May 18, 2008
AUBURN, Ala. – Freshman Rita Jorgensen finished in 10th place in the finals of the 1500 meters as the Vanderbilt track and field team closed out competition at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hutsell-Rosen Track on the campus of Auburn University.
Jorgensen narrowly missed scoring team points for the Commodores, finishing two positions shy of eighth. The freshman finished the event in 10th with a mark of 4:29.60. Tennessee’s Sarah Bowman won the race, setting a new Hutsell-Rosen Track record with a time of 4:19.02.
“Rita ran a solid race in a very talented field but she just wasn’t able to finish off the last part of the race,” Vanderbilt distance coach Steve Keith said. “The race was a great learning experience and will go a long way in her development.”
In other performances on Sunday, freshman Sheri Sullivan set a new personal best in the triple jump. Sullivan had a jump of 38-00.75, besting her previous mark by just over a foot. Also, the 4×100 meter relay team of Amani Floyd, Lauryn Smith, Taylor Jackson and Cherice Robertson just missed a season best time, finishing with a time of 47.15 to finish in 10th place.
Vanderbilt finished the team competition in 12th place, tallying seven points. LSU won the women’s team crown with 157.50 points, while Arkansas won the men’s championship with 131.50 points.
For more information on the Vanderbilt track & field team, log on to vucommodores.com.
