NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Day 2 of the Commodore Challenge was similar to the first, filled with several top-10 marks and personal bests.
To start off Saturday’s action, Santana Spearman and Taylor McKinnon advanced to the 60-meter hurdles final with times of 8.54 (personal best) and 8.77 seconds, respectively. Spearman was the top collegiate finisher and second overall in the final, turning in another personal-best time, 8.43 seconds, which is third in program history. McKinnon improved upon her prelims time and finished the final race in 8.63 seconds.
Spearman recorded another career-best mark Saturday, finishing with a time of 7.95 seconds in the 60 meters.
In the seeded division of the shot put, Veronica Fraley finished first among collegians and second overall with a 17.21-meter throw, just 2 centimeters off Olympian Jessica Ramsey’s winning mark. Sarah Omoregie’s 16.41-meter mark is third all-time at Vandy and earned her fourth place. Sarah Marvin was seventh overall and recorded a 15.12-meter throw.
Giavonna Meeks won the unseeded division of the shot put with a personal-best 15.39-meter throw, which ranks fifth in the program’s all-time top 10. She surpassed her previous PR by more than a meter.
All three Dores in the 3,000 meters finished in the top 10. Julia Rosenberg shattered her previous best mark by 10 seconds, turning in a winning time of 9:37.57. Emma Curry came in third, crossing the finish line in 9:50.62. Jenna Holland was eighth with a time of 9:59.34.
Earlier in the day, Curry PRed in the mile with a time of 4:53.56, which earned her fifth place.
To end the weekend, the 4×400-meter relay team of Ella Escobar, Allyria McBride, Lena Gooden and Falon Spearman came in third with a time of 3:44.57.
“Overall, all the returners have come back with a level of maturity and understanding of the process and the standard that we’re trying to create, and they’re collectively involved in that standard,” director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas said. “I think it’s very obvious with the younger upperclassmen and up. They’ve built on what they did last season and are being more accountable for their own success.”
Four freshmen—Gooden, Rowan Houston, Olivia Kosanovich and Anaya Webster—competed as Commodores for the first time this weekend.
“Watching the freshmen is exciting,” Thomas said. “You see this pure love of track, figuring it out, getting into the fight.”
“Our freshmen come in with a level of experience at big competitions, whether it’s at state meets or high school or club national championships, and I think they handled this environment very well,” she continued.
Friday’s action was highlighted by Meeks’ school record-setting performance in the weight throw where she finished fifth with a 20.68-meter mark. Escobar and McBride recorded top-10 times in Vanderbilt history in the 300 meters, now ranking second (38.09) and seventh (39.70), respectively.
The Dores’ homestand continues when they host the Vanderbilt Invitational Jan. 19 and 20.
