Vanderbilt Track and Field Shines with Record-Breaking Performances

The Vanderbilt track and field team put on quite a show at the Music City Challenge, closing out their indoor regular season with a bang. The Commodores grabbed 12 first-place finishes, notched over 30 season and personal bests, added 20 new marks to the program’s record books, and shattered five school records.

This surge of talent and grit has everyone buzzing as they gear up for the SEC Championships.

Highlights from the Music City Challenge

The Music City Challenge really highlighted just how much the Vanderbilt track and field team has been grinding. The event was packed with strong performances that showed off the team’s depth and versatility.

Record-Breaking Performances

Several athletes left their mark with record-breaking efforts that’ll be hard to forget. Sam Darmanie set a new program record in the open division of the 3,000 meters, running 8:21.90 and snagging third overall.

The distance medley relay squad—Kelty Oaster, Joy Moorer, Betsy Jepkemei, and Lily Kriegel—took first place with a time of 11:20.73, which now ranks sixth all-time at Vanderbilt.

In the pole vault, Olivia Kosanovich and Jacqueline Rose both cleared 3.87 meters. They finished first and second, tying for seventh in school history.

The 60-meter hurdles had a Commodore sweep to the final: Falon and Santana Spearman and Taylor McKinnon posted the three fastest semifinal times. S. Spearman led the final with a personal best of 8.24 seconds, tying for third in school history, while McKinnon and F. Spearman finished right behind at 8.27 and 8.29 seconds.

Notable Achievements in Sprints

In the 60 meters, London Jackson-Bray ran 7.56 seconds to make the final and finished seventh at 7.57. Alima Kassim landed ninth with a time of 7.58, and Danielle Dunning hit a collegiate-best 7.60 seconds, tying for eighth on the school’s all-time top 10 list.

The 400 meters was all Commodores—Josie Donelson and Faith Franklin both ran collegiate bests of 52.91 and 53.09, taking first and second. Those times bumped up their spots in the Vanderbilt record books, now third and fourth all-time.

Middle-Distance and Distance Events

Vanderbilt’s middle-distance and distance runners kept the momentum going. Kelty Oaster and Kenyah Conner both posted times in the 800 meters that landed them on the program’s all-time top 10 list.

Oaster ran 2:06.87, good for second place and fourth in school history. Conner finished sixth with a personal best of 2:07.67, now eighth all-time at Vanderbilt.

More Record-Breaking Runs

Brady Bliven broke his second school record of the weekend in the 800 meters, running a personal best 1:47.59 to place fourth overall and second among collegians. In the 3,000 meters, Claire Petersen and Tyla Lumley ran personal bests of 9:24.64 and 9:27.66, ranking them seventh and eighth in program history.

Petersen finished second, and Lumley took fifth overall. That’s a lot of new names in the record books.

Field Events and Relays

The Commodores brought the same energy to field events and relays. Sarah Marvin finished as the top collegiate and fourth overall in the invite division of the shot put, throwing a season-best 15.92 meters.

To wrap up the meet, the 4×400-meter relay team—Joy Moorer, Faith Franklin, Mackenzie Culpepper, and Josie Donelson—won with a time of 3:37.96. That’s the eighth-fastest mark in school history.

Preparing for the SEC Championships

The team’s now looking ahead to the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas, from February 26-28. The confidence and momentum from the Music City Challenge should give them a real edge.

Director Althea Thomas has helped set a high bar for what’s next. Curious about more details and updates? Head over to the official site at Vanderbilt Track and Field.

Conclusion

The Vanderbilt track and field team crushed it at the Music City Challenge. Their hard work and focus really showed out there.

With a handful of new records and personal bests, the Commodores look ready for anything. The SEC Championships are coming up, and honestly, it’s hard not to get excited for what’s next.