May 25, 2017
Sarah Bell is headed to the NCAA T&F Championships! She was one of just eight athletes to clear the bar at 4.20m @ Regionals #TrackTownBound pic.twitter.com/v4Zpfw9BFF
 Vanderbilt XC/TF (@vandyxctrack) May 26, 2017
Event: NCAA East Regionals
Dates: May 25-27
Host: University of Kentucky
Senior pole vaulter Sarah Bell punched her ticket to the NCAA National Championship meet on Thursday, as she was just one of eight athletes at the NCAA Track & Field to clear the pole vault at 4.20 meters. The National Championships will take place in Eugene, Ore. from June 7-10.
Bell was one of five Vanderbilt athletes to compete on day one of the Regional meet. She was joined in the pole vault competition by freshman Caleigh Lofstead, who impressed in her NCAA Regional debut with an 18th-place finish and a top mark of 3.95 meters for the day.
Junior Jenn Edobi ran the 17th fastest time in the first round of the 400-meter dash, which was good enough to earn her a wild card spot in the quarterfinals on Friday. The quarterfinals will take place tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. (CT) and the top 12 finishers will advance to the NCAA Championships.
Vanderbilt also had a pair of runners in the 800-meter run. Senior Courtney Clayton finished third in her heat with a time of 2:07.51, which earns her an automatic qualifying spot in tomorrow’s quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Freshman Reagan Bustamante made her first NCAA Regional appearance in the 800-meter run and ran a time of 2:10.03, which was good for a 35th-place finish.
The only Commodore Regional qualifier that has yet to be in action is Senior Carmen Carlos, who was just named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team earlier in the day. Carlos will race in the 5000-meter run on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. (CT).
Check out Sarah Bell and Jenn Edobi recap their exciting day on the track below:
