April 2, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior middle-distance runner Sharif Webb won the 800m run for the second-consecutive year while setting Kentucky’s 800m record and snapping a 25-year old Florida Relays record, as the Kentucky track and field team earned two wins and five top-four finishes on opening day at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Fla.
Webb, an indoor All-America honoree last season, claimed a demonstrative win in the men’s 800m run with a career-, school- and meet-best time of 1:47.19. The senior surpassed Jean Balan’s Kentucky school-record mark of 1:47.22 set in 2003 and blew by the Florida Relays meet record of 1:47.49, which had stood since 1986. Webb’s previous career-fastest time was 1:47.64 set last season in Knoxville, Tenn.
“It was a very fast race with windy conditions,” head coach Don Weber said. “Sharif finished very strong and that was very encouraging. I think coming into the race he was pretty confident after winning last year combined with missing the NCAA indoor final by so little provided some additional motivation.”
At the 2011 SEC Indoor Championships, Webb had an unlucky fall after entering the finals with the events fastest qualifying time. Webb had earned an automatic qualifying time earlier in the year and made his way to College Station, Texas for the NCAA Championships where another unlucky fortune occurred. The senior ended the preliminary round with the sixth fastest time overall in the 800m run at 1:48.87 but with the way the prelims and finals are structured did not qualify.
The Wildcats second win of the day came from sophomore standout Cally Macumber in the women’s 1,500m run, who circled the track in a personal-best time of 4:24.32, eclipsing her previous-best mark of 4:32.91 set in Louisville last season. Macumber’s new career-fast time moves her into 10th place on UK’s all-time 1,500m run list, passing Kim Hawkins who ran 4:24.84 in 1986.
A pair of Kentucky discus throwers grabbed top-four finishes, with senior Mary Angell finishing third overall in the women’s discus throw and Colin Boevers fourth on the men’s side. Angell closed out the competition with a long throw of 51.34m/168-05 while Boevers finished fourth with a throw of 57.26m/187-10.
UK’s fourth impressive performance of the day was by junior Luis Orta in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. Orta finished fourth overall with a time of 9:01.54 in the event, approaching his career-best time of 8:52.39 set in 2009 at the Percy Beard Track.
The two-day Pepsi Florida Relays conclude on Saturday with events beginning at 9 a.m. ET. Gates will open at 8 a.m. ET. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and $1 for UF students with a valid UF student ID per day. Live results for the meet may be found at www.deltatiming.com. Complete coverage of the Pepsi Florida Relays can be found at www.gatorzone.com/trackfield/floridarelays.
For continuous updates follow the UK track and field team on twitter @KentuckyTrack, and at Ukathletics.com. Also find Fridays full results of the Florida Relays listed below and attached.
Women’s 400m Dash
31. Shorter, Jazmyn – 56.12
Women’s 800m Run
28. Peare, Allison – 2:16.30
45. Wright, Megan – 2:23.76
46. Wijayaratne, Hiruni – 2:30.12
Women’s 1,500m Run
1. Macumber, Cally – 4:24.32
20. Wendler, Taylor – 4:36.83
30. Bostrom, Anna – 4:45.06
Women’s 100m Hurdles
25. Parker, Kayla – 14.22
27. Nwokey, Precious – 14.26
52. Newby, Ashley – 15.44
Women’s 400m Hurdles
19. Robinson, Shiara – 1:00.99
Women’s Pole Vault
7. Kennard, Shelby – 3.67m/12-00.50
12. Stenzel, Samantha – 3.67m/12-00.50
Women’s Discus Throw
3. Angell, Mary – 51.34m/168-05
Women’s High Jump
14. Grant, Terri-Ann – 1.65m
Women’s Long Jump
8. Nwokey, Precious – 5.82m
Women’s Hammer Throw
12. Smith, Heather – 50.50m
Men’s Discus Throw
4. Boevers, Colin – 57.26m/187-10
Men’s 110m Hurdles
17. Hayes, Keith – 52.41
45. Bagley, Brandon – 56.04
47. Harris, Cortlandt – 58.07
Men’s 100m Dash
28. Josh, Kyron – 10.86
47. Kushimo, Kadeem – 11.06
Men’s 200m Dash
24. Kushimo, Kadeem – 21.76
Men’s 800m Run
1. Webb, Sharif – 1:47.19R
28. Scharold, Robert – 1:54.35
36. Halasek, Trent – 1:55.60
Men’s 1,500m Run
20. Hillenbrand, Matt – 3:53.01
33. Kahleifeh, Adam – 4:00.72
41. James, William – 4:06.44
Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase
4. Orta, Luis – 9:01.54
Men’s 5,000m Run
12. Eden, Stacey – 14:47.17
