NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a rainy start to the day, the Commodores put together a solid showing on the first day of the Music City Challenge where six recorded program all-time top 10 marks and 18 turned in personal or season bests.
After a brief rain delay, Anaya Webster recorded a 5.65-meter jump to place second overall, first among collegians in the long jump invite.
In the pole vault, Jacqueline Rose added her name to the program record books, clearing a collegiate-best 3.70 meters, which is tied for 10th all-time at Vandy.
Four Dores, Falon Spearman, Santana Spearman, Taylor McKinnon and Devyn Parham advanced to the final of the invite division of the 100-meter hurdles. F. Spearman clocked 13.18 seconds, the second fastest time of the day. S. Spearman turned in a time of 13.38 seconds to finish third in prelims. McKinnon came in fifth place with a 13.76-second mark. Parham recorded a personal best and the No. 8 mark in program history, 13.80 seconds, to finish seventh. Marta Sivina turned in a wind-legal PR of 14.01 seconds in the prelims to place 10th.
Tina Benzinger was the second overall, top collegiate finisher in the 200 meters with a season-best time of 23.65 seconds, ranked fourth in Vanderbilt history. Josie Donelson clocked 24.33 seconds, an outdoor PR, to place ninth. Ella Escobar turned in a personal-best time of 24.42 seconds to finish 11th.
Julia Rosenberg won the 1,500 meters with a season-best time of 4:16.98. Lily Kriegel was the fourth overall, top freshman finisher in the event and recorded the No. 6 time in program history, 4:20.49. Ella Lambert (4:22.93), Ellie Wolski (4:26.30), Claire Petersen (4:26.55) and Johna Grisik (4:38.02) turned in personal-best performances.
In the men’s 1,500 meters, Brady Bliven was the Dores’ top finisher and eighth overall with a time of 3:46.37. Dylan Ballard clocked 3:48.32, a five-second PR, to move to fourth all-time at Vandy.
Cameron Fawcett took second in the 5,000 meters, recording a season-best time of 16:44.82. Finishing fifth with a 12-second PR was Gigi Clifford with a time of 16:45.79.
David Song ended the night for the Dores with a program all-time top 10 mark in the 5k. He recorded a time of 14:47.95, which is a personal best and seventh in Vandy history. Jackson Scruggs and Casey Bohrer also PRed with respective times of 14:50.61 and 14:53.82.
Day 2 of the Music City Challenge will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. with the high jump. The program will recognize its nine graduating student-athletes at 12:30 p.m. Running events are slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. Live results are available on pttiming.com.
