Jan. 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Georgia Tech track and field team wrapped up the Vanderbilt Invite Saturday at the Vanderbilt Student Recreation Center/Indoor Track Facility. Samantha Becker highlighted the day in the field events with a fifth-place finish in the pole vault with a career-best height of 4.10m (13’5.25”).
“The women had very good day with improvements across all event areas,” head women’s track coach Alan Drosky said. “The highlight of the meet was Samantha Becker with her clearance of 4.10m (13’5.25″) in the pole vault for a big personal best after clearing 4.00m last week.
“Also, the middle distances and hurdles were good, and we saw the biggest gains in the sprints. We’re really pleased with not just the results from the women, but with the competitive attitude we’re seeing in them.”
“Overall it was a good day,” head men’s track coach Grover Hinsdale said. “We had several PRs this afternoon, including Spencer Allen in the 60m hurdles and Zachary Gunnz in the 200m. I was very pleased with their performances.”
Spencer Allen qualified for the 60-meter hurdles finals with an 8.02 preliminary time and ran a huge PR in the finals in a time of 7.95 for third place.
Freshman Zachary Gunnz placed ninth in the 200 meters with a season-best time of 21.92. Jamilah Middlebrooks placed 11th in the women’s 200 meters in a time of 24.89.
The Jackets saw success in the middle distance events as Zack Fanelty placed seventh in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:50.20, while teammates Brandon Lasater (1:52.02) and Andres Littig (PR – 1:52.36) placed 10th and 11th, respectively. In the women’s 800 meters, Christina Pensock (2:16.12) took 11th, Samantha Kiblinger (2:16.87) placed 13th and Haley Anderson crossed the line 15th (2:17.40).
Patrick Fleming (4:15.19) and Nat Estes (4:17.38) ran their fastest mile times to place 16th and 17th, respectively. Grant Hicks improved his personal-best 3,000-meter time from 9:01.67 to 8:48.37, and placed seventh in his heat.
Freshman Domonique Hall logged a season-best 400-meter time of 56.80 to place 12th, and teammate Jazmyne Taylor followed in 13th place with a season-best time of 57.04.
In the final events of the day, the men’s 4×400-meter ‘A’ team made up of Alexander Reese, Fanelty, Julian Darden and Lasater finished ninth with a time of 3:19.70. The women’s ‘A’ team, which consisted of Taylor, Hall, Angelica Henderson and Christina Pensock, took fifth with a time of 3:46.85.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action Feb. 6-7 at the Virginia Tech Elite Invite in Blacksburg, Va.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GT_TrackNField), Facebook (Georgia Tech Track & Field/Cross Country) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
