By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The school record book, as well as the list of individual personal best efforts, continues to undergo a transformation for the Tennessee Tech track & field team, with one more school mark and seven PR efforts falling Saturday on the final day of the Music City Challenge at Vanderbilt.
Junior Sarah Brandt, who set three school records last weekend at Notre Dame, added the mile run to her resume Saturday with a time of 5:01.69. Her time was almost five seconds quicker than the previous mark of 5:06.53, which had stood for 15 years. The previous school mark was set by Michelle Kline at the 2001 OVC Indoor Championships.
Brandt, who came to Tech from Oroville, Calif., by way of Butte Community College where she earned Junior College All-America honors, now holds or is part of five school records.
In addition to that record, seven different members of coach Wayne Angel's team beat their own personal best times or distances, while two Golden Eagles added new events to their experience.
"It was a great day for Tech," said Angel. "Crystal (Leibenberg) started us off with a huge personal best in the 400 meters and an under-the-weather Sarah Brandt smashed the school record in the mile, followed by outstanding performances by D'Airrien Jackson and NaAsha Robinson."
"We challenged our ladies to stay focused and to continue to believe in themselves and the process and improvement would follow," Angel said. "That's exactly what happened today."
In the shot put, junior Antonia Susnjar had a PR toss of 35 feet, 5 inches, her best by two inches. Two PRs came at 400 meters, and three more at 800 meters.
In the 400m, Na'Asha Robinson was Tech's top finisher, placing fourth in 54.50 seconds. The first PR came from freshman Crystal Leibenberg, placed seventh in 57.48, while Tiara Hymon also posted her personal best in 1:00.27. Madison Stremler was clocked at 1:00.74 in her first foray into that distance.
Robinson added the 60-meter dash to the list of events she has competed in, finishing in 7.91 seconds to head up a group of four Golden Eagles in the event. Morgan O'Neal finished in 8.09 second, followed by Hymon in 8.13 and Brittany McGee in 8.32.
Jackson, Angela Retano and Anna Cooper all raced to their personal best times at 800m. Jackson ran it in 2:11.78, narrowly missing the school record set last week by Brandt at 2.11.00. Retano finished in 2:21.82 to place sixth, while Cooper's time was 2:29.58.
The final PR came from junior Purity Murray, who had a time of 10:34.72 at 3,000 meters.
The Golden Eagles will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships, scheduled for Feb. 26-27, at Tennessee State University.
Golden Nugget: Former Golden Eagle Atlanta Westbrook, competing for a track club since graduating from TTU, finished fourth in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 5 inches. That would have topped the school mark by 11.5 inches.
Golden Eagle results from Saturday at the Music City Challenge:
Shot Put
Antonia Susnjar, 35' 5" (PR)
Makayla Kington, 32' 4.75"
Long Jump
Tina Driscoll, NM
60m
Na'Asha Robinson, 7.91 (1st time)
Morgan O'Neal, 8:09
Tiara Hymon, 8.13
Brittany McGee, 8.32
Mile Run
Sarah Brandt, 5:01.69 [school record]
400m
(3) Na'Asha Robinson, 54.50
(7) Crystal Leibenberg, 57.48 (PR)
Tiara Hymon, 1:00.27 (PR)
Madison Stremler, 1:00.74 (1st time)
800m
D'Airrien Jackson, 2:11.78 (PR)
Andrea Retano, 2:21.82 (PR)
Anna Cooper, 2:29.58 (PR)
3,000m
Purity Murray, 10:34.72 (PR)
