The Commodores turned in several impressive performances while hosting the Music City Challenge May 1-2. Vanderbilt broke three new school records and added five new top 10 marks in the record books. Additionally, the weekend was highlighted by the Track and Field’s senior recognition, where the program thanked all 21 seniors for their contributions to another record-breaking season for the Commodores.
Day One
The Black and Gold started off the weekend on the right foot, following Elizabeth Bailey’s first-place finish with a distance of 51.17 meters, just 0.21 meters short of her school record. For the first time since the start of the 2026 outdoor season at the Hampton City Inn Relays, Bailey recorded a mark over 50 meters and remains the only Commodore to accomplish that milestone. Graduate Gianna Bullock also broke her personal best with a mark of 34.63 meters, good for ninth place in the event.
In the long jump invite, three Vanderbilt athletes finished in the top 10: Anaya Webster, Kayleigh Stargell and Bullock. Webster finished fourth, Stargell took eighth and Bullock came in 10th, with jumps of 5.71 meters, 5.51 meters and 5.37 meters, respectively. Vanderbilt wrapped up its field events of the day with Jacqueline Rose’s bronze medal pole vault performance, following a height of 3.61 meters.
On the track, the Black and Gold continued to put on an impressive showing, beginning with all four Vanderbilt runners qualifying for the 100-meter hurdles finals. Falon Spearman clocked a time of 13.01 seconds, setting a new Vanderbilt record and taking home the silver medal. Spearman was shortly followed by her twin sister Santana Spearman’s mark of 13.41 seconds. Taylor McKinnon and Marta Sivina placed in sixth and seventh, with respective qualifying times of 13.56 seconds and 13.86 seconds.
In the 1,500 meters, the Commodores placed first and third, following Betsy Jepkemei’s time of 4:22.67 and Lily Kriegel’s time of 4:23.25. Tyla Lumley etched her name into the No. 4 spot in the Vanderbilt history books after posting a 5,000-meter time of 16:05.36.
In the men’s portion of the event, Luke Churchwell clocked a 14:32.18 mark, ending the event with an eighth-place finish. Following Spearman’s record-breaking showcase, distance runner Sam Darmanie placed second overall and reset his 3,000-meter steeplechase school record with a mark of 9:01.45.
Day Two
The second day of the weekend began with three top-five finishes for the ’Dores in the invite portion of the high jump. Mackenzie Dagrosa finished in second after matching her outdoor personal best of 1.76 meters, set earlier in the season at the Florida Relays. Rowan Houston and Sivina, who placed in third and fourth, set new personal bests after clearing the 1.72-meter bar and Sivina now sits at No. 10 in Vanderbilt history. In the triple jump, Lena Gooden and Anaya Webster recorded marks of 12.18 meters and 12.16 meters, good for third and fourth, respectively.
Once again, the Commodores earned a 2-3-4 finish in the 400-meter dash following Faith Franklin’s time of 52.53 seconds, Josie Donelson’s time of 52.61 seconds and Madyson Wilson’s time of 52.99 seconds. Wilson is now tied for fifth in Vanderbilt history.
After Spearman shattered the school record in the 100-meter hurdles, she took home the silver medal in the invite finals with a time of 13.20 seconds. McKinnon, who previously placed sixth during the preliminaries, placed fifth with a personal best mark of 13.86 seconds. Furthermore, Bullock notched a fourth-place finish in the open 100-meter hurdles after running a 14.04-second dash.
In the shot put invite, Sarah Marvin threw 15.30 meters twice to secure fourth place overall.
Danielle Dunning and Alima Kassim, who qualified for the 100-meter dash finals after preliminary marks of 11.81 seconds and 11.90 seconds, placed in second and fourth after dashes of 11.66 seconds and 11.94 seconds, respectively. Dunning set a new personal best, shaving 0.21 seconds off her previous dash time.
For the third time this season, Jayden Hill reset her Vanderbilt record in the 800 meters with a new mark of 2:02.62. Meanwhile, in the 400-meter hurdles, Mya Georgiadis and Joy Moorer placed fourth and fifth with marks of 59.74 and 1:00.98, respectively.
To end a successful weekend, the 4×400 quartet of Moorer, Wilson, Georgiadis and Mackenzie Culpepper clocked in a time of 3:46.76, placing fourth overall.
The Commodores will travel to Auburn, Alabama, to take part in the SEC Outdoor Championships beginning May 14.
