Chattanooga sprinter Ryleigh Simmons achieved a personal record in the 200 meter dash during the Outdoor Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt on May 1. Simmons finished second in her heat and seventh overall with a time of 24.34 seconds, improving her previous best by 0.12 seconds.
The event is significant for Chattanooga’s track and field program as athletes continue to set new benchmarks ahead of upcoming competitions.
Other notable performances included Bella King, who set a personal record in the 1500 meter race with a time of 4:44.92, more than three seconds faster than her previous best. Maddie Wheatcroft placed eleventh in that event at 4:31.27, while Leah Boyd Mitchell finished at 4:40.19.
In the longer distances, Aubrey Park ran more than twenty-five seconds faster than her prior top time in the 5000 meter race, finishing at 17:40.82 after previously winning the event at the UAH Rocket City Challenge earlier this season. Lola Baker also improved her outdoor track best by over fifteen seconds with an official time of 18:32.42.
Field events saw Norah Haney place eleventh in javelin with a throw of 109-7 and finish twenty-third in long jump with a distance of 15-9.75 feet. Scarlett Nash was eleventh in the women’s 3000 meters (10:25.19), while Emma Thweatt completed her first outdoor race at that distance with a time of 11:06.77.
Chattanooga will continue competition Saturday for Day Two of the Challenge, according to event organizers.
