Melchionna Wins 800 at Vanderbilt Invitational

Saturday, March 26

Nashville, TN

All Day

Chattanooga

Black and Gold Invitational

Black and Gold - Full Results (html)Complete Results - Black & Gold (pdf)

3/26/2016 9:23:00 PM | Cross Country & Track & Field

By: Anne Wehunt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore Maddison Melchionna (Afton, Tenn.) won the women's 800 meter Saturday with a PR at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invitational.

"Maddison does what she's supposed to do," Chattanooga head coach Bill Gautier said. "She trains hard and the prepares for her races. I'm really proud of her. She did a great job today and went out strong and finished strong."

Melchionna missed the school record by just over one second claiming the title in a time of 2:09.95. The current record is 2:08.99 set in 2009 by former Mocs runner Anneli Uys. She crossed the line in the first heat 1.16 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Senior Kiaana Howard (Nashville, Tenn.) finished with a time of 2:23.32 in the fourth heat. Freshman Madison Watson (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was sixth in her heat with a time of 2:26.84 and classmate Lily McKee (Knoxville, Tenn.) finished fourth in the seventh heat with a time of 2:31.30.

Sophomore Emily Drouin (Verona, Ontario) took sixth in the women's 2000 meter Steeplechase Saturday, finishing with a time of 7:17.11. Freshman Haley Morris covered the course in a time of 7:37.02 placing 14^th overall.

"Emily ran a good race," Gautier said. "We don't run this distance much in the steeple, but if it had been the full 3000 she would have had a very good time."

Senior Keeley Stewart (Winchester, Tenn.) was the first UTC runner over the line in the women's 3000 meter with a time of 10:34.84 and junior Jessica York (Normandy, Tenn.) finished the distance in a time of 10:41.47.

In the men's 3000 meter, freshman Mark Britt (Lebanon, Tenn.) took first in the second heat with a time of 8:54.32 and was 16^th overall, just two spots behind freshman John Payne (Nashville, Tenn.) who was 14^th with a time of 8:48.78. Freshman Brennan Huber (Manchester, Tenn.) who had a strong 1500m on Friday, finished 11th overall in the men's 800 meter with a time of 1:54.92, winning his heat.

The Mocs will be back in action in two weeks on April 9 at the Western Kentucky Invitational in Bowling Green, Ky.

100m

Mercedes Bright

13.16

400m

Makala Diggs

1:04.86

800m