Purple and gold complete regular season campaign at Music City Challenge
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track and field team wraps up the regular season with a trip to Nashville on Friday and Saturday, taking part in the Music City Challenge at the Vanderbilt Outdoor Track.
Music City Challenge Schedule of Events
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech outdoor track and field team wraps up the regular season with a trip to Nashville on Friday and Saturday, taking part in the Music City Challenge at the Vanderbilt Outdoor Track.
Music City Challenge Information
May 2-3, 2025 – Located at the Vanderbilt Outdoor Track in Nashville, Friday's action will kick off with field events at 10:00 a.m. CT and running events at 5:00 p.m. Saturday will open with field events at 9:30 a.m. and running events at 1:30 p.m.
What to Watch For
The Golden Eagles visit Nashville after a spectacular weekend of results at the Catamount Classic last weekend, with several victories and personal records highlighting the event.
Leading the way for the purple and gold with a first-place finish in the high jump was sophomore Ally Beneke, turning a massive PR with a mark of 1.76 meters (5'9.25") on her way to her first career Ohio Valley Conference Female Field Athlete of the Week honor. The leap, which trails the Tech program record set by Khemani Roberts back in 2019 by just .01 meters (0.5"), represents the top mark in the OVC this season. It also tied for sixth in the South Region, 20th in the East Qualifying Region, and 57th across all Division I.
Fellow sophomore Madison Johnson also registered a new career mark in the high jump, placing third with a leap of 1.66 meters (5'5.25"), the fifth-highest showing in the OVC.
Naomy Lokiles was a beast for the purple and gold, winning both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter. With a PR of 4:30.97 in the 1,500, the sophomore turned in the second-fastest mark in the league. Placing fourth with the eighth-best mark in the OVC in the event was Makaleigh Jessee, crossing the finish line at 4:41.52.
Junior Paris Bowles turned in a fourth-place performance in the 800 with a time of 2:17.18, while a duo of sophomores displayed career showings. Hayley Stegall placed eighth behind a new PR of 2:20.91 while Jessee ranked 10th, tallying a mark of 2:21.15.
Taking another podium pose with a first-place display, junior Sidnee Stanton won the long jump with a season's best leap of 5.70 meters (18'8.50"), the fifth-best mark in the league. Rookie Hannah Little ran well in the 100-meter dash, recording a new career showing with a sixth-place finish of 12.37 seconds.
Placing fourth in the triple jump, fellow freshman Tyla Street made the finals with a mark of 11.50 meters (37'8.75"). In the 400-meter hurdles, rookie Rachael Brewer turned in the fourth-fastest mark in the OVC this season with a new PR of 1:04.00.
Rounding out the group of first-place finishes, junior Kendall Johnson raced to a new personal record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Clocking in at 11:31.13, she also posted the seventh-best mark in the league.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles head to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for the OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, running Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17.
Photo by Reily Rogers
