Hall, 4x800-Relay Shine on Day Two of Indoor Nationals

Women's 4x800-Meter Relay Highlights | TU Women's TF NAIA Championships Central

BROOKINGS, S.D. – One day after shattering the school record, the Taylor women's 4x800-meter relay raced to All-American honors to highlight Friday's action for the Trojans at the Indoor National Championships. Ashley Hall also made history, breaking TU's program record in the 400-meters.

The full day of action for Taylor started with Noel VanderWall in the mile however, and the sophomore set the tone for the memorable day by finishing second in her heat and third overall in the prelims with a time of 4:59.68 to advance into Saturday's finals. That mark was VanderWall's second-best of the season, just one second off pace of her own record time set at the league meet, and positioned VanderWall as one-of-seven runners in the prelims to finish within one second of the top time.

Patience Sakeuh then took the track in the 60-meter hurdles prelims and ripped off her third-best mark of the indoor campaign with a time of 8.98 meters. Sakeuh ended fourth in her heat and finished 24th overall in the nation.

In Taylor's third event of the day, Hall dazzled with a time of 57.55 in the 400-meters to break the school record. The record-setting effort led Hall to an 18th-place finish overall.

Ahna Neideck followed two hours later in the 3,000-meters prelims and claimed the 12th and final spot in Saturday's finals. Neideck crossed the tape at 10:30.41 to advance.

That all led up to Taylor's first appearance in a finals event, with the red-hot 4x800-meter relay team coming in fresh off a program-record time just one day earlier. The group of Emily Johnson, Abby Mays, Kaitlin Burden and Olivia Jeanette did not disappoint, each claiming NAIA All-American honors by posting a time of 9:19.76 to finish in sixth place in the national finals.

The sixth-place finish put three points in the column for Taylor in the team standings, positioning the Trojans in a tie for 25th entering Saturday's final day of action.

The Trojans will have a chance to soar up the team standings, while competing in the finals of four different events on Saturday. VanderWall will once again lead off in the mile at 1:25 pm (ET), with Neideck racing in the 3,000 at 3:45. Mollie Gamble and Audrey Brinkruff will return to the track for a 4:35 start in the 5,000 and the team of Mays, Hall, Johnson and VanderWall will close things out in the distance-medley relay at 5:20.