Meet: Brant Tolsma Invitational
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Liberty Indoor Track Complex)
Full Results (PDF)
 
The Short Story: Several Rams set personal bests as VCU continued its strong start to the season at Liberty University over the weekend. Sophomore Lauryn Taylor claimed victories in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash to lead the Black and Gold.
 
MULTIS

• Senior Courtney Higgins led the Rams in the pentathlon with a third-place finish. Sophomore Jailah Channer followed in fourth, setting a new personal best with 3317 points, moving her to fourth on VCU's all-time list. Channer also set a personal best in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.20 
• Sophomore Taylor James set a personal best with 2692 points, setting personal bests in the high jump, shot put, and 800-meter run en route
• Freshman Samie Sow made her collegiate debut in the event, collecting 2341 points

 
SPRINTS/HURDLES

• Taylor grabbed first-place finishes in the 60-meter dash (7.64) and 200-meter dash. Her time of 24.83 in the 200-meter dash is a personal best, moving her to ninth all-time for the Rams
• Sophomore Lauryn Freeman followed closely behind Taylor in the 60-meter dash to grab second place, setting a personal best of 7.68
• Sophomores Karah Moore and Simone Pierre placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 200-meter dash, setting personal bests of 25.45 and 25.55
• Freeman doubled back in the 60-meter hurdles, placing second. Her time of 8.61 is a new personal best and moves her to second on VCU's top 10 all-time list
• The Rams placed seventh in the 4x400-meter relay

 
DISTANCE

• Junior Kasandra Aulenbach placed eighth in the 3000-meter run, turning in a time of 10:38.94
• Freshman Cassidy Guyton ran a time of 5:23.23 in the mile

 
JUMPS

• The Rams had an impressive showing in the high jump, led by freshman Nayome Shipp. Shipp reached a mark of 1.65m, which currently sits as the second-best mark in the Atlantic 10. Junior Dasia Mayo placed fourth with a 1.60m jump, and junior Khaila Lyons placed fifth
• Sophomore Raquel Hawkins and senior Amari Jackson both jumped 11.58m to place fourth and fifth, respectively, in the triple jump

 
THROWS

• Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir continued her strong freshman campaign with a fourth-place finish in the weight throw
• Senior Makayla McGowan led a quartet of Rams in the shot put. McGowan secured a runner-up finish with a throw of 14.52m. Sophomore Eryn Byrd placed fourth (13.16m), senior Shannon Moise placed seventh (12.87m), and junior Jocelyn Midkiff placed eighth (12.84m)

 
UP NEXT
The Rams head to Columbia, S.C. to compete in the South Carolina Invitational. The two-day meet begins Friday, Jan. 28.