Jackson, Parham and Stargell accompanied juniors Sara Marvin and Marta Sivina for the shot put toss in the throwing ring. Marvin took fifth place at 14.58 meters, while Sivina accomplished a personal best at 11.84 meters. “Considering the circumstances, I think the team did a really good job adjusting to the weather delays and modifications. […]
Jackson, Parham and Stargell accompanied juniors Sara Marvin and Marta Sivina for the shot put toss in the throwing ring. Marvin took fifth place at 14.58 meters, while Sivina accomplished a personal best at 11.84 meters.
“Considering the circumstances, I think the team did a really good job adjusting to the weather delays and modifications. I’m very pleased with the composure they had for the meet,” Thomas said.
Junior Santana Spearman participated in the 60 and 200-meter events and recorded times of 7.94 and 25.55 seconds. Despite both times representing personal bests, Spearman failed to make the finals in the 60-meter race and was just outside the top five of the 200-meter event. Sophomores Elsa Steer and Clara Steer were the only Commodores to participate in the mile race and ran 5:04.76 and 5:34.18, respectively. Elsa Steer’s race on Jan. 11th was a personal best and seventh in the field.
Vanderbilt entered four athletes in the long jump. Sophomore Anaya Webster ranked fourth at 5.66 meters, barely missing third place by 1.5 inches. First-year Anya Carey participated in the event and finished within the top 10 with a jump of 5.45 meters. Parham and Stargell also participated in the event.
Five inches of snow did not stop the Vanderbilt Track and Field team from opening its season in record-setting fashion. Competing at home in the 2025 Commodore Challenge, the Black and Gold achieved seven personal bests as nine new names debuted on the school’s list of top 10 all-time indoor performances.
Field Events
The weekend of racing concluded with the 4×400-meter relay race. The team consisted of first-year twins Isabella Dagrosa and Mackenzie Dagrosa, McBride and Webster. Their combined efforts secured them third place, with a time of 3:48.77.
The Black and Gold had similar success in the 600-meter race. Georgia native Allyria McBride ran the second-fastest time in program history, clocking in at 1 minute and 31.29 seconds. Fellow Georgian first-year Kenyah Connor made a strong debut for the program, clocking in at 1:31.72. This run tied Connor for the fifth-fastest time in Vanderbilt track history. Despite their strong showings, both Commodores barely missed the podium, with McBride and Connor placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
In the 300-meter race, Benzinger sped her way into the Commodore record books by running 39.34 seconds, fifth all-time and second fastest in the event. Junior Falon Spearman was right behind Benzinger, securing third place in the race with a 39.87-second finish. Spearman’s time put her just outside of a Vanderbilt record.
Vanderbilt’s record-setting started in field events when sophomore high jumper Rowan Houston sailed over 1.71 meters, achieving a personal best and cementing her jump as the seventh-ever-highest by a Commodore. Her jump also tied her for second overall in the event. Alongside Houston, first-years Pryncess Jackson, Devyn Parham and Kayleigh Stargell participated in the event. These three also entered in shot put and long jump.
Track Events
The team’s 2025 debut on the track was equally record-filled. The Commodores packed the track by participating in almost all running events (no Vanderbilt athletes competed in the 800, 3,000 or 5,000-meter competitions). In each of these events, the returning athletes showed strong performances, while the first-years commenced their careers with strong performances across the board.
“[The incoming transfers and first-year’s] talent, experience and passion for excellence is immeasurable. The diversity of events and potential will pair with our returners in a dynamic way,” Thomas said.
After the meet, Thomas credited the team’s success — and the several personal and school records — to the experience, passion and excellence she highlighted during the preseason.
Fourth-year director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas bolstered the Black and Gold’s roster with 16 new athletes before the season began. The class included 13 first-year athletes, eight of whom were state or national champions in their respective events in high school, and three transfers, including three-time German national champion in the 4×100 and 4×200, Tina Benzinger.
The Commodores dominated the 1000-meter race, with senior Julia Rosenberg and junior Audrey Allman taking first and second, respectively. Allman ran a personal best of 2:48.69, which ranks fourth in school history. Rosenberg, a member of the 2024 Second-Team All-SEC member, cruised to her first senior season win with a 2:48.46. Junior Mackenzie Culpepper and sophomore Gia Leone also participated in the race, achieving personal bests of 2:54.24 and 3:19.76, respectively.
Three new coaches joined the team to accompany the new athletes, with Chad Balyo and Lisa Morgan focusing on developing distance runners and Candace Fuller coaching throwers. With this talent infusion, Thomas hopes to build on the team’s success with a strong showing in the SEC. If the past weekend’s Commodore Challenge indicates the team’s potential, Commodore fans should look forward to an exciting season.
In pole vault, Texas native and first-year Jacqueline Rose vaulted 3.65 meters to tie the 10th-place school record. It was also her personal best, earning her a second-place finish. Sophomore Olivia Kosanovich also participated and achieved a personal best in the event.
The Black and Gold also dominated the 60-meter hurdles. Junior Taylor McKinnon took home first with a time of 8.53 seconds, her personal best and seventh-fastest in program history. She was closely followed by Parham, whose 8.56 seconds was the eighth-fastest in school history and secured her second place in the dash. Jackson, who also qualified for the finals, ran an 8.90 in the preliminary heat and an 8.93 in the finals.
The Commodores will stay home for their next event as they host the Vanderbilt Invitational from Jan. 17-18.
Back in August, Thomas stated her excitement for the new season, the strength of its incoming class and the development of returning athletes.
