May 30, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. –

On the final day of the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds the Kentucky track and field team has five individual athletes and two relay teams qualify for the NCAA Championships raising the number of Eugene, Ore., bound Cats to a total of 11.

After three days of NCAA East Preliminary Round competition in Greensboro, N.C., at Irwin Belk Track, 11 Wildcats officially punch their tickets to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Among those are field event athletes, Ashley Muffet, David Banks and Colin Boevers along with runner Rondel Sorrillo. The men’s 4x100m relay team consisting of Sorrillo, Sean Lange, Kwasi Obeng and Alex Williams earn their way along with the women’s 4x400m relay team comprised of Jenna Martin, Brittany Cabbler, Precious Nwokey and Jazmyn Shorter. Nwokey also received qualification in the women’s heptathlon with her SEC Championship performance. 

Coach Don Weber says this is an elite group that stepped up and competed when it mattered most.

“Under the competitive circumstances that our team was in, we had to fight and compete for a chance at the next level and that’s exactly what we did,” Weber says. ” Our team came through big on the final day. They showed heart and fought hard by running great races and making the marks when they needed it most.” 

Setting the tone on the final day of competition for the Cats was men’s thrower Colin Boevers who competed in the 9:30 a.m. men’s discus throw. After five hours of competition and surpassing the preliminary round, Boevers guaranteed his position in Eugene, Ore., with a fifth-place throw of 55.04m (180 inches, 7 feet). 

Sprinter Rondel Sorrillo locked down his third qualification of the meet with the men’s 200m dash. Sorrillo breaks his own school record previously set at 20.54, with a new blazing time of 20.29 (+0.6). His time moves him from seventh to the second fastest time in the United States and to the sixth-fastest time in the world. Sorrillo has also qualified to compete in the men’s 100m dash and 4x100m relay.

Pulling in another men’s field event qualification was junior David Banks. The school record holder fought his way into the final 12 in the triple jump where he landed a leap of 15.63m (51 feet, 3.50 inches) to secure the first NCAA Championship qualification of his career.

Senior thrower Ashley Muffet qualified for the fourth NCAA Championship of her career. Muffet succeeded in her second attempt of the meet to qualify in the women’s discus after qualifying in the women’s shot put on Thursday. Muffet’s mark of 54.55m (178 feet, 11 inches) earned her second-place overall in the region.

Setting a new school record of 3:35.14, the women’s 4x400m relay team fought their way through the finish line to claim the third-place spot in their heat for the automatic qualification. The team consisting of Jenna Martin, Brittany Cabbler, Precious Nwokey and Jazmyn Shorter advance on as one of the final 12. 

The men’s 4x100m relay team moved into fourth place in the school record books with their qualification time of 39.63. Sean Lange, Kwasi Obeng, Rondel Sorrillo and Alex Williams took third in their heat and ninth overall to automatically qualify as one of the 24 relay teams in the country to advance to the championships.

The Cats will have a two week training and recovery period before they return to action in Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships June 9-12.

Visit www.UKathletics.com for all of your Kentucky track and field updates.

Men’s Discus- 9:30 a.m. ET

5. Colin Boevers – 180-7/55.04mQ

Men’s Triple Jump- 12:00 p.m. ET

12. David Banks – 51-3.50/15.63mQ

Women’s Discus- 3:30 p.m. ET

2. Ashley Muffet – 178-11/54.55mQ

15. Mary Angell – 159-1/48.50m

Men’s 4x100m Relay- 6:00 p.m. ET

9. Sean Lange, Kwasi Obeng, Rondel Sorrillo, Alex Williams – 39.63Q

Men’s 200m Quarterfinal- 7:35 p.m. ET

2. Rondel Sorrillo – 20.29 (+0.6)Q

Women’s 5,000m Semifinal- 8:45 p.m. ET

42. Cally Macumber – 17:58.29

Women’s 4x400m Relay Quarterfinal- 9:45 p.m. ET

7. Brittany Cabbler, Jazmyn Shorter, Precious Nwokey, Jenna Martin – 3:35.14Q