ORLANDO – Indoor season rolls on for the UCF track and field team this weekend, as the Knights are set to compete at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas, and the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee. Following strong performances at both the Jimmy Carnes Invitational and Rod McCravy Memorial to commence the 2024 campaign, UCF will continue its cross-continental slate at two facilities they’ll be returning to later this season.
VANDERBILT INVITATIONAL | NASHVILLE, TENN. | HOSTS: VANDERBILT | JAN. 19-20
Enticing debuts from freshmen Alexis Waller and Y’Vette Harris in Gainesville, Florida, last weekend gave the first instance of what both will add to the field squad. The latter set two personal records in the 60m hurdles (8.67) and the shot put (9.81m), while Waller notched a top-three finish in the triple jump with her mark of 12.12m.
The two-day event hosted by the Commodores will see Holly Cassels and Natalia Madison make their return to the pentathlon following record-setting performances at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championship in 2023. Both currently sit among the top five in program history, as Madison (3,755) is just 110 points behind Brittany Floyd’s program-record 3,865 points. In fourth, Cassels (3,627) will look to break into the top three this season as she’s 26 points away from Lizzie Harris’ 3,653-point performance in 2009. The pentathlon will get underway with the 60m hurdles on Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Asherah Collins is set to make her return to the track following a historic performance at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, securing her first-ever Second Team All-America honor in the triple jump. After three consecutive qualifications in outdoor, Collins will look to secure her first in indoor as she’ll be competing in the long jump on Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET and the triple jump at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.