Feb. 9, 2018
NASHVILLE – With three individual personal bests and a winning relay foursome, the Commodores could not have asked for much more from the first day of competition at the Music City Challenge.
Remarkably, all seven Commodores that competed Friday left the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility with a personal best performance. Afterward, no one was more pleased than Vanderbilt head coach Steve Keith.
“This was a good night for our team. You want to see your team compete at a high level and that’s exactly what I saw,” Keith said. “I’m just real proud of how all of them competed and looking forward to more of the same Saturday.”
The three individual highlights were provided by sprinters Jenn Edobi and Regan Clay and horizontal jumper Sophia Falco. Then, the foursome of Becca Schulte, Ginger Hutton, Reagan Bustamante and Kendall Derry combined to capture the distance medley relay.
Edodi, a former All-SEC recipient from Union, N.J., ran the fastest indoor 200 meters of her four-year collegiate career. Her time of 24.62 is the third quickest indoor time ever by a Commodore at the distance.
Clay, a freshman from Rossford, Ohio, ran just behind Edobi in an indoor personal best of 24.88, tying the fourth fastest time by a Commodore.
Earlier in the competition, freshman Sophia Falco claimed sixth place in the long jump with a collegiate indoor best of 18-10.25. Falco’s jump is the fifth longest indoor leap ever by a Commodore.
Vanderbilt’s distance medley relay victory was highlighted by closing splits run by Bustamante and Derry. Derry made the most of Bustamante’s impressive contribution, pushing past a runner from Ohio State to comfortably finish off the victory. The Commodores’ winning time of 11:31.33 is the fastest this season and sixth on the team’s all-time charts.
The Commodores will return more than a dozen competitors Saturday with a full schedule of events is slated. Running events start at 10 a.m., with field events start at 10:30 a.m. The competition continues through the closing 4×400-meter relay at 5 p.m.
Admission to the Music City Challenge is $5 per person. Vanderbilt students receive free entry with a valid student I.D.
Spectators are encouraged to park in the surface lots off Natchez Trace located across from the track and field complex.
Vanderbilt participants expected to compete Saturday include:
Pole vault Sarah Bell, Kristen Denk, Caleigh Lofstead, Margaret Ollinger
Triple jump S. Falco 60 meters – S. Falco
400 meters J. Edobi, R. Clay
800 meters R. Bustamante, B. Schulte
3,000 meters Kacie Breeding, Devon Grisbaum, Megan Huebner, Anna Grace Morgan, Mailin Struck
Mile Reagan Anderson, K. Derry, G. Hutton, Sara Tsai
4×400-meter relay R. Clay, J. Edobi, B. Schulte, R. Bustamante
