Thomson Sets School Record with 800m Win

Saturday, February 9

Birmingham, AL

Chattanooga

Bulldog Open

Photos

2/9/2019 9:31:00 PM | Cross Country & Track & Field

Photos

By: Anne Wehunt

THOMSON BREAKS 800 METER SCHOOL RECORD AT BULLDOG OPEN

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga runner Kennedy Thomson set a new school record Saturday in the women's 800 meter run at the Bulldog Open in the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Thomson won her second race of the meet with a time of 2:10.73 in the middle distance race, besting the previous top Chattanooga time of 2:11.06 set by Maddison Melchionna in 2016 at the Samford Invitational. Thomson flirted with the school-record in the Mile Friday with a Samford Invite meet record time of 4:48.69, just missing the mark by 0.6 seconds.

"We had a very, very good weekend," Chattanooga head coach Andy Meyer said. "Coaches [Amanda] Cotter and [Mike] Gadson have the kids prepared well. We had so many kids run PRs or season-bests. It was amazing."

Makenzie Jones took first in the 5000 meter run Saturday and set a meet record with a PR time of 17:25.58, topping her previous best by more than 25 seconds. Also topping the previous meet time was Hannah Caldwell who placed third blowing away her personal record time by more than a minute at 17:58.89 and placing third. Sophia Neglia, running in her first 5K in the indoor season, placed sixth overall at 18:39.89.

Nicole Buehrle also set a PR by nearly five seconds in the Open Mile, placing fourth with a time of 5:07.64.

Emily Poole posted a pair of Top 10 finishes Saturday. She won her heat in the 1000 meter run with a time of 3:14.91 followed by Taylor Sawyer at 3:20.95. Poole was eighth in the race with Sawyer finishing 10^th. Poole ran a PR 10:12.93 in the 3000 meter and placed seventh overall.

"This meet was a huge confidence booster for our kids going into the conference meet in two weeks," Meyer said. "I'm very proud of our student-athletes, coaches and trainer for the success exhibited so far. Definitely looking forward to seeing what we will accomplish in two weeks."

The Mocs will return to action February 22-24 for the Southern Conference Championships hosted by VMI in Lexington, Va.

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