COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As the 2026 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship concluded on Saturday, there was plenty of takeaways for the Vanderbilt track and field team as it looks ahead to the NCAA Indoor Championships in a couple of weeks.
The final day had a bit of everything for the Commodores, movement up the Vanderbilt record books, a new school record, and a scoring finish in the 4×400 meter relay.
“The team had a transformative weekend,” said director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas said. “The SEC Championship is the greatest meet in the world. Having Janie Ford become the first-ever freshman to win the pentathlon is a testament to the hard work she and the entire coaching staff has put in to rise to the standards. We had outstanding performances with our scores from Marta, Lena and the ladies on the 4×400 relay.
“Our team sees themselves performing at the highest level and this championship was a testament to that.”
When Lily Kriegel stepped onto the track for the second section of the 3,000 meter final, she knew the pace would be aggressive as the group looked to clear the “in the clubhouse” best time of 8:59.30 from section one. The sophomore was with the lead group for most of the race, keeping stride for stride with the best distance runners in the SEC. Kriegel would end up crossing the finish line in 9:05.28, breaking her own Vanderbilt record by over a second in the process.
The Commodores rolled out a different look with their 4×400-meter relay team as Josie Donelson, Janie Ford, Faith Franklin, and Madyson Wilson stepped to the track. The Commodores won their section by a wide margin, posting a time of 3:32.72, nearly four seconds faster than the next closest team. That time was good enough for Vanderbilt to finish seventh in the event and score points in the team standings. It was also the second-fastest time in Vanderbilt history, trailing only the 3:32.54 set earlier this season by the team of Franklin, Ford, Donelson, and Falon Spearman.
The rest of the action for Vanderbilt on the night came in field events.
Four Commodores made the finals of the triple jump and two set personal bests that moved them up in the Vanderbilt record books. Junior Anaya Webster posted a 12.70 meter jump, topping her previous best by 0.23 meters and moving her into fourth all-time. Lena Gooden was not far behind her teammate with a best jump of 12.39 meters, bettering her previous high by 0.27 meters and sending her into sixth place in Vandy history.
Pryncess Jackson and Anya Carey were consistent in their landing spots over the course of their three jumps in the finals, but they did not top their personal bests, posting distances of 12.19 meters and 11.85 meters, respectively.
The last of the events featuring a Commodore student-athlete was shot put, where Sarah Marvin was making her last appearance in the SEC Indoor Championships for Vanderbilt. The senior improved throw-over-throw during the event but her 15.01-meter throw, coming on her final attempt, was just short of the distance needed to qualify for the additional throws as she finished in 11th place.
The Dores have a couple of weeks to adjust and prep for the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships, which are set for March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
