By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech track & field team officially kicked off the 2024 campaign, producing a number of personal records and collegiate debuts while competing at the Commodore Challenge.
Located at Vanderbilt's Multipurpose Facility in Nashville, day one of the two-day event saw the purple and gold take part in five events. On the track, junior Amara Nwajagu led Tech's effort in the 200-meter dash, earning a top-10 finish by clocking in at 25.35 seconds.
Making her collegiate debut with a top-10 showing of her own was Bay'Andria Hodges, who finished right on Nwajagu's tail with a time of 25.37 seconds. Also taking part in her first collegiate event, rookie Darrelle Rice raced to a time of 45.65 seconds.
Increasing the distance ever so slightly, sophomore Paris Bowles opened her second year in the purple and gold with a top-25 performance in the 300-meter dash with a PR of 41.20 seconds. Also recording new career bests in the event were junior Kategie Casseus behind a time 42.90 seconds and senior Cayla Johnson with a mark of 45.65 seconds.
Wrapping up the running events for the Golden Eagles, freshman Makaleigh Jessee performed at an elite level in her collegiate debut, placing first in the 5,000-meter run with a mark of 18:50.87. Sophomore Ava Costello earned a runner-up finish, clocking in at 19:25.72.
On the field side of the event, a pair of rookies produced monster results in the high jump in their first taste of collegiate action. Madison Johnson led all Golden Eagles on the day with a leap of 1.66 meters (5'5.25"). Fellow freshman Ally Beneke cleared 1.63 meters (5'4.5") in her first event in the purple and gold. Veteran Kendall Medders rounded out the participants with a mark of 1.61 meters (5'3.25").
Rounding out Friday's results were a trio of Golden Eagles competing in the long jump, led by a fourth-place performance by senior Anya Akili, who turned in a distance of 5.65 meters (18'6.5"). Sophomore Sidnee Stanton finished in the top-10 with a mark of 5.26 meters (17'3.25") while freshman Mattie Bush completed her first action of her career with a jump of 4.74 meters (15'6.75").
Day two of the Commodore Challenge is slated to begin with field events at 11:00 a.m. CT in Nashville. Running events will commence at 12:00 p.m.
File photo by Michael Wade
