Trailblazer runners get busy weekend started for the VU Track teams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Vincennes University men's and women's Indoor Track and Field teams split up this weekend, with some of the VU distance runners heading to the Bellarmine Open in Louisville Friday afternoon.

The day began for the Trailblazers with the women's one mile race, which saw sophomore Brittany Page (Freelandville, Ind.) set the best time by a VU runner, placing 35th with a time of 5:47.29.

Page would later compete in the women's 800 meter race as well, finishing 18th with a time of 2:35.70.

Sophomore Hope Laughlin was the second VU finisher in the mile, ending with a time of 5:52.07, good for 41st.

Freshman Daisie Kinnett (Wheatland, Ind.) placed 43rd for VU in the mile, crossing the line with a time of 5:56.15.

"All three ladies had PRs in the mile today and Brittany doubled back with a solid 800 race," VU Assistant Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said.

On the men's side, sophomore Yamar Lyons (Kalamazoo, Mich.) began the day in the 400-meter race and finished in 53.06 seconds, good for 14th place.

Lyons also took to the track for the 200 meter dash and finished 18th with a time of 23.89 seconds.

VU's best race of the day came in the men's 800 meters when freshman Isaac Stanford (Flora, Ill.) placed third with a time of 1:55.18.

Right behind Stanford was sophomore Trent Faulkner (Wheatland, Ind.) who placed seventh with a time of 1:58.14.

Sophomore Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished 21st with a final time of 2:05.91 as well for the Blazers.

VU ended the day strong with the men's 3000 meters and sophomore Mathew Keitany (Kenya). Keitany would close out the day with a 17th place finish with a time of 8:48.26.

"Isaac had a PR and a National qualifier performance in the 800, while Trent had an indoor PR in the 800," Steigenga added. "It was awesome to see Isaac and Trent run their first 800s of the year. They gave themselves a very good starting point as they look to improve on those times in the coming weeks."

"Matthew ran a PR in the 3000 and just missed the National qualifying standard," Steigenga said. "Yamar did great opening up the season in the 400 and 200, just missing his indoor PR from last year. Yamar looked great today. He looked like a completely different runner than a year ago. It will be exciting to watch him get faster as he gets more races under his belt."

The VU Track and Field teams will be back in action tomorrow, Jan. 21 when the Trailblazers jumpers and throwers take part in the John Gartland Invitational hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.

VINCENNES RESULTS

WOMEN'S RESULTS

800m

Brittany Page – 18, 2:35.70

1 Mile

Brittany Page – 35, 5:47.29

Hope Laughlin – 41, 5:52.07

Daisie Kinnett – 43, 5:56.15

MEN'S RESULTS

200m

Yamar Lyons – 18, 23.89

400m

Yamar Lyons – 14, 53.06

800m

Isaac Stanford – 3, 1:55.18

Trent Faulkner – 7, 1:58.14

Ernest Momodu – 21, 2:05.91

3000m

Mathew Keitany – 17, 8:48.26