May 11, 2016
The postseason has officially arrived for the Vanderbilt track and field team, as the Commodores head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this week for the SEC Championships. Vanderbilt will be looking to deliver the type of record-breaking results that have highlighted the team’s regular season. Here’s a closer look at the meet:
SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Day, Date: Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14
Host: Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Site: Sam Bailey Track & Field Complex.
SEC Home Page: HERE
Full schedule: HERE
Viewing: SEC Network-Plus
s Friday: HERE
s Saturday: HERE
Live Results: HERE
l STIFF CHALLENGES
As is most often the case, this week’s SEC Championships will arguably be the most talent-rich meet of the season outside of the NCAA Championship itself. The SEC meet will feature 19 ranked teams in the USTFCCCA poll (through May 8), with 10 on the women’s side and nine more on the men’s side. Four teams in the women’s meet have Top-10 rankings, including No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Arkansas, No. 6 Florida and No. 7 LSU. Other ranked women’s teams include No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 11 Georgia, No. 13 Tennessee, No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 22 Auburn and No. 23 Ole Miss. On the men’s side, the SEC impressively holds down the top five spots in the poll — No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 5 Georgia.
l COMPETING FOR THE COMMODORES
The Commodores will have representatives in multiple events each day from Thursday through Saturday. Here’s a look at who will be wearing the Star-V this week:
THURSDAY
11 am Heptathlon – Sarah Goodale
1 pm 800 – Reagan Anderson, Courtney Clayton, Maddie Criscione, Ginger Hutton, Lydia Witty
2:30 pm 400H – Skyler Carpenter
FRIDAY
9 am Heptathlon – Sarah Goodale
7:10 pm 1500 – Reagan Anderson, Sara Barron, Maddie Criscione, Katherine Delaney, Ginger Hutton, Lily Williams
7:55 pm 400 – Jennifer Edobi
SATURDAY
11:35 am Triple Jump – Simone Charley
3:35 pm Pole Vault – Sarah Bell, Megan McCabe
3:35 pm 1500, 400, 800, 400H Finalists
5:40 pm 5K – Carmen Carlos, Megan Huebner, Courtney Kriegshauser, Vanessa Valentine
6:25 pm 4×400 – Vanderbilt
l MAKING AN IMPACT
During the regular season, the Commodores compiled a total of 13 times/distances that ranked among the SEC’s Top-25 for the season, including four marks that rank among the conference’s Top-10. Here’s a look at the complete list:
400
17 – Jennifer Edobi 53.33 Florida Relays, 3/31/16
800
10 – Courtney Clayton, 2:06.96, Jace LaCoste- Mississippi State Invitational, 4/30/16
12 – Katherine Delaney, 2:07.84, Tiger Track Classic, 4/08/16
23 – Jennifer Edobi, 2:10.72, Tiger Track Classic, 4/08/16
25 – Maddie Criscione, 2:10.83, Virginia Challenge, 4/22/16
1500
7 – Katherine Delaney, 4:18.24, Stanford Invitational, 4/01/16
15 – Sara Barron, 4:21.90, Virginia Challenge, 4/22/16
5k
6 – Vanessa Valentine, 16:10.52, Stanford Invitational, 4/01/16
16 – Carmen Carlos, 16:37.85, Virginia Challenge, 4/22/16
400-Hurdles
18 – Skyler Carpenter, 59.33, Jace LaCoste- Mississippi State Invitational, 4/30/16
4×400 relay
12 – Vanderbilt, 3:39.84, Florida Relays, 3/31/16
Pole vault
12 – Sarah Bell, 13-5.25 (4.10m), Virginia Challenge, 4/22/16
Triple jump
6 – Simone Charley, 42-8 (13.00m), Penn Relays, 4/28/16
l TOPPING THE CHARTS
The Commodores’ impressive regular season was highlighted by three school records that were set during the year. The list included a pair of new top Vanderbilt times set by Jake Van Geffen, and one by Carmen Carlos. The details:
s Carlos, a junior, set a new record in the 3k with a time of 9:28.97 at the Black and Gold Invitational on March 26.
s Van Geffen set a new school record in the 5K with a time of 14:45.88 at the Black and Gold Invitational on March 25.
s Van Geffen also set a new Vanderbilt mark in the 3k, finishing with a time of 8:28.47 at the Tiger Track Classic in Auburn on April 9.
l BANNER YEAR
In addition to the new school records listed above, this year’s Commodores made an impact in plenty of other events. At the end of the regular season, the Commodores had recorded a total of 12 times/distances that ranked among the Top-10 on Vanderbilt’s women’s all-time performers’ list. Here’s a complete rundown:
400
2. Jennifer Edobi – 53.33
6. Skyler Carpenter – 55.15
7. Faith Washington – 55.32
800
4. Katherine Delaney – 2:07.84
1500
2. Katherine Delaney – 4:18.24
5k
3. Vanessa Valentine – 16:10.52
3k
1. Carmen Carlos – 9:28.97
4. Vanessa Valentine – 9:36.30
10. Sara Tsai – 9:43.22
4×400 relay
7. Vanderbilt – 3:39.84: Faith Washington, Lydia Witty, Courtney Clayton, Jennifer Edobi
8. Vanderbilt – 3:40.68: Courtney Clayton, Lydia Witty, Skyler Carpenter, Jennifer Edobi
Sprint Medley Relay
5. Vanderbilt – 3:55.62
Faith Washington, Jennifer Edobi, Lydia Witty, Courtney Clayton