The Vanderbilt Men’s Cross Country sent a limited roster to Raleigh, North Carolina, to compete in the Raleigh Relays. Despite their small line-up, the Commodores turned in a strong performance as multiple new school records were set.
The 1,500-meter power duo of Brady Bliven and Michael Skora put on impressive performances with marks of 3:46.3 and 3:53.75, respectively. In the 5,000-meter run, junior Luke Churchwell added his name to the Vanderbilt history books after clocking a time of 14:21.65, ranking him at No. 2 in program history. Additionally, Sam Darmanie set a new Vanderbilt record with a 3,000-meter steeplechase time of 9:03.70.
The Women’s Track and Field team carried the men’s team’s momentum forward, with sophomore Lily Kriegel clocking the first sub-16-minute mark in Vanderbilt history with a time of 15:56.34. Kriegel finished No. 15 overall and No. 10 among collegiate competitors. Freshman Betsy Jepkemei and Hannah Huyler also posted impressive results with marks of 16:52.26 and 17:08.98, respectively.
In the 10,000 meters, Tyla Lumley made history after clocking a time of 33:18.15, breaking the previous record by 26 seconds. Lumley, who previously competed for the Drake Bulldogs, holds the Drake school record for the 10,000-meter run with a time of 33:51.78, 33 seconds slower than her new personal best.
The Black and Gold look to continue shattering records as they travel to Gainesville, Florida, to partake in the Florida Relays starting April 3.
