Distance medley relay team finishes 4th

Feb. 13, 2009

AMES, Iowa – The distance medley team of Rita Jorgensen, Teegan Hill, Jordan White and Louise Hannallah posted a season-best time of 11:40.28 to lead the Commodore track and field team at the second day of the ISU Classic. The DMR time ranks among the top-five times recorded in school history.

Jorgensen got the VU DMR team off to a strong start by keeping the `Dores at the front of pack when handing it off to Hill with a 1200-meter 3:28.4 split. Hill took the baton and matched her season-best 400 split time with a 56.1 before handing off to 800-meter sensation Jordan White. The Old Chatham, N.Y., native matched her season-high 800 time (2:13.4) before giving the baton to Hannallah for final 1600 meters. Hannallah closed the deal for the `Dores in fourth place with a personal record (5:02.00).

“We started off today with a great distance medley relay and we took 11 seconds off from last year’s season-high time,” head coach D’Andre Hill said. “Rita really put us in good position with her opening 1200 meters and the rest of the relay time ran matched or set season-high splits. Overall it was just a great team effort and we are looking forward to competing tomorrow,” Hill said.

Later in the day Hill recorded a 25.20 in the 200-meter dash, finishing in the top-fourth of the large field of 121 runners. Sophomore Taylor Jackson finished one spot back of Hill after running a season-best 25.22. Fellow sophomore Sheri Sullivan finished in 73rd place with a 26.00 while freshman Josalyn White finished eight spots back with a 200-meter time of 26.08.

The ISU Classic got underway on Thursday with the start of field events and the women’s pentathlon. Vanderbilt’s Mallory Hitt recorded a 12th place finish in the pentathlon, finishing with 3,204 points. Indiana State’s Erica Moore won the five-stage event with 4,030 points.

Hitt also set a season-high in the high jump, clearing the 5-03.35 mark, tying for sixth place out 26 jumpers in the non-seeded field. Hitt’s mark tops her previous season-best of 5-03.25, coming at last weekend’s Rod McCravy Invitational.

VU pole-vaulters Meagan Martin and Katherine Hendricks tied its season-high mark of 11-01.75 Friday, finishing 11th and 14th, respectively. Martin and Hendricks both cleared the 11-01.75 mark at last weekend’s Rod McCravey Invite in Lexington, Ky.

Live results of tomorrow’s ISU classic will be available via cyclones.com or by clicking here

A recap and results tomorrow’s ISU Classic will be posted on vucommodores.com.

Vanderbilt Results, Friday, February 13, 2009

Pentathlon – 12. Mallory Hitt, 3204 points

Pole-Vault – 11. Meagan Martin, 11-01.75, 14. Katherine Hendricks, 11-01.75

High Jump – 6. Mallory Hitt, 5-03.35

200 Meter Dash – 30. Teegan Hill, 25.20, 31. Taylor Jackson, 25.22, 73. Sheri Sullivan, 26.0, 81. Josalyn White, 26.08

Distance Medley – 4. Vanderbilt (Jorgensen, Hill, Jordan White and Louise Hannallah) 11:40.28