May 24, 2016
As they head to Jacksonville, Fla., this week, the members of the Vanderbilt track and field team won’t just be looking to punctuate their season — they’ll be looking to extend it. The Commodores are headed to Hodges Stadium to compete in the NCAA Regionals, and the top-12 finishers from each event will advance to the NCAA Championships held June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon. Here’s a closer look at the meet:
Event: NCAA East Regionals
Day, Date: Thursday-Saturday, May 26-28
Host: University of North Florida
Site: Hodges Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Meet schedule: HERE
Heat Sheet: HERE
Meet Info: HERE
Live Results: HERE
Streaming: HERE
Full viewing schedule: HERE
Women’s NCAA rankings: HERE
l NINE IN LINE … AGAIN
For the second year in a row, the Commodores will be sending nine representatives to the regional meet. Vanderbilt will compete in a total of seven events — just one shy of the school record that the Commodores established last season. Simone Charley, the All-American triple jumper, will be one of Vanderbilt’s representatives. Also in action for the Commodores will be Sara Barron, Sarah Bell, Carmen Carlos, Skyler Carpenter, Courtney Clayton, Katherine Delaney, Jennifer Edobi and Vanessa Valentine.
l BACK FOR MORE
Five of the Commodores — Clayton, Barron, Carpenter, Bell and Charley — are returning to Jacksonville for the second straight year after they each qualified for the NCAA prelims last spring. Charley earned a seventh-place finish at last year’s regionals and qualified for the NCAA Championships, where she earned All-American honors by taking third place with a leap of 44-3.25.
l COMING IN HOT
Speaking of Charley, she’s will carry plenty of momentum — and a No. 2 ranking — into the regional meet after an outstanding showing at the SEC Championships two weeks ago. Charley, a junior, sailed to a new lifetime record with a leap of 45-0.5 and easily surpassed her previous school record of 44-3.25. Georgia standout sophomore Keturah Orji, one of the world’s best, took first with a leap of 47-10.75 and broke her own SEC Championship record.
l COMPETING FOR THE COMMODORES
Here’s a look at who will be wearing the Star-V this week:
THURSDAY
3:30 pm 400 Hurdles (Vanderbilt: Skyler Carpenter)
4:30 pm 1500 (Vanderbilt: Katherine Delaney, Sara Barron)
6:20 pm 400 (Vanderbilt: Jennifer Edobi)
7:10 pm 800 (Vanderbilt: Courtney Clayton)
FRIDAY
4 pm Pole vault (Vanderbilt: Sarah Bell)
5 pm 400 quarterfinals
6 pm 800 quarterfinals
6:30 pm 400 Hurdles quarterfinals
SATURDAY
5:30 pm 1500 quarterfinals
5:30 pm 5k (Vanderbilt: Vanessa Valentine)
7:05 pm Triple Jump (Vanderbilt: Simone Charley)
l QUOTING THE COACH
Here’s what head coach Steve Keith had to say about this week’s meet:
On his team’s preparation for the meet: “There is no better way to prepare (for regionals) than by competing in a little meet called the SEC Championships. To be put in that envirnoment, and to prove that you have the ability to adapt and to perform against that level of competition, is the perfect way to get ready for this week.”
On having another big collection of Vanderbilt athletes at the preliminaries: “It shows that we are progressing. I remember about six or seven years ago when had just one kid make it (to the preliminaries). So we certainly feel like we are going the right way.”
On the successful season for the Commodores: “This really is a special group, and they’ve made a huge impact on the program. I hope they will take a minute this week to celebrate their success, both in terms of what they’ve accomplished as individuals and as a team.”
l NUMBERS GAME
Here’s a look at the Commodores’ rank and qualifying time/distance:
400
27. Jennifer Edobi – 53.33
800
30. Courtney Clayton – 2:06.96
1500
6. Katherine Delaney – 4:18.24
25. Sarah Barron – 4:21.90
5k
11. Vanessa Valentine – 16:10.52
45. Carmen Carlos – 16:37.85
400 Hurdles
34. Skyler Carpenter – 59.33
Triple Jump
2. Simone Charley – 45-0.50 13.73m
Pole Vault
29. Sarah Bell – 13-05.25 (4.10m)