Track closes out SEC Championships

Plagued by lightning, thunder, and rain-filled weather delays, the Commodores had a rough outing on Sunday, failing to produce the top performances they delivered on the first three days of the Championships.

The day began for the Commodores with the 4×100 meter relay. The regular lineup for this event was changed up as the `Dores lost Buky Bamigboye to injury. Senior Mallory Hitt stepped up like a true veteran in Bamigboye’s place and VU turned in a time of 47.09.

Next for the `Dores was Rita Jorgensen in the 1,500 and 800 meter finals. Jorgensen finished ninth in both events, barely missing point-scoring opportunities for the Commodores. Jorgensen finished the 1,500 with a time of 4:30.67 and the 800 with a time of 2:15.84.

“I thought Rita fought hard even though she was under the weather,” Vanderbilt distances coach Steve Keith noted. “It was a nice accomplishment to make both finals. She’ll get rested and healthy in the next few days so we can make one final push in the 1,500 at the first round in Greensboro.”

Vanderbilt’s final event of the Championships was the 5,000 meter run. Sophomore Louise Hannallah paced the Commodores with a time of 17:05.24, finishing 12^th. Fellow sophomore Alexa Rogers came in 19^th with a time of 17:50.26.

“Louise had a very solid effort in the 5k and has shown that she can compete at the upper level of the SEC,” Keith added. “She was less than five seconds away from scoring and learns with every Championship race she runs.”

“I am quite happy with the way the girls finished the weekend,” Vanderbilt head coach D’Andre Hill commented. “Even losing Buky for the 4×1, Mallory came on and was a trooper. We have set a good foundation this year and look forward to building on this in the future.”