January 28, 2023

VanderWall, Sakeuh Pace TU at Trojan Invite

UPLAND, Ind. – Ahna VanderWall and Patience Sakeuh shined the brightest for Taylor on a solid afternoon for TU at its own Trojan Invite. The squad picked up eight individual victories, hit eight NAIA qualifying marks and broke one school record in the third indoor meet of the season.

VanderWall turned in the lone record-breaking effort of the day for TU, crossing at 17:26.08 to win the 5,000-meters with the fastest time in program history. The mark was also good for the NAIA A-standard and led a trio of Trojans to hit the mark with Audrey Brinkruff and Mollie Gamble taking second and third with times of 17:44.70 and 18:0316.

Sakeuh also collected an A-standard with a victory in the long jump. Sakeuh registered a leap of 5.72 meters to automatically qualify for nationals, win the event and post the fourth-best long jump performance of the season in the NAIA.

In addition to the long jump, Sakeuh also won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.82 to collect her second A-standard of the day. Kiana Siefert finished second to Sakeuh in each of those two events and once again hit the B-standard in the 60-meter hurdles.

Noel VanderWall topped the field in the mile with an A-standard time of 5:07.17 and Lynae Ackley won the 3,000-meters with a B-standard time of 10:28.96.

Remaining victories for TU came from Kali Siemers in the triple jump and D'Arjha Davis in the 200-meters, while the 4x400-meter relay of Mikayla Ellis, Olivia Jeanette, Emily Johnson and Ashley Hall also scored a first-place finish for the Trojans.

TU grabbed several more runner-up finishes from Siemers in the high jump, Betsy Underwood in the pole vault, Davis in the 60-meters, Johnson in the 600-meters and Hall in the 400-meters.

Taylor is set to return to action on February 4, when it competes in the Indiana Wesleyan Invite.