Feb. 11, 2017
Event: Music City Challenge
Dates: Feb. 10-11
Site: Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility
The Music City Challenge concluded on Saturday and the Vanderbilt track and field team closed out their regular season with several strong performances, including several personal-best marks. Vanderbilt also honored its 13-member senior class for its track and field and cross country programs. Athletes that were honored include Reagan Anderson, Sarah Bell, Carmen Carlos, Skyler Carpenter, Simone Charley, Courtney Clayton, Sarah Goodale, Courtney Kriegshauser, Tierney Price, Katie Watts, Dan Arthur, Nikos Gkotsis and Jake Van Geffen.
Three Commodore runners set a new personal record in the 800-meter run. Senior Courtney Clayton led the way and finished third overall with a school-record time of 2:04.24. Clayton was one of three runners in the race who broke the old facility record time of 2:04.47. Marilyn Okoro (Unattached) set the new facility record with a time of 2:03.26. Reagan Bustamante and Ginger Hutton were the other two Commodores to record new personal records after finishing with times of 2:08.94 and 2:12.38, respectively. Bustamante’s run was good for an eighth-place finish and Hutton placed 15th overall.
Both Vanderbilt athletes competing in the 400-meter dash earned personal records, including Jenn Edobi, who won the race and finished with a time of 53.47. Senior Skyler Carpenter was the other Commodore to compete in the race and finished 18th overall with a time of 55.92.
The pole vault was another event where the Commodores enjoyed a success in day two of the Music City Challenge with three athletes placing in the top 10. Freshman Margaret Ollinger continued trending upward with a new personal-best vault of 13′ 1″, which tied for seventh overall. Senior Sarah Bell tied for second place after vaulting a height of 13′ 9″ and freshman Caleigh Lofstead cleared 13′ 5″, which earned her a fifth-place ranking.
Senior Carmen Carlos finished third overall in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9:35.81. Junior Megan Huebner finished 11th overall with a time of 9:52.13 and freshman Mailin Struck finished right behind her in 12th with a time of 9:53.59. Birdie Hutton placed 22nd overall and Kacie Breeding finish 32nd with times of 10:05.49 and 10:26.85, respectively.
Maddie Criscione was the first of five Commodore runners to finish in the mile run and finished 17th overall and a time of 5:00.78. Criscione was followed closely by Kendall Derry, who placed 18th with a time of 5:02.26. Courtney Kriegshauser finished near behind in 22nd after crossing the line at the 5:05.84 mark and the tandem of Lauren Moffett and Reagan Anderson rounded out the field for Vanderbilt with times of 5:13.31 and 5:41.66.
Sarah Goodale competed in three events on Saturday for Vanderbilt including the shot put (36′ 5″), 60-meter hurdles (8.86), and the long jump (18′ 1.75″). Tierney Price also participated in the triple jump and recorded a leap of 17′ 11.75″.
Jake Van Geffen broke a new school record in the 5000-meter men’s race with a time of 14:49.19, which placed him 16th overall and Nikos Gkotsis finished 18th overall with a time of 14:53.36. Gkotsis was the top Vanderbilt finisher in the men’s mile run with a time of 4:19.57. Other Vanderbilt competitors in the race included Sam DeFabrizio (4:23.55), Van Geffen (4:27.13), Jason Vincze (4:27.92), Caleb Casolaro (4:32.88), Waqqas Fazili (4:36.14), and Evan Suzman (4:42.55).
Vanderbilt finished the meet strong in the last event of the day with the team of Lydia Witty, Courtney Clayton, Skyler Carpenter and Jenn Edobi earning a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 women’s relay and a time of 3:42.73.
The Vanderbilt track and field team will have next weekend off of competition before hosting the 2017 SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 24-25. It will be the first time that Vanderbilt has hosted the indoor season’s championship meet.
