Jan. 23, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Georgia Tech track and field team competed among four top 25 teams on day one Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational. A season-best high jump performance by freshman Bailey Weiland, and indoor personal-best times by Katie Townsend, Kelly Meyer and Melissa Fairey in the 5,000 meters highlighted the first day of competition for the Yellow Jackets.
“We had a good first day at the Vanderbilt Invite,” head women’s track coach Alan Drosky said. “Bailey Weiland jumped an indoor personal best on a day that wasn’t the cleanest day for her. So to hang in there and fight for an indoor best was a great effort.
“The 5,000m went well also with Katie Townsend, Kelly Meyer, and Melissa Fairey all opening their indoor seasons with personal best and good finishes. The distance medley relay was solid and so too was Carissa Tipler in the long jump. Now we have a great opportunity to get some great efforts tomorrow in many more events.”
Weiland continued her success in the high jump with a third-place and season-best mark of 1.76m (5-9.25).
Townsend and Meyer finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 5,000 meters. Both Yellow Jackets recorded personal bests as Townsend crossed the line in 16:57.30 and Meyer logged a time of 17:01.28, which is 27 seconds better than her previous best. Fairey placed 11th with an indoor PR time of 17:23.83.
On the men’s side, Troy Hayden led the Jackets in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:13.35 in 14th place. Witt Nix (15:17.09) and Matthew Munns (15:22.55), finished back-to-back in 16th and 17th, respectively.
Tech’s women’s DMR team of Caroline Kissel, Domonique Hall, Haley Anderson and Morgan Jackson took third in the event with a time of 11:49.82. On the men’s side, Tech put together two teams, with team ‘A’ consisting of Zack Fanelty, Alexander Reese, Andres Littig and Brandon Lasater finishing first (9:56.43) and team “B” of Chris Burnett, Julian Darden, Patrick Fleming and Nat Estes placing second (10:10.65).
In her first pentathlon competition of the season, Alex Braxton totaled 3,437 points, for fourth place out of 10 competitors.
Nikita Kirillov took third in the pole vault with a height of 4.90m (16-0.75) and Nathan Daniel tied for sixth (4.75m; 15-07.00).
In the men’s triple jump, Jonathan Gardner took sixth with a distance of 15.39m (50-06.00). Carissa Tipler placed 14th in the women’s long jump with a mark of 5.61m (18-05.00).
Day two of action continues Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET with the women’s mile.
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