NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track and field teams competed Friday on the opening day of the Vanderbilt Invitational, being held at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility.

Junior Kieley Smith set a school record in the women's pentathlon and junior Kialia Claiborne also set a school record on Friday in the women's 600 meters, as Tusculum competed in a total of three men's and four women's events.

The Pioneers are scheduled to participate in seven men's and six women's events on the second day of the meet, with Tusculum's first event slated for noon Central time (1:00 p.m. Eastern).

WOMEN'S RECAP
Smith accumulated 2,780 points across her five events in the pentathlon, breaking the program record of 2,685 points set by Destini Wilson at the 2020 South Atlantic Conference Championship. Though Smith did not set any personal records in any of the five events, her best event was the 60-meter hurdles in which her time of 9.58 seconds gave her 792 points toward her score.

Claiborne finished sixth in the 600 meters with a time of 1:40.11, breaking the school record of 1:43.49 set last Saturday by Jesica Mbhamali at the Tryon International Collegiate Opener.

Senior Jahzara Hart placed fifth in the 200 meters at 24.67 seconds, with sophomore Qitarah Castlin taking sixth in a career-best 24.72 seconds and senior Shanice Cox placing ninth in 24.93 seconds.

The Tusculum distance medley relay of freshman Hannah McLain, junior Alonda Shelton, Mbhamali and freshman Abby Counter took ninth overall at 13:10.76, the third-fastest time in program history.

MEN'S RECAP
Junior Lansford Cunningham competed in the invitational portion of the long jump and finished fourth overall at 7.31 meters (23 feet, 11 3/4 inches), just off his school record of 7.35 meters set at last weekend's meet at Tryon International.

Freshman Tomas Figueiras was 13th in the open long jump with a best mark of 6.67 meters (21 feet, 9 1/2 inches). Junior Marshae McDonald ran in the 200 meters and was timed in 23.57 seconds.

The distance medley relay of freshman Albert Ziegler, junior Kayvon Pickett, sophomore Levi Carson and freshman Tomas Ribeiro placed sixth overall and just missed a school record, running 10:26.94 to come less than a second from the program mark of 10:26.10 set at the 2024 SAC Championship.

Vanderbilt Invitational - Day 1 of 2
Tusculum results
MEN
200: 47. Marshae McDonald, 23.57.
Distance medley relay: 6. Tusculum (Ziegler, Pickett, Carson, Ribeiro), 10:26.94.
Long jump (invite): 4. Lansford Cunningham, 7.31m (23-11 3/4).
Long jump (open): 13. Tomas Figueiras, 6.67m (21-9 1/2).

WOMEN
200: 5. Jahzara Hart, 24.67; 6. Qitarah Castlin, 24.72; 9. Shanice Cox, 24.93.
600: 6. Kialia Claiborne, 1:40.11 (school record).
Distance medley relay: 9. Tusculum (McLain, Shelton, Mbhamali, Counter), 13:10.76.
Pentathlon: 15. Kieley Smith, 2,780 points (school record).