A limited number of Vanderbilt track and field student-athletes traveled to Azusa, Calif. to compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational from April 11-13. Though competing in just three competitions, the Commodores found success in both the heptathlon and 5000-meter.

Alix Still, Madison Murray and Marta Sivina finished first, fifth and seventh in heptathlon Group C, respectively. Still, a graduate transfer from the University of Virginia, was buoyed by a first-place performance in the 100-meter hurdles and top-three finishes in the 800-meter run, long jump and javelin throw. Despite first-place finishes in the high jump and javelin throw, Murray was held back by weaker finishes in the other events. Sivina’s high-water mark came in the 800-meter with a third-place finish.

“There’s four events in college that barely exist before college. One is the heptathlon,” head coach Althea Thomas said. “You’re naturally going to see where people have a need to develop because they haven’t done it as much. They may just be better in one event at the beginning than they are in others.”

Juniors Ella Lambert and Cameron Fawcett finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the women’s 5000-meter. Fawcett trailed Lambert by less than a second, as the pair crossed the finish line at 16 minutes and 39.87 seconds and 16:40.00, respectively. 

“That’s a powerful vibe,” Thomas said of finishing close to a teammate. “When you go into a race and you actually compete well together and you get that close, it’s very powerful. It’s the feeling one might get when the whole team celebrates when someone hits the game-winning shot.”

The Commodores will be back in action on April 20 when they travel to Baton Rouge, La. to compete at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.