NEW ORLEANS ? Seven University of Kentucky track and field athletes earned Outdoor All-America status from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), as announced from its home office in New Orleans Monday.
Men?s discus National Champion Rashaud Scott added more hardware to his collection with two All-America awards in the discus as well as the shot put. The junior won the discus title with a throw of 199-8 to claim one nod. Scott placed eighth in the shot put with a throw of 60-0.25 a day later to earn his second honor. The selections were the first for the accomplished Wildcat.
Wildcat thrower Andy Fryman also achieved his first two All-America honors of his career. The senior joined Scott in the discus selections and gained another in the hammer throw. Fryman placed tenth in the discus competition with a throw of 179-5. A few hours later the Maysville, Ky., native threw a personal-best distance of 216-8 in his final hammer throw competition as a collegiate.
With his second-place finish in the high jump, Grant Lindsey earned his first All-America selection. The freshman cleared a personal-best height of 7-5 to break the Kentucky varsity record in his first NCAA Championship appearance.
The members of the 4×400 meter relay team also attained All-America recognition after their third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Wildcat squad of senior Nathan Browning, classmate Justin Harrison, sophomore Kwasi Obeng and junior Jose Acevedo ran 3:02.00 to set a new Kentucky varsity record. This is the second All-America selection for Browning, Harrison and Acevedo after receiving the award during the 2007 Indoor season for the 4x400m relay team that placed second in the nation.
Three Wildcats were honored during the 2008 Indoor season as All-America honorees bringing the total of Kentucky athletes recognized among the best in the country to 10 this year ? the most since 14 Cats were recognized in 2003.
The top eight finishers in each event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships obtain All-America status. In the individual (non-relay) events, if one or more of the top eight finishers is of another nationality, U.S.-born collegians are selected until there are eight total in addition to any foreign-born All-Americans.
Two UK freshmen will compete this weekend at the USA Track and Field (USATF) Junior Championships in Indianapolis. Multi-event specialist Danielle Sampley is ranked second in the heptathlon. Classmate Colin Boevers is ranked number two in the discus field.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for a complete recap of their performances.
Kentucky All-America Selections
Jose Acevedo ? 4x400m Relay
Nathan Browning ? 4x400m Relay
Andy Fryman ? Discus
Andy Fryman ? Hammer Throw
Justin Harrison ? 4x400m Relay
Grant Lindsey ? High Jump
Kwasi Obeng ? 4x400m Relay
Rashaud Scott ? Discus
Rashaud Scott ? Shot Put
