NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt track and field won four events and posted five more all-time top 10 performances as hosts of the annual Black and Gold Invitational over the weekend.
“It was really special for our seniors in their final meet here,” head coach Steve Keith said. “They’re consistently setting personal bests and that’s what you want to see as far as development. Improvement comes little-by-little and we’re staying positive with all our progress. It was just great having the whole squad here together supporting and inspiring each other.”
Senior Ruby Stauber nearly broke the school record en route to a win in the 800 meters. She stopped the clock at 2:04.35 and led a pack of Commodores that finished 1 through 4 in the event. Stauber now ranks second in program history in the event, while Grace Jensen moved into ninth place with a runner-up finish of 2:07.85. Junior Taiya Shelby was third at 2:08.85 and Haley Walker was fourth at 2:09.62.
Josephine Dal etched her name into another section of the school record book. The sophomore finished with Vandy’s fastest 100 hurdles in six years and the ninth-fastest in program history at 14.09.
Sophomore Kaira Brown won the 400 meters with a time of 55.57, and was also the lead leg for the winning 4×400 relay. Brown, Jordan Smith, Stauber and Shelby combined for the seventh-fastest time in program history at 3:39.71.
Senior Gillian Mortimer leaped into eighth-place in the school record book in the 3,000 meters. With the fastest finish for a Commodore in five years, Mortimer finished second at 9:41.01.
On Friday night, junior Matthew Estopinal won the men’s 5,000 meters. He led from start-to-finish and stopped the clock at a personal best 14:36.17. Caleb Van Geffen also had a lifetime best at 15:11.39, while on the women’s side, Caroline Eck was seventh with a collegiate best 17:30.71.
In just his second career steeplechase, junior Jonah Bird took the bronze with a personal best 9:39.17 on Saturday, while Nick Laning was the runner-up in the men’s 3,000 meters with a career-best 8:21.17.
“The men have been taking advantage of their limited opportunities to compete in the spring,” Keith said, “and we are happy with the progress of the whole group.”
Friday night started with a pair of personal bests in the 1,500 meters as Lainey Phelps clipped 10 seconds off her lifetime best and finished second in 4:25.79, while Haley Walker took third with a finish of 4:28.66. Anna Grace Morgan was fourth at 4:42.82.
Vanderbilt also honored its six graduating seniors—Reagan Clay, Emily Cohen, Edward Harpstead, Van Geffen, Anna Grace Morgan and Gillian Mortimer—prior to Saturday’s events.
Just over a month into the outdoor season, the Commodore women boast four outdoor school records and a total of 22 top-10 performances. In a shortened indoor season, Vanderbilt set two program records and etched 17 new entries into the school record book which included 14 different student-athletes in nine different individual events and two relays.
Next up for Vanderbilt is the North Florida Invitational on April 29-30. The Commodores will get a peek at the host facilities for the NCAA East Regionals which are set for May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Florida.
