Tennessee’s Tom Black Track.

Vanderbilt is expected to run strong sprint medley and 4×800-meter relay units in Knoxville. Denk is expected to led the Commodore field-event contingent.

Two sprinters, Shelby and sophomore Regan Clay, will join Edobi and 800-meter standout Reagan Bustamante in the 1,600-meter sprint medley foursome. Edobi and Shelby are coming off excellent performances at the Florida Relays: Edobi running 2.06.85 in the 800 and Shelby setting a collegiate-best 54.16 in the 400.

Edobi and Bustamante are part of an outstanding Vanderbilt 800-meter stable. Together with freshmen Haley Walker and Grace Jensen, the Commodores rank seventh nationally with a 2:08.59 average split.

This weekend, Walker and Jensen will join Kendall Derry and Ginger Hutton in the 4×800-meter relay.

Jensen and Bustamante are among nine Commodores also competing in the 1,500-meter run. Earlier this spring, Jensen set a personal mark of 4:26.30 at the distance.

Walker, Edobi, Shelby and Clay also will compete in individual races. Walter will look to lower her seasonal best in the 800-meter run. Edobi will run the 400-meter dash for the first time this spring. Shelby and Clay are both entered in the 200-meter dash.

Denk, a2018second team All-American and school record holder in the pole vault, will compete in her specialty for the first time outdoors. In her last performance, Denk cleared 13-7.75 (4.16 meters) at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Fellow vaulters Margaret Ollinger and Caleigh Lofstead also will look to clear the 13-foot barrier.

The Tennessee Relays field include 17 other teams, including host Tennessee and Auburn from the SEC.

Friday, April 12
200 – Regan Clay, Taiya Shelby
400 – Jenn Edobi
800 – Haley Walker
1,500 – Reagan Bustamante, Kendall Derry, Ginger Hutton, Grace Jensen, Lauren Moffett, Gillian Mortimer, Anna Grace Morgan, Caroline Pietrzyk, Ana Wallace
5,000 – Devon Grisbaum
3,000-Steeplechase – Kacie Breeding
Pole Vault – Caleigh Lofstead
1,500 (men) – Nick Laning
5,000 (men) – Caleb Casolaro, Andrew Irvine, Evan Suzman

Saturday, April 13
Pole Vault – Kristen Denk, Margaret Ollinger
4×800 Relay – Vanderbilt (Derry, Jensen, Hutton, Walker)
1,600 Sprint Medley – Vanderbilt (Clay, Shelby, Edobi, Bustamante)