Harrogate, TN - Following more than a month between meets, the Lincoln Memorial men's and women's track teams were back in competition on Friday and Saturday in the Vanderbilt invitational. With a host of top-level competition in attendance, the Railsplitters used the meet as a barometer for where they are fitness-wise at this juncture of the season. Coaches Rochelle Black and Jeff Kavalunas had those questions answered as their teams posted five new program records during the meet. New program records were set in the women's long jump, women's hurdles, women's distance medley relay, women's shot put, and men's 200m.

Black praised the team as a whole for its performance in the Vanderbilt Invitational, highlighting the great shape of his teams. "It was a great showing by the team across the board," he said. "Yes, program records were set, but each member of the team that competed this weekend competed hard and performed exceptionally well. This was still a 'rust buster' of sorts for the team, having so many debut this weekend. However, after coming into 2025 with such good fitness, there was minimal rust needed to shake off."
 
He in-turn highlighted the high level of competition his teams faces during the meet. "Being able to watch the team compete against some of the nation's best, and a few Olympic medalists, is definitely something the team can save as a memory," he added. "Not everyone can say they were shoulder to shoulder with an Olympic medalist, but I guess Sam Fulton can now." Black finalized by saying, "We turn our attention to the next week ahead, and the next week of training."

Sterling Webb set the new program record in the long jump with a distance of 18ft and 2.5 inches and a new program record in the women's 60m hurdles with a time of 8.95 seconds. Harper Russell, Trinity Hine, Jacie Begley, and Reaghan Curde set a new program record in the women's distance medley relay with a time of 12:21.81. Ashley Parrish set a new program record for the second consecutive comptition, this time setting a new mark in the shot put with a distance of 40ft 9.5 inches.Vincent Quilic set a new program record in the men's 200m event with a time of 22.20 seconds.

The women's team took a top 10 finish in the women's distance medley final, taking 10th place. Harper Russell, Trinity Hine, Jacie Begley, and Reaghan Curde tallied a time of 12:21.81, setting a new program record in the event, to take 10th place. Harper Russell, Jacie Bagley, and Theresa Brosthaus each performed well in the women's 800m final, securing 31st, 39th, and 43rd place with times of 2:17.92, 2:20.56, 2:21.73 respectively. Curde also took 50th place in the women's mile final, with a time of 5:14.27. Katilee Croft and Alyssa Gent tallied times of 5:35.77 and 5:49.47 to secure 72nd and 75th respectively in the women's mile final.

Grace Rose had a great showing in the women's 3000m final, locking up 39th place with a time of 10:22.05. Katie Smock, Aubrey Bachtel, and Olivia Truelove finished 35th, 41st, and 43rd in the women's 5000m final with respective times of 19:01.50, 20:20.31, and 20:49.84. Sterling Webb had a great showing in the first round of the women's 60m hurdles, taking 23rd with a time of 8.95. She followed up with an even more impressive performance in the unseeded long jump final, setting a new program record and taking fifth place with a distance of 18ft and 2.5 inches. Ashley Parrish and Kylee Alvis performed well in the women's shot put open final, securing 16th and 21st. Parrish threw a new program record distance of 40ft 9.5 inches and Alvis threw for 35ft 8 inches. The tandem also took 18th and 25th place in the women's weight throw open final. Parrish took 18th with a distance of 43ft 10.5 inches and Alvis took 25th with 40ft 3.25 inches.

The men's team took 19th place in the men's 4x400 relay. Patrick Zuralski, Clayon Cooper, Nile McLymont, and Vincent Quilici locked-in a time of 3:28.21. The men's team also locked up 10th and 11th place in the men's distance medley final. Luis Borkey, Patrick Zuralski, Clayon Cooper, and Joel Boerkey took 10th place with a time of 10:36.29 and Spencer Baldwin, Sam Fulton, Christopher Daniels, Nile McLymont took 11th place with a time of 11:08.52. Quilici also took 17th place in the men's 200m final, setting a new program record with a time of 22:20. Hunter Preston secured a 40th place finish in the men's 400m final with a time of 51.46.

Joel Borkey and Sam Fulton finished 41st and 48th in the men's 800m final respectively, with times of 1:57.69 and 1:59.06. Spencer Baldwin, David Gober, and Conner Chandler cemented 45th, 57th, and 58th with times of 4:28.22, 4:51.82, and 4:58.60. Jaxson Branham took 27th in the men's 5000m final with a time of 15:42.08. Avery Hatfield took 23rd in the men's weight throw open final with a distance of 42ft 8 inches.