Commodores prove to be up to the Challenge

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After completing final exams in the classroom this past week, the members of the Vanderbilt track team can now officially begin gearing up for final exams of another kind — the track postseason.

And it appears the Commodores are ready for it.

Traveling to Knoxville on Saturday for their final regular-season meet, the Commodores gained momentum for the SEC competition by collecting a number of high finishes and personal records while facing a talented field of opponents at the Tennessee Challenge.

Senior Brionne Williams won the high jump at 5-8.75, sophomore Skyler Carpenter won the 400 hurdles in a time of 59.25 and sophomore Lily Williams won the 1500 at 4:31.26 to help highlight Vanderbilt’s strong showing.

“We accomplished our main goal today, which was to get back into a competitive frame of mind,” said head coach Steve Keith. “The girls competed hard.”

Keith said the Commodores — who did not compete in a meet last weekend following finals — weren’t quite as crisp as normal, but said that was to be expected coming off finals.

“We know there’s still a lot more there (than we showed today),” said Keith. “Not many kids felt that great today, which was a residual effect of finals.”

Still, the Commodores had numerous reasons to celebrate during the day.

Lily Williams’ first-place finish in the 1500 spearheaded a strong performance in that event for for the Commodores. Freshman Carmen Carlos, who ran in Williams’ heat, finished right behind her teammate in second place with a time of 4:32.75.

Rebecca Chandler and Amira Joseph both had PRs in the 1500 while finishing first and second, respectively, in their heat. Chandler posted a time of 4:40.61 to finish in sixth place overall, and Joseph was seventh at 4:40.62

Junior Erin Edmond won her heat and earned a fourth-place finish in the 400 with a time of 55.93. Edmond also had a strong showing in the 200, setting a PR with a time of 24.98 to take eighth place.

Freshmen Sarah Goodale and Reagan Anderson also produced memorable performances during the day, with Goodale establishing a new PR in the long jump at 18’3.75, and Anderson registering her season’s best in the 800 with her sixth-place finish (2:13.32). Freshman Sarah Bell took second in the pole vault (3.95m) and fellow freshman Simone Charley was fourth in the triple jump at 12.52.

Vanderbilt also had two solid showings in the 3K, where Vanessa Valentine crossed at 10:01 and Claire Benjamin finished at 10:03.

Andrew Fix ran a six-second PR in the Men’s 3K, finishing at 8:49, to take 13th place.

The Commodores now turn their full attention to the SEC Championships, which begin May 15 in Lexington, Ky.

VANDERBILT RESULTS

Women 200 Meter Dash
8 Edmond, Erin 24.98

Women 400 Meter Dash
4 Edmond, Erin 55.93
9 Goodale, Sarah 58.55

Women 800 Meter Run
3 Barron, Sara 2:11.20
6 Anderson, Reagan 2:13.32

Women 1500 Meter Run
1 Williams, Lily 4:31.26
2 Carlos, Carmen 4:32.75
6 Chandler, Rebecca 4:40.61
7 Joseph, Amira 4:40.62

Women 3000 Meter Run
6 Valentine, Vanessa 10:01.21
7 Benjamin, Claire 10:03.82

Women 400 Meter Hurdles
1 Carpenter, Skyler 59.25

Women High Jump
1 Williams, Brionne 1.75m

Women Pole Vault
2 Bell, Sarah 3.95m

Women Long Jump
4 Goodale, Sarah 5.09m

Women Triple Jump
4 Charley, Simone 12.52m

Men 3000 Meter Run
13 Fix, Andrew 8:49.82