NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On a snowy Saturday in Nashville, Vanderbilt track and field opened its indoor season at the Commodore Challenge where nine Dores added their names to the program’s all-time top 10 lists and seven recorded personal bests.
“Today was a good meet,” director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas said. “We didn’t compete everybody, but we’re definitely at a point with our depth and quality where we can individualize. It was good to see the upperclassmen come out and continue to do what they do and build on the momentum from the last three years and to see out newcomers come out and have the same confidence they’ve had at high school meets in a new setting and at a higher level.”
To start the morning, sophomore Rowan Houston cleared 1.71 meters in the high jump, which is a personal best and tied for the No. 7 mark in school history.
On the track, junior Allyria McBride turned in a time of 1:31.29 in the 600 meters, which is the No. 2 time in program history. Freshman Kenyah Conner was less than a second behind and clocked 1:31.72, tied for fifth all-time at Vandy.
Senior Julia Rosenberg and junior Audrey Allman finished first and second, respectively, in the 1,000 meters. Allman’s time, 2:48.69, is a personal best and ranked fourth in school history. Rosenberg crossed the finish line in 2:48.46 to win the race.
In the long jump, freshman Anya Carey recorded a personal-best 5.45-meter mark to place ninth. Sophomore Anaya Carey earned a fourth-place finish with a 5.66-meter jump.
Three Commodores, junior Taylor McKinnon and freshmen Pryncess Jackson and Devyn Parham, advanced to the 60-meter hurdles final. McKinnon clocked 8.56 seconds in the prelims, the day’s fastest qualifying time, and 8.53 seconds in the final to win the event and move to No. 7 on the all-time performers list. Both marks were personal bests. Parham turned in a time of 8.66 seconds in qualifying and of 8.56 seconds in the final. She is now tied for eighth in school history in the event. Jackson recorded respective times of 8.90 and 8.93 seconds in the prelims and final.
Freshman Jacqueline Rose cracked into the school’s all-time top 10 in the pole vault clearing 3.65 meters to finish first among freshmen and second overall.
Graduate student Tina Benzinger and junior Falon Spearman added their names to the record books in the 300 meters. Benzinger ran the fifth fastest 300-meter race in school history, turning in a time of…