Indoor Track & Field Heads to Music City Challenge this Weekend

Friday, February 9

Nashville, Tenn.

Tulane University

Vanderbilt University

Indoor Track & Field Heads to Music City Challenge this Weekend

Feb 8, 2024 | Track & Field

Live Results | Watch (Day 1) | Watch (Day 2)

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane indoor track & field program heads to Nashville to participate in the Music City Challenge this weekend. The meet goes from Feb. 9-10 at the David Williams II Recreation Center.

Tulane will send Ryan Adkins (3000m), Sam Cohen (4x400m relay), Alan Deogracias III (mile), Zander Dunbar (800m, 4x400m relay), Juan Giron (5000m), Charles Henne (800m, 4x400m relay), Jack Jennings (3000m), Illia Kunin (mile, 4x400m relay), Arturs Lapins (3000m), Paul James Pam (5000m), Jalen St. Fort (800m, 4x400m relay), Mason Wong (5000m), Norah Bice (shot put), Bella Carroll (60m, 200m, 4x400m), Janae Dean (800m, 4x400m), Danna Diaz (mile), Alyssa Dismuke (shot put), Alexis Esteves (400m, 4x400m relay), Laura Fodor (high jump, long jump and 4x400m relay), Bella Gonzalez (shot put), Sofie Groeninger (high jump, long jump, 4x400m), Abigail Heck (400m, 600m and 4x400m), Robyn Larkan (200m, 60m hurdles), 4x400m relay), Elena Liano-Rengel (800m and 4x400m), Sophia McNerney (mile, 3000m, 4x400m), Patricija Ozolina (60 hurdles, high jump, long jump), Reese Ragland (mile), Kate Sander (pole vault), Anna Schadel (800m, 4x400m), Karlijn Schouten (pole vault), Alyssa Taylor (400m, 4x400m relay), Kaia Todd (60m, long jump, triple jump) and Paula Vaquera (3000m).

The meet starts on Friday at 10:30 a.m. with the open shot put. The running events on the opening day begin with the mile at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, the day begins with the 3000m at 8:30 a.m. The field events start at 11 a.m. with the pole vault.

Last time out, Tulane's Laura Fodor set a personal record and recorded the school's fourth-best pentathlon point total of all-time to lead indoor track at the Crimson Elite & Multi on Friday, Feb. 2, on the Gordon Indoor Track at a meet hosted by Harvard University. On the day, the program had nine personal records, six season bests and three top-7 in the AAC marks.

Fodor accumulated 3732 points to place fifth overall in the pentathlon. Her point total also ranks her third in the AAC this season. Sofie Groeninger totaled a season-best 3560 points to place 12th in the event. Her point total currently places her third in the AAC and eighth in the school record books

In the individual events of the pentathlon, Fodor was 13th in the 60m hurdles (9.10), 13th in the high jump (1.55m/5'1.00"), seventh in the shot put (11.36m/37'3.25"), fifth in the long jump (5.58m/18'3.75") and fourth in the 800m (2:20.04).

Also in the individual events of the pentathlon, Groeninger placed 14th in the 60m hurdles (9.14), 15th in the high jump (1.52m/4'11.75"), second in the shot put (12.85m/42'2.00"), 15th in the long jump (5.26m/17'3.25") and 10th in the 800m (2:30.49).

Karlijn Schouten took fourth in the pole vault with a 3.77m/12'4.50". Kate Sander picked up 11th in the event with a 3.62m/11'10.50".

Robyn Larkan finished 17th in the 60m hurdles (8.82). The time ranks her seventh all-time at Tulane in the event. She also placed 41st in the 60m (7.80).

Kaia Todd earned fifth in the triple jump with a season-best time of 11.85m/38'10.50"). She also took 34thh in the 60m hurdles with a season-best time of 9.08.

Patricija Ozolina earned 14thh in the high jump with her season-best leap of 1.57m/5'1.75". She was 15th in the long jump with a season-best effort of 5.39m/17'8.25". She also was 36th in the 60m hurdles (9.19).

Tulane currently has 16 that rank in the top-10 in the AAC in an event. Zander Dunbar is sixth in the men's 800m (1:53.94). Janae Dean is third in the women's 800m (2:08.75). Elena Liano-Rengel is sixth in the women's 800m (2:11.48). Danna Diaz is the leader in the women's 800m (4:46.11) and second in the 3000m (9;34.45). Illia Kunin is the leader in the men's 3000m (7:55.54). Paula Vaquera is fifth in the 3000m (9:44.57). Sophia McNerney is eighth in the 3000m (9:45.70). Jack Jennings is second in the 5000m (13:56.71). Ryan Adkins is fourth in the 5000m (14:43.73). The men's 4x400m relay team of Shane Auci, Jalen St. Fort, Zander Dunbar and Charles Henne is 10th in their event (3:26.04). Karlijn Schouten is fourth in the women's pole vault (4.00m). Kaia Todd is 10th in the triple jump (11.85m). Laura Fodor is third in the pentathlon (3732 points) and Sofie Groeninger is seventh in the pentathlon (3560 points).

The program also has two event squads that rank among the top 35 nationally. The pentathlon group of Laura Fodor, Sofie Groeninger, Patricija Ozolina and Kaia Todd are 10th nationally with 13,954 points and an average of 3,488 points. The 800m group of Janae Dean, Elena Liano-Rengel, Anna Schadel and Abigail Heck is 34th nationally with an 8:50.78 total and an average of 2:12.69 per person.

During indoor season for the 2022-23 school year, the Tulane women had a total of four All-Conference AAC members in Kara Steele (1st – triple jump), Mackenzie Callahan (2nd - mile), Victoria Robinson (2nd – 800m) and Kristen O'Handley (1st – Pentathlon). Tulane placed fourth overall during indoor season, with 65.5 points, which was the highest-ever finish for the program in the AAC. O'Handley ended the year by achieving All-American status in the Pentathlon. During outdoor season, the Tulane women placed sixth overall with 63 points. The finish was Tulane's best since 2016. The Tulane men finished eighth during outdoor season with 26 points. The program totaled nine All-Conference selections during outdoor season in Janae Dean (1st – women's 800m), Victoria Robinson (3rd – women's 800m), Kara Steele (3rd – women's triple jump), Mackenzie Callahan (3rd - women's 1500m), Aaron Gilliam (3rd – men's 1500m), Bradley Makuvire (3rd – men's 5,000m), Mackenzie Callahan (2nd – women's 3000m steeplechase), Maren Butler (3rd – women's shot put), Margot Temines (3rd – women's heptathlon). Kristen O'Handley ended the outdoor season by achieving All-American status in the Heptathlon.

Next, the program competes at the LSU Twilight at LSU on Feb. 16 in Baton Rouge.
 
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