Jan. 28, 2016
Event: Vanderbilt Invitational
Day, Date: Jan. 28-29
Host: Vanderbilt
Site: Vanderbilt Multi-Purpose Facility
Tickets: Tickets available at front entrance. Vanderbilt students have free admittance with school ID.
Start List: VU Invite Start List 
Live Scoring: HERE
Home meet Info: HERE
Continuing a busy stretch, the Vanderbilt track team will be in action this weekend, hosting the Vanderbilt Invitational. The two-day meet will feature 20 schools, including four SEC teams — Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt — along with teams from the ACC and Big 10 conferences, among others. Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s meet:
l Impressive field: As they’ve done in each of the past two weekends, the Commodores will once again line up against a deep and talent field at this weekend’s meet. Most of the schools will be be bringing both men’s and women’s teams, with the lone exceptions being Michigan (men only) and UAB (women only). Here’s the complete list of teams scheduled to compete: Belmont (m/w), Furman (m/w), Georgia Tech (m/w), Lipscomb (m/w), Louisiana Tech (m/w), Memphis (m/w), Michigan (m), MTSU (m/w), Miss. State (m/w), Ole Miss (m/w), NC State (m/w), Samford (m/w), Southern Illinois (m/w), Southern Indiana (m/w), Southern Miss (m/w), Tennessee (m/w), Texas State (m/w), UAB (w), Vanderbilt (m/w) and Western Kentucky (m/w).
l Scheduled to compete for Vanderbilt: The Commodores are slated to have representatives in nine events. The list includes All-American triple jumper Simone Charley, who will be in action on Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sarah Bell, the school record holder in the pole vault, who will compete at noon on Saturday. See schedule below for a complete list of who will be competing for Vanderbilt.
l The skinny on the Commodores: Despite seeing the roster thinned by injuries to three impact performers — Courtney Clayton, Tierney Price and Sarah Goodale — the Commodores are producing a solid season. The team enters this weekend on the heels on a strong showing at last weekend’s Conference Clash in Birmingham, Ala. Katherine Delaney ran to a victory in the mile with a time of 4:49.35 to lead a strong contingent of Commodores in the event. Sarah Barron took fourth with a time of 4:51.47 and Maddie Criscione set a new PR at 4:57.87 to take 12th. Vanessa Valentine also made a big impact for the Commodores by taking third place in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9:31.25. Her effort ranks as the No. 2 mark on the Commodores’ all-time performer’s list and was a six-second improvement from her pervious personal best in the event. Vanderbilt All-American triple jumper Simone Charley finished third with a leap of 42-01.50 (12.84m) in her season debut.
l QUOTING THE COACH: Vanderbilt head coach Steve Keith discusses this weekend’s Vanderbilt Invitational:
On this meet being another important step for his team.
“This meet is exactly what we need at this point of the season. It’s a little bigger — with roughly 700 athletes — than our previous home meet, and the quality of the teams is terrific.”
On the progress of his team thus far this season.
“Our team continues to train hard, with good volume. We are making some positive strides each week, and preparing for the championship meets in February.”
THIS WEEKEND’S FULL SCHEDULE (VU athletes in parentheses)
FRIDAY
4 pm High Jump M/W (VU: Ashlyn Hare)
4 pm Weight Throw W 2 Flights
5 pm Long Jump W 3 Flights
5 pm Long Jump M 2 Flights
5 pm Pole Vault M
6:30 pm Weight Throw M 1 Flight
7 pm 200 Meters W 17 Sections (VU: Jennifer Edobi, Erin Hardnett)
7:30 pm 200 Meters M 15 Sections
8 pm Distance Medley W
8:15 pm Distance Medley M
8:25 pm 5000 Meters W
8:50 pm 5000 Meters M
SATURDAY
Field events
11 am Shot Put W 2 Flights
Noon Pole Vault W (VU: Sarah Bell, Megan McCabe, Katie Watts)
2 pm Triple Jump W 2 Flights (VU: Simone Charley)
2 pm Triple Jump M 1 Flight
2 pm Shot Put M 2 Flights
Running Events
10 am 3000 Meters-Unseeded W Section 2-3
10:25 am 3000 Meters-Unseeded M Section 2-3 Men-Xc (9)
10:45 am Mile Run-Unseeded W Section 3-4
11 am Mile Run-Unseeded M Section 3-4
11:15 am 400 Meters-Unseeded W Sections 5-9
11:25 am 400 Meters-Unseeded M Sections 5-9
1 pm 60 Hurdles-Prelim W 7 Heats (VU: Erin Hardnett)
1:20 pm 60 Hurdles-Prelim M 4 Heats
1:40 pm 60 Meters-Prelim W 7 Heats
2 pm 60 Meters-Prelim M 7 Heats
2:20 pm Mile Run-Seeded W Top 1-2 Sec (VU: Sara Tsai)
2:35 pm Mile Run-Seeded M Top 1-2 Sec
2:55 pm 60 Hurdles-Final W
3:05 pm 60 Hurdles-Final M
3:10 pm 60 Meters-Final W
3:15 pm 60 Meters-Final M
3:20 pm 400 Meters-Seeded W Top 1-4 Sec (VU: Jennifer Edobi, Faith Washington)
3:35 pm 400 Meters-Seeded M Top 1-4 Sec
3:50 pm 800 Meters-Seeded W Top 1-3 Sec (VU: Reagan Anderson, Sara Barron, Maddie Criscione, Katherine Delaney, Ginger Hutton, Lydia Witty)
4:05 pm 800 Meters-Seeded M Top 1-3 Sec
4:20 pm 3000 Meters-Seeded W Top 1 Sec
4:35 pm 3000 Meters-Seeded M Top 1 Sec
4:45 pm 4X400 Relay W (VU: Erin Hardnett, Faith Washington, Lydia Witty, Ginger Hutton)
5:10 pm 4X400 Relay M