NASHVILLE -- Southeastern Track & Field turned in a strong showing against high-level competition at the Vanderbilt Music City Challenge the past two days in Nashville, highlighted by multiple school records, national qualifying marks, and performances that stack up well on the NAIA leaderboard.
The headline performance came from Charlotte Cattermole-Williams in the women's weight throw. Competing in a field composed entirely of NCAA Division I athletes, Cattermole-Williams placed fifth out of 32 competitors with a mark of 18.05 meters. She was the only NAIA athlete in the event and still finished near the top of the standings. The throw marked the fifth time in the last six weeks that she has broken the SEU school record in the event, continuing a remarkable stretch of progression. Her mark meets the NAIA 'A' standard, ranks No. 5 nationally in the NAIA, and sits No. 1 in The Sun Conference.
On the track, Southeastern saw several athletes post qualifying standards and finals appearances.
Olga Gomez delivered a strong run in the women's 60 meters, clocking 7.59 seconds. She advanced to the finals and placed eighth in a deep 70-athlete field. Her time met the NAIA 'B' standard and moved her to No. 9 on SEU's all-time list in the event.
Dario Laing also hit a national mark in the men's 60-meter hurdles. He ran 8.16 seconds, earning a spot in the semifinal heat and finishing 10th out of 24 overall. The time met the NAIA 'B' standard and showed his ability to contend in a competitive field.
In the middle-distance events, the Fire rewrote the record book.
Jack Brooks set a new SEU school record in the men's 800 meters, running 1:55.21 and placing 35th in a 55-runner field. On the women's side,
Maci Mills broke the school record in the 800 meters as well, finishing 18th of 26 in 2:12.37. Her performance hit the NAIA 'A' standard, ranks No. 5 in the NAIA this season, and stands as the top time in The Sun Conference.
Elsewhere in the field events,
Alyssa Morley recorded a 5.32-meter jump in the women's long jump to place 31st, while
Isaiah Burns went 5.95 meters in the men's long jump to finish 25th. In the men's 60 meters,
Malik Blunt placed 50th with a time of 8.07 seconds.
Southeastern now turns its attention to the postseason, heading to Gainesville, Fla., on February 20-21, for the Sun Conference Championship. The two-day meet will give the Fire an opportunity to convert their recent momentum and national-qualifying marks into conference titles as the indoor championship season begins.
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