April 6, 2008
PALO ALTO, Calif. – For the second straight year, the Stanford Invitational served as a Bay Area treat for Commodore distance runners.
Steve Keith’s six-member squad left the two-day competition with a pair of NCAA Region qualifying marks, a new school distance record and four personal bests. In 2007, two of the team’s three regional qualifiers came at the meet, held on the Stanford campus 30 miles south of San Francisco.
While the distance corps traveled to California, the rest of the Vanderbilt women’s track and field competed in a regional meet at Auburn University, with high jumper Cherice Robertson, 800-meter runner Chavon Rhabb and 400-meter hurdler Lauren Fortson leading the way with third, sixth and seventh place finishes, respectively.
In California, regional qualifying performances by senior steeplechaser Valerie Kazmer and freshman middle distance specialist Rita Jorgensen quite possibly upstaged a new 10,000-meter school record established late Saturday by freshman Kristabel Doebel-Hickok.
“We achieved virtually everything we set out to achieve at the meet,” Keith said. “I was extremely pleased with the qualifying marks by Val and Rita, and really happy for Kristabel with getting the record. To tell the truth, the 5,000 PR that Adrienne (DiRaddo) ran Friday morning got us off to a nice start and helped create momentum for everybody else.”
Kazmer, who two weeks ago set a new personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, blistered her former record. Running seventh overall in her heat, Kazmer finished in 10:43.92, nearly 20 seconds lower than her previous best. Kazmer’s regional qualifying performance is the third fastest steeplechase time ever by a Commodore, behind only 2002 Southeastern Conference champion Kylene Kownurko and 2007 Vanderbilt graduate Ashleigh Wetzel.
“Val’s running with confidence and with a great deal of enjoyment,” Keith said. “She’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen her, and she’s really starting to compete. Val has an opportunity to enjoy her final year in a Commodore uniform.”
Jorgensen continues to impress in her first season as a Commodore. The Memphis product lowered her personal best by more than two seconds with a 4:27.40 clocking. The effort was the fastest among 68 runners in the 1,500-meter second section.
She also solidified her status as one of Commodores’ best ever at the distance. Jorgensen is the sixth fastest at the distance. With virtually a full outdoor season ahead, she could challenge the team’s 4:22.49 record set by Whitney Spannuth in 1994.
“Rita ran well. She really impressed me with the way she handled a slow second 400. She made a nice push over the last 700 meters and closed with a 65-second last 400,” Keith said. “Rita got her qualifier and beat some very talented runners. Now we’ll look forward and prepare for the SEC and NCAA Region in May.”
Running in her home state for the first time as a collegian, Doebel-Hickok left the track with a school record. A native of Marina del Ray near Los Angeles, Doebel-Hickok knocked four seconds off the team’s former 10,000-meter mark of 35:44.75, set 19 years ago by Stephanie Black. Doebel-Hickok’s 35:40.27 effort resulted in a 13th place overall finish, and second among SEC participants.
“Not only was it an excellent performance by Kristabel, but it was also a great experience for her,” Keith said. “As she gains experience at this level and builds confidence, Kristabel has a ton of potential.”
On Friday, DiRaddo served notice that she’s also ready for the rest of outdoor season. Competing in the 5,000 meters for the first time as a Commodore, DiRaddo became the team’s eighth fastest ever with an 17:15.84 effort. Junior Amanda Scott ran a solid race behind DiRaddo with a 17:47.89 effort. In another heat, talented junior Carmen Mims ran 17:24.30 in her return to competitive racing after missing the indoor campaign.
“That was a great run for Adrienne and a nice opener by Amanda. Carmen needed the race and will improve a great deal off it,” Keith said.
At Auburn, Rhabb’s 2:21.66 topped teammates Michelle Sauer and Kate Southcote-Want, who finished 10th and 11th overall in the 800. Southcote-Want came back to also finish 11th overall in the 1,500 (4:48.67), trailing freshman teammate Erin Guglielmo, who ran eighth in 4:46.43 In the 3,000, senior Julie Eckerly ran eighth overall in 10:40.37.
Robertson, at full health for the first time in her Vanderbilt career, matched her collegiate best in the high jump with a leap of 5’5″. The versatile Robertson also finished 12th overall in the 100-meter hurdles, missing her PR with a 14:77 clocking. In other hurdles competition, Fortson ran 1:02.87 in her seventh place finish in the 400-meter hurdles.
In the 4×100-meter relay, the foursome of Lauryn Smith, Taylor Jackson, Christina Mullen and Robertson ran sixth overall with a time of 47.01.
