NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams competed on the second day of the Vanderbilt Invitational Saturday at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.
Senior Jahzara Hart beat out a field of 57 entrants to win the women’s 60 meters, with sophomore Qitarah Castlin taking fourth place. Freshman Tomas Ribeiro set a school record in the men’s 800 meters for the Pioneers during Saturday’s competition.
The Pioneers will be back on the track on Sunday, January 25 at the Banked Is Better Invitational at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
WOMEN’S RECAP
Hart was fourth in the preliminary round of the 60 meters at 7.56 seconds, with Castlin in eighth at 7.61 seconds and senior Shanice Cox also advancing in 15th at 7.68 seconds. In the semifinals: Hart improved to 7.46 seconds and qualified second for finals, with Castlin in sixth at 7.57 seconds. Cox ran 7.64 seconds in the semifinals but settled for 11th place.
In the final, Hart posted the third-best time of her career at 7.43 seconds to beat a field that included runners from Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Murray State. Castlin was fourth overall in the finals with a time of 7.59 seconds.
Sophomore Kori Moore and senior Theresa Green-White each ran in the finals of the 60 hurdles, with Moore qualifying third in a career-best 8.46 seconds and Green-White in 12th at 8.76 seconds. In the final, Moore ran 8.53 seconds for fifth place with Green-White in seventh place at 8.73 seconds.
The 4×400 relay of Moore, Castlin, junior Alonda Shelton and junior Kialia Claiborne finished sixth overall at 3:51.03, just .98 seconds off the school record of 3:50.05 set at the South Carolina Open in 2020.
Other top performances came from senior Jesica Mbhamali, who ran 2:24.29 in the 800 meters and posted the sixth-fastest time in program history, while freshman Hannah McLain moved into sixth on the program performance list in the 800 with a run of 2:26.40.
MEN’S RECAP
Ribeiro ran 1:54.21 in the 800 meters to break the program record of 1:54.32 set by Antonio Aparicio at the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Championship. Freshman Albert Ziegler moved into fifth on the Tusculum performance list in the 800 with a time of 1:59.00, and sophomore Levi Carson is now 10th in program history after posting a time of 2:05.94.
Freshman Ivan Garcia Rubio was 13th overall in the 60 hurdles at 8.52 seconds, and freshman Tomas Figueiras was 14th in the triple jump with a mark of 13.90 meters (45 feet, 7 1/4 inches).
The Tusculum 4×400 relay of Garcia Rubio, junior Lansford Cunningham, Ribeiro and junior Kayvon Pickett placed 14th overall with a time of 3:23.32.
Vanderbilt Invitational – Day 2
Tusculum results
MEN
60: 24. Lansford Cunningham, 7.03.
60 hurdles: 13. Ivan Garcia Rubio, 8.52.
400: 35. Marshae McDonald, 51.29.
800: 18. Tomas Ribeiro, 1:54.21 (school record); 45. Albert Ziegler, 1:59.00; 52. Levi Carson, 2:05.94.
3000: 56. Casen Davis, 9:35.67.
4×400: 14. Tusculum (Garcia Rubio, Cunningham, Ribeiro, Pickett), 3:23.32.
Triple jump: 14. Tomas Figueiras, 13.90m (45-7 1/4).
WOMEN
60 prelims: 4. Jahzara Hart, 7.56 (advances); 8. Qitarah Castlin, 7.61 (advances), 15. Shanice Cox, 7.68 (advances).
60 semifinals: 2. Jahzara Hart, 7.46 (advances); 6. Qitarah Castlin, 7.57 (advances); 11. Shanice Cox, 7.64.
60 finals: 1. Jahzara Hart, 7.43; 4. Qitarah Castlin, 7.59.
60 hurdles semifinals: 3. Kori Moore, 8.46 (advances); 12. Theresa Green-White, 8.76 (advances).
60 hurdles finals: 5. Kori Moore, 8.53; 7. Theresa Green-White, 8.73.
400: 43. Shanice Cox, 1:01.13.
800: 35. Jesica Mbhamali, 2:24.29; 41. Hannah McLain, 2:26.40.
Mile: 65. Abby Counter, 6:02.30.
4×400: 6. Tusculum (Moore, Castlin, Shelton, Claiborne), 3:51.03.
