May 2, 2009
Mississippi Open Final Results 
OXFORD, Miss. – Vanderbilt’s Rita Jorgensen recorded an NCAA regional time of 2:09.20 in the 800-meter run, highlighting the Commodore track and field performance at the Mississippi Open Saturday. Jorgensen’s half-mile time was over three-seconds faster than her previous season-high (2:11.68) and was good for second place out of 19 runners. The former Tennessee distance prep state champion has now regionally qualified in two events for the second straight year, (800m and 1500m).
“This was a tough meet coming right at the conclusion of finals, both physically and mentally,” distance coach Steve Keith said. “We are looking forward to a couple of good weeks of practice as we prepare for the SEC Outdoor meet.”
“It was impressive to see Rita regionally qualify in the 800 today as she hasn’t been feeling the best. It’s great to see her make the NCAA regionals in two events.”
VU’s Adrienne DiRaddo ran a career-best 4:39.83 to lead the Commodore contingent in the 1500-meter run. DiRaddo shaved three seconds off her previous personal record. The former Woodlands, Texas prep standout finished runner-up in the 1500, marking the highest individual placing of her collegiate career.
In addition to DiRaddo’s stellar 1500 performance, three other Commodores recorded personal-best marks in the same event as Kate Southcote-Want, Erin McManus and Kristabel Doebel-Hickok all placed in the top-10. Southcote-Want crossed the finish line at 4:44.35 while McManus and Doebel-Hickok clocked 4:49.18 and 4:49.31 respectively.
Vanderbilt’s Taylor Jackson set a collegiate personal record in the 100-meter dash, running a blistering 12.16. Jackson’s 100-time ranks fourth in the school’s all-time outdoor record book and tops her previous high of 12.30 in which she set at last season SEC Outdoor Championships. Later in the day the Cleveland, Ohio native crushed her personal record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.52, good for ninth place overall. Jackson’s time ties her with Melissa Mailand for third all-time, trailing only Teegan Hill and former Olympian Ryan Tolbert.
Teegan Hill posted a pair of top-10 finishes Saturday, led by her third-place performance in the 400-meter dash. Hill clocked a 55.27 in the quarter-mile to place second in her heat and 3rd out of 24 sprinters.
The `Dores received two more top-five finishes when Alexa Rogers and Amanda Scott turned in times of 18:15.40 and 18:22.96 in the 5000-meter run. Saturday’s 5K was the first of the season for both Rogers and Scott.
“I was pleased with Alexa’s time in the 5K,” Keith said. “She is still adjusting to the longer race distance on the track.”
The Commodores will spend the next week-and-a-half preparing for the 2009 SEC Track and Field Outdoor Championships. This year’s conference meet will be held in Gainesville, Fla. May 14-17.
Vanderbilt Results – Saturday, May 2, 2009
100 Meter Dash – 9. Taylor Jackson, 12.16, 24. Mallory Hitt, 13.33
100 Meter Hurdles – 14. Mallory Hitt, 15.49
200 Meter Dash – 6. Taylor Jackson, 24.52, 10. Teegan Hill, 24.88
400 Meter Dash – 3. Teegan Hill 55.27
800 Meter Run – 2. Rita Jorgensen, 2:09.20*, 10. Jordan White, 2:16.44, 15. Michele Sauer, 2:22.56, 16. Jillian Currie, 2:24.08
1500 Meter Run – 2. Adrienne DiRaddo, 4:39.83, 6. Kate Southcote-Want, 4:44.35, 8. Erin McManus, 4:49.18, 9. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok, 4:49.31, 11. Louise Hannallah, 4:50.17
5000 Meter Run – 4. Alexa Rogers, 18:15.40, 5. Amanda Scott, 18:22.96
Pole Vault – 5. Katherine Hendricks, 10-11.75, 6. Meagan Martin, 10-06.00
Shot Put – 19. Mallory Hitt, 29-01.25
Javelin Throw – 8. Mallory Hitt, 93-08.00
* – NCAA Regional Qualifying time
