VANDERBILT RESULTS | SAMFORD OPEN - TRACK | SAMFORD OPEN - FIELD

NASHVILLE, Tenn./BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Lee University women's track & field team participated in the Vanderbilt Invitational and the Samford University Open this past weekend and came away with two Lee records.

Liezl Theron accumulated 3,417 points to finish third in the pentathlon at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Her total passed Jordan Allison's previous record of 3,387 points from the 2020 Gulf South Conference Championships. She also met the provisional qualifying standard with the 10^th-best total of the year.

At the same time, Deborah Rubin was increasing her Lee record in the weight throw at the Samford Open in the Birmingham CrossPlex. Rubin completed the event in second place with a mark of 17.97 meters to add 0.81 meters to her previous record from last year's Gulf South Conference Championships and meet the provisional mark.

Back in Nashville, the distance medley relay team of Toni Moore, Mikayla Beeler, Lily Hare and Celine Ritter just missed the Lee record of 11:38.54. The foursome combined for a first-place time of 11:40.06. It is the best time recorded in NCAA Division II this season and was well under the provisional standard of 12:07.33.

Ritter improved her provisional standing in the mile run. She finished fourth with a time of 4:46.99. Hare placed 12^th (2:15.84) in the 800-meter run and Beeler was eighth (57.66) in the 400-meter dash.

Moore and Danielle Horter were in the 3000-meter run. Moore crossed the finish line at 10:03.26 for 11^th. Horter's time of 10:08.79 was good for 14^th. Olivia McLain stopped the clock at 18:02.57 to claim third place in the 5000-meter run.

Kristen Blevins was 13^th in the 60-meter dash preliminary with a time of 7.68. Blevins added a 20^th-place finish in the 200-meter dash with a time stoppage of 25.54. Hannah Wright joined Blevins in the 200 and placed 24^th (25.75). In the 60-meter hurdles, Wright was seventh (8.79) in the preliminaries and seventh (8.86) in the final.

In the Birmingham CrossPlex, Kyleeyah Whitehead was 15^th (8.06) in the 60-meter semi-finals after recording the 13^th-quickest time (7.94) in the preliminary. Jaila Whitaker was 44^th (8.43) in the prelims.

Whitehead and Whitaker were joined by Janay Ryan in the 200. Ryan was 17^th (26.55), Whitaker finished 22^nd (26.76) and Whitehead placed 32^nd (27.25). Ryan also completed the 400 in 1:01.26 for 20^th.

Aria Hawkins and Phoebe Moran were Lee's two representatives in the mile and the 800. Hawkins won the mile with a time of 5:04.13 and was sixth (2:23.48) in the 800. Moran completed the mile in 5:20.54 for fourth and was 20^th in the 800 at 2:35.71.

Elizabeth Beckham was Lee's top finisher in the 3000-meter run. She was ninth (10:45.93), while Katie Krueger finished 16^th (11:10.91). Kaitlyn Sesler completed the 5000-meter run in 19:46.42 to land in fifth place.

Sydney White finished 21^st in the preliminary round of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 10.50. White was also 28^th with a long jump of 4.49 meters. She cleared 1.42 meters to tie for 14^th in the high jump. Devon Jackett finished fifth with a high jump of 1.52 meters.

Austyn Durham joined Rubin in the shot put and weight throw. Durham was 14^th in the weight throw with a mark of 13.04 meters. She was 24^th in the shot put with a throw of 9.73 meters. Rubin's measurement of 11.82 meters put her in 10^th in the shot put.

The Lady Flames are scheduled to return to action the weekend of February 4-5 at the Camel City Invitational. The event will be held at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.