NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vincennes University freshman Zoe Allen (Anderson, Ind.) set a new school record this weekend at the 2025 Vanderbilt Outdoor Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Allen bested the previous VU school record in the 400 meter hurdles by crossing the finish line with a time of 1:03.95, finishing 11th overall in a stacked field full of NCAA Division I runners and earning an NJCAA National Championship qualifier in the process.
Allen’s busy weekend wasn’t finished there however as she also competed in the 200 meter dash, finishing 41st overall with a final time of 26.48 seconds.
VU sophomore Adi Fuller (Evansville, Ind.) also came away with a good finish on the weekend, placing 13th overall in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:48.48.
The Trailblazer Women’s Track team results from the weekend were closed out by freshman Sara Belgacem (Tunis, Tunisia) placing 33rd overall in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:50.67.
The VU men’s results on the weekend were led by sophomore Maliek Bush (Jeffersonville, Ind.) who finished fifth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.99 seconds.
Bush also had a stacked card this weekend, claiming fourth in the long jump with a best distance of 7.07 meters and taking 12th in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.32 seconds.
The trio of sophomores Malik Ferdinand (Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Olamipo Ladipo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and freshman Isaiah Ervin (French Lick, Ind.) all played double duty this weekend running in the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash.
Ladipo paced the trio of VU runners in the 200 meter dash with a final time of 21.30 seconds to take seventh overall, while Ferdinand placed fifth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.52 seconds.
Ladipo placed seventh in the 400 meter dash at 48.22 seconds and Ferdinand placed 12th in the 200 meter dash at 21.65 seconds.
Isaiah Ervin placed 18th overall in the 400 meter dash at 50.43 seconds and finished 38th in the 200 meter dash with a final time of 23.03 seconds.
Sophomore Zion Pruitt (Avon, Ind.) claimed another VU top-10 finish in the 40 meter hurdles, finishing 10th overall with a time of 56.39 seconds.
The VU distance runners were led by freshmen Anis Abdaoui (Kairouan, Tunisia) who finished 14th overall in the 800 meters with a time of 1:52.83 and a heat victory, while also claiming 18th overall in the 1500 meters at 3:50.30.
Sophomore Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill.) rounds out the Vincennes results on the weekend with a 24th place finish in the 5000 meters with a final time of 15:13.39.
“As has been a common theme with our meets this season, Friday started off with a lightning delay and rain but we were still able to get in some solid races,” VU Interim Head Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. “Adi ran a great race in the 3000m steeple, just three seconds off her PR but good for the first National Qualifier of the weekend.”
“Sara managed a PR in the 1500 and 800,” Steigenga added. “Getting the National Qualifer in the 1500 and just missing it in the 800. She moved up to the VU top ten list in both events. Anis was just off his PR in the 1500 and in the 800. He ran a great race, winning his heat after a slow first lap.”
“Malik, Olamipo and Isaiah all ran really solid 200 and 400 doubles over both days,” Steigenga said. “Malik getting slight PRs in both and Dipo and Isaiah getting season bests.”
“Maliek Bush made the finals in the long jump and got his first wind legal jump of 7.07 meters,” Steigenga added. “Tanner capped off Friday in the 5000 meters where he ran a huge 35 second PR of 15:13, which is the ninth fastest time in school history.”
“Zion finished just off his PR in the 400 hurdles,” Steigenga said. “But Zoe was the highlight of the second day as she broke the school record and got a National Qualifier in the 400 hurdles running 1:03.95.”
The Trailblazers will have one more chance this season to get a few more National Qualifiers as Vincennes gets set to head to the ISU Sycamore Open Friday, May 9 hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.
This will be the Outdoor Regular Season finale for the Trailblazers as they will then head to Hutchinson, Kan. for the 2025 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships, which will begin Thursday, May 15 and run through Saturday, May 17.
“It was great to come here and add three new National Qualifiers on the women’s side,” Steigenga said. “While also improving a few existing ones on the men’s side. We are in a good spot less than two weeks away from Nationals. Most of the Nationals crew will take a week off of competition before we head to Kansas. Everyone else will get another shot to compete at Indiana State Friday.”
