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.
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) finished with a time of 2:23.32 in the fourth heat. Freshman Madison Watson (Chattanooga) was sixth in her heat with a time of 2:26.84 and classmate Lily McKee (Knoxville) 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 14th overall.
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 16th overall, just two spots behind freshman John Payne (Nashville) who was 14th with a time of 8:48.78.
The Mocs will be back in action in two weeks on April 9 at the Western Kentucky Invitational in Bowling Green, Ky.