Hahn Earns SEC Points in Third Event Sunday; Shannon, Mullins-Hall, 4x400 Relay Add to Total 5/19/03

Knoxville, Tenn. - Josie Hahn became just the second Vanderbilt athlete to earn points in three individual events at the Southeastern Conference Track and Field Championships when she finished seventh in the javelin throw Sunday.

Hahn, a sophomore from Clinton, Tenn., joined former Commodore All-American Ryan Tolbert to achieve points in three events. Tolbert, a 1997 NCAA champion in the 400-meter hurdles, accomplished the feat in 1996.

Hahn, who earlier second in the heptathlon on Friday and fourth in the high jump on Saturday, threw the javelin 128’1” to claim seventh. She missed sixth place by two inches.

Hahn provided the highlights for Vanderbilt during the four-day SEC Championships, scoring 15 of the Commodores’ 19 total points. The other Vanderbilt production came from a pair of freshmen, distance runner Caitlin Shannon, hurdler Amanda Mullins-Hall, and the 4x400 relay squad.

Mullins-Hall, a native of Cincinnati, was consistent throughout the 100-meter hurdles competition. He finished seventh in the finals with a 13.84 effort, one day after qualifying for the finals and the upcoming NCAA Regionals with a 13.69 performance. Shannon set a 1,500-meter personal best of 4:32.65 in the preliminaries Saturday, when ran eighth in the finals in 4:36.18. The 4x400 relay squad, consisting of Mullins-Hall, Vanessa Lagios, Latisha Bryant and Hahn, finished eighth with a time of 3:46.48.

A trio of Vanderbilt hopefuls also participating Sunday - sophomore pole vaulter Paige Roberts, junior shot putter Vensherrie Campbell and freshman 5,000-meter runner Erika Schneble - did not finish in the top eight in their events staged on the University of Tennessee.

Hahn and Mullins-Hall have qualified for the NCAA Regionals, scheduled May 30-31 in Columbus, Ohio, in the high jump and 100-meter hurdles, respectively. Hahn’s 5,327-point heptathlon performance at the SEC Championships also is a qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships, scheduled June 11-14 in Sacramento, Calif.