March 14, 2017
The indoor track & field season ended this weekend in College Station, Texas, culminating with seniors Sarah Bell (pole vault), Simone Charley (triple jump) and Courtney Clayton (800-meters) all qualifying for the NCAA National Championships and earning NCAA All-American honors, which marked the highest amount of All-Americans that Vanderbilt has had since the 1998 season when Ryan Tolbert (400-meters), Michelle Baskin (800-meters), Leslie Vidmar (shot put) and the 4×400 relay team all qualified for the NCAA Championships meet. Here are some of the highlights from the successful 2017 indoor season campaign:
Commodores Set Records
Sarah Bell, Simone Charley and Courtney Clayton all sit atop the Vanderbilt all-time record books in their respective events. Charley set the school’s all-time record in the triple jump with a leap of 44’5.25″ and Bell cleared her vault of 13’11.25″, both of which were set at the SEC Championships. Clayton earned her record-setting mark in the 800-meter run at the Music City Challenge with a time of 2:04.24. The trio of All-Americans wasn’t the only ones who posted top marks, however. In fact, a total of 15 marks from 12 different athletes this season rank amongst the top 10 on Vanderbilt’s all-time performance list. Here is a full list of athletes who cracked the list:
60-Meter Hurdles
Sarah Goodale – 8.77 (6th)
400-Meter Dash
Jenn Edobi – 53.47 (2nd)
Skyler Carpenter – 55.92 (8th)
800-Meter Run
Courtney Clayton – 2:04.24 (1st)
Reagan Bustamante – 2:08.94 (7th)
Jenn Edobi – 2:09.16 (8th)
Mile Run
Courtney Clayton – 4:47.67 (7th)
5000-Meter Run
Megan Huebner – 16:54.63 (7th)
Mailin Struck – 16:59.66 (10th)
Pole Vault
Sarah Bell – 13’11.25″ (1st)
Caleigh Lofstead – 13’5.25″ (2nd)
Margaret Ollinger – 13’1.50″ (3rd)
Long Jump
Tierney Price – 18’8″ (5th)
Triple Jump
Simone Charley – 44’5.25″ (1st)
Pentathlon
Sarah Goodale – 3,878 (2nd)
There’s No Place Like Home
Vanderbilt track & field hosted five home meets, including the 2017 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships, this season at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility. It was the most collegiate meets the facility has hosted in one season since it opened in 2013. Throughout the course of the season, 46 different schools traveled to Nashville to compete in a Vanderbilt-hosted meet. It was a record-setting season for the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility, which saw 25 facility records broken in the 2017 indoor season, 19 of which were set at the SEC Championships on Feb. 24-25. 2017 marked the first time that Vanderbilt had hosted an SEC Track & Field Championships since it hosted the 2005 Outdoor Championships meet.
Once a Commodore, Always a Commodore
Many alumni of the Vanderbilt track & field program came out in full force and were in attendance to support the Commodores at all five home meets. The coaches and athletes were thrilled to see such great representation from the past generations of Vanderbilt track athletes at the meets and they appreciate the continued support from the entire alumni base, no matter where they are able to cheer on the Commodores from.
Seniors Receive Well-Deserved Recognition
At the Music City Challenge on Feb. 11, the 13-member senior class of Vanderbilt’s track & field and cross country programs were honored at the finish line on the track during a break in the action. Athletes that were honored include Reagan Anderson, Sarah Bell, Carmen Carlos, Skyler Carpenter, Simone Charley, Courtney Clayton, Sarah Goodale, Courtney Kriegshauser, Tierney Price, Katie Watts, Dan Arthur, Nikos Gkotsis and Jake Van Geffen.
Bright Future in Nashville
Several of the freshmen earned personal-best times and marks that placed them in the top 10 Vanderbilt’s all-time performance list. The four freshmen to accomplish the feat included pole vaulters Caleigh Lofstead and Margaret Ollinger, mid-distance runner Reagan Bustamante and distance runner Mailin Struck.
Winner’s Circle
Several Commodores finished first overall in their events at meets this season. Check out a full list of athletes that earned a first-place finish this year:
Vanderbilt Indoor Opener
Courtney Clayton (Mile Run) – 4:51.57
Commodore Invitational
Jenn Edobi (400-meters) – 53.99
Simone Charley (Triple Jump) – 43’1″
Vanderbilt Invitational
Megan Huebner (5000-meters) – 17:02.63
Next Up: Outdoor Season
Now that the indoor track & field season is complete, the Commodores will transition into the outdoor season. First up for the Commodores is a trip to Atlanta for the one-day Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech. To view the team’s upcoming outdoor season schedule in its entirety, click HERE.