Rita Jorgensen Season 2008-09

Personal Records:
4K – 14:23
5K – 17:14
6K – 20.59.56 (NCAA South Regional – 11/13/10)
800 meters (indoor) – 2:12.61
Mile (indoor) – 4:48.42
3,000 meters (indoor) – 9:37.14 – No. 1 all-time at VU
800 meters (outdoor) – 2:07.46
1500 meters (outdoor) – 4:22.77
3000 meters (outdoor) – 9:51.27

2010 Cross Country: Finished first at the Commodore Classic, clocking a time of 18:01.95 … Led Vanderbilt to a second place finish at the Louisville Invitational with a 5K time of 17:22.27, good for eighth overall … Ran the 6K course at Pre-Nationals in 21:30, placing 81st overall and third for the Commodores … Named to the SEC second-team after finishing 11th overall at the conference meet with a time of 21:11.76 … Improved her career-best 6K time at the NCAA South Regional with a time of 20:59.56.

2010 Track: Competed in two meets during the indoor season … Placed ninth at the SEC Indoor Championships in the one mile run … Member of the distance medley relay team that placed sixth at the SEC Indoor Championships … Began the outdoor season with a first place finish in the 800 meters at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invite … Set two personal bests at the Vanderbilt Invitational with a 4:22.77 in the 1,500 meters and a 2:07.46 in the 800 meters … Contributed to the 1,600 meter sprit relay team that finished fourth at the Pepsi Florida Relays … Placed ninth in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the SEC Championships … Advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA East Regional in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:24.33 … Closed out the season with a 15th place finish in the NCAA East Regional with a 4:24.64 mark in the 1,500 meters.

2009 Cross Country: Ran a 21:12.74 en route to being named All-Region for the second consecutive year at the NCAA South Regionals… Finished 28th at the SEC Championships with a time of 22:30.24, marking the second straight year she has placed in the top-30 at SECs… Topped the Commodore squad at Pre-Nationals, running 6K in 22:00.10, good for 91st overall.

2009 Track: Top performance outdoors came in NCAA regional qualifying at 1,5000-meter distance, as 4:24.32 effort helped sophomore advance to regional finals… Also qualified for NCAA regionals at 800 meters with 2:09.20 performance at Ole Miss… Set new indoor team record at 3,000 meters with 9:37.14 clocking at Iowa State… Was member of distance medley relay foursome that registered the fourth best time in team history at Iowa State (11:40.28)… Best indoor 800 was a 2:15.07 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational… Logged team[apos]s best indoor mile (4:53.50) at same competition.

2008 Cross Country: Named team[apos]s Most Valuable Performer at postseason banquet… Through first two years on campus, Jorgensen has posted the top Commodore result in all but one competition… Topped the squad at every meet this season, including individual wins in the Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener and Commodore Classic… At season opener, ran a personal best at 4K distance (14:23.32) to capture the Belmont/Vanderbilt competition… At Commodore Classic, ran second best time ever by Vanderbilt female over the home course, finishing 5K in 17:57.39, 10 seconds faster than her previous best… Lowered cross country 5K PR to 17:14.11 at Louisville Classic, finishing fourth among 265 runners… Ran 40th overall at Pre-Nationals, posting 21:11.18 PR for 6K… At SEC Championships, paced Commodore runners with 19th overall finish in 21:31.54… Garnered All-Region status at NCAA South Regional with a 14th place finish, sixth best result ever by Commodore runner at the meet.

2008 Track: Put together stellar track campaign in first track season in Commodore uniform… Advanced to finals at SEC Championships both indoors and outdoors… Advanced to SEC outdoor finals with 4:28.88 effort in 1,500… PR in 1,500 meters of 4:27.40 (#5 all-time on team) came in heat-winning performance at Stanford Invitational… Ran personal best in 800 meters of 2:08.16 (#2 all-time on team) at Vanderbilt Invitational.. Won open 800 meters at Ole Miss Invitational… Won Vanderbilt Invitational 3,000-meter race in 9:51.27 (#6 all-time on team)… Top effort indoors was 4:48.41 effort in mile at SEC Championships that netted sixth place overall result… Ran three of the top six indoor miles ever by Commodore… Also set indoor 800 personal best of 2:12.61 (No. 7 all-time) at Tyson Invitational in only indoor race at the distance.

2007 Cross Country: Finished among the team leaders in virtually every race as a freshman… Named Most Valuable Performer at postseason banquet… Was team[apos]s top individual finisher in five of six competitions… Began collegiate career with fourth place finish at Belmont/Vanderbilt Opener, running 4K in 14:28.31… Won the Commodore Classic with a 5K time of 18:07… Earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after her performance in the Commodore Classic… Paced team at SEC Championships, turning in 21:59.94 6K that resulted in 31st overall finish… Ran 55th overall (22:46.06 for 6K) at NCAA Regionals… Fastest 6K effort (21:44.3) came at the Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge.

High School/Prep: Two-time team captain… Four-year letterwinner in track and cross country… As senior, captured 3A individual state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200… Qualified for Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships with eighth place result in south region competition… Also won 3A state title in 1,600 as freshman and sophomore… Finished sixth with PR in two-mile (10:35.55) at prestigious Nike Indoor Nationals as senior… Swept Memphis Commercial Appeal[apos]s prep track, cross country and student-athlete of the year awards as senior… Graduated in Top 10 percent of class.

Personal: Margaret Kathryn Jorgensen… Born March 14, 1989… Daughter of Patrick and Cecile Jorgensen… Has a older brother, Patrick…Born and raised in Memphis… Enjoys playing the piano… Avid water skier … Majoring in engineering science with a concentration in pre-architecture.

Off the Course with Rita:

Dream vacation: A cruise to the Greek Isles

Dream jobs: Environmental engineering, or something in architecture

Favorite restaurant:Woodlands Indian Food

First job I had: a Holiday Ham hostess

Favorite ‘non-school’ related reading material: Architecture magazines

Favorite class this semester:History of Western Art

My day can[apos]t start until: I have a bowl of Cheerios.

Best concert I[apos]ve ever attended: Tim McGraw — snuck from the nose-bleed section to the front row!