Feb. 7, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Vanderbilt’s track and field team continued its strong 2009 campaign with another strong performance at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Ky., Saturday. Freshmen Teegan Hill and Jordan White entered the school’s indoor record books with season-best times in the 400 and 800-meter runs, respectively.
“Overall, I thought this meet was by far our best performance of the season thus far,” head distance coach, Steve Keith said. “The weather the last month, has really limited our team’s practice time so it was nice to see a lot of our athletes putting together strong performances,” added Keith.
White, a native of Old Chatham, N.Y., cruised to a top three finish in the 800 open with a personal best 2:13.46. The time also ranks 10th school history. Rita Jorgensen kept pace with White the whole race, crossing the finish line at the 2:15.07 mark, good for sixth.
“Individually, I thought Rita and Jordan posted strong weekends,” Keith said. Both of them recorded season-best times in their respected events and I am proud of their efforts.”
Three events earlier, Jorgensen coasted to a season-high and team-high 4:53.50 in the mile, placing third out of 26 runners. Jorgensen’s mark tops her previous season-high mark of 5:02.43 in which she set on the same track back on Jan. 18.
Freshman Louise Hannallah joined Jorgensen with a top-10 finish of her own in the mile with a 5:07.68.
Cross Country standout Kristabel Doebel-Hickok also set a personal record Saturday with a 10:02.44 in the 3000-meter run, finishing in sixth place while fellow sophomore Adrienne DiRaddo finished one spot back of Doebel-Hickok in seventh with a 10:05.38.
In the sprinting events, the freshman tandem of Hill and Anna Carr once again led the Commodores in Lexington this weekend. Hill took top honors in her 400-meter heat with a blistering season-high of 56.14. The Lancaster, Texas native’s time ranks third in school history and is the best 400-meter time recorded by a VU sprinter this season.
“Teegan knocked off over a second in her 400 today and she ran great race,” head track coach D’Andre Hill. “We are real excited about Teegan’s future and the potential she has here at Vanderbilt. She continues to get better and better as we get closer to SEC Indoor Championships.”
In addition to the 400-meter performance Hill finished 19th out of 44 in the 60-meter dash with a 7.82. Carr finished one spot ahead of Hill with a 7.81.
In the field events, freshman pole-vaulter Meagan Martin led the `Dores with a top-10 finish in the pole vault, clearing a season-high mark of 11-01.75. Teammate Katherine Hendricks joined Martin with a season-high jump of her own, matching her fellow Commodore’s 11-01.75.
The VU track and field team will return to the big oval next weekend as they travel to Ames, Iowa Feb. 13-14 for the ISU Classic. The annual meet is one of the nation’s largest indoor track and field meets as it prepares teams for its upcoming conference indoor championships.
Vanderbilt Results
Pole Vault – 10. Meagan Martin, 11-01.75, 13. Katherine Hendricks, 11-01.75
Triple Jump – 16. Sheri Sullivan, 36-03.50
Long Jump – 27. Mallory Hitt, 16-03.00
60-Meter Hurdles – 33. Mallory Hitt, 9.61
60-Meter Dash – 17. Anna Carr, 7.81, 19. Teegan Hill, 7.82, 23. Taylor Jackson, 7.84, 31. Josalyn White, 8.05
One-Mile Run – 3. Rita Jorgensen, 4:53.50, 11. Louise Hannallah, 5:07.68, 26. Carmen Mims, 5:42.47
400-Meter Dash – 8. Teegan Hill, 56.14
800-Meter Run – 3. Jordan White, 2:13.46, 6. Rita Jorgensen, 2:15.07, 24. Jillian Currie, 2:26.33
200-Meter Dash – 25. Taylor Jackson, 25.42, 39. Sheri Sullivan, 25.97, 48. Josalyn White, 26.76, 50. Mallory Hitt, 27.01
3000-Meter Run – 6. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok, 10:02.44, 7. Adrienne DiRaddo, 10:05.38
