COLUMBIA, Mo. ? University of Kentucky track and field athletes are in their opening day of competition on Friday at the 2007 NCAA Mideast Regional hosted by the University of Missouri at the Audrey J. Walton Track and Field Stadium.
Live updates, along with a schedule of events, of Kentucky?s participation in the regionals will be posted throughout the day on this page. Keep hitting refresh for the latest live updates.
11:05 a.m. EDT – Junior thrower Alek Grietens (Nipomo, Calif.) has just arrived at Audrey J. Walton Stadium along with throws coach Doug Reynolds and head coach Don Weber. He is preparing to participate in the hammer throw which will begin at Noon EST.
11:12 a.m. EDT – It is a dreary day at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. The team practiced in rain-soaked conditions for an hour-and-a-half on Thursday and it rained early this morning. It is a chilly 61 degrees and there is the threat of more rain beginning at approximately 4 p.m. EDT. There is a 30 percent chance of rain throughout the afternoon, but the temperature is expected to warm up to the mid-70s later today. The wind is currently coming from the East at 7 mph.
11:21 a.m. EDT – A little history on Columbia as Grietens continues to warm up in the ring. The city was founded in 1818 as the county seat of Boone County, Mo. The current population is estimated at just more than 96,000 people. Famous people from Columbia include Sam Walton, the founder of WalMart, and country music artist Sara Evans.
11:30 a.m. EDT – The layout of the athletics facilities at the University of Missouri is certainly unique as all of the venues are right next to one another. Audrey J. Walton Stadium, in which the regional is being held, is adjacent to the softball stadium on one side and the baseball stadium on the other. In fact the press box of Audrey J. Walton Stadium has windows on both sides, as it also doubles as the press facility for University Field, home of Missouri Softball, located on the back side of the track grandstands.
11:39 a.m. EDT – The rain seems to have completely subsided here at the stadium, but the skies remain cloudy. The Lexington Herald-Leader has a nice article on sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet in today?s paper. The article can be accessed by the following link: http://www.kentucky.com/269/story/79512.html. Muffet competes in the shot put at 3 p.m. EDT today.
11:42 a.m. EDT – There is now a light rain falling on Audrey J. Walton Stadium as the hammer throwers continue to warm up.
11:53 a.m. – Kentucky?s Associate Athletics Director for Finance Lisa Peterson is on hand at the event as a member of the NCAA Division I Track and Field Committee. Peterson, who also oversees the Kentucky track and field squads among other programs, is nearing the end of a two-year term on the committee. The committee is responsible for legislation and championship administration responsibilities for the cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships. Responsibilities include selecting teams and individual competitors for each championship as well as preparing championships schedules and managing event preparation for the three championship events and the outdoor regional track meets.
11:55 a.m. EDT – The University of Missouri is providing live streaming video of the 2007 NCAA Mideast Regional. Users are required to register a log-in, but all video is free. The live video may be accessed at: http://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=ncaa&sport=c-track&category=live&media=29384.
11:57 a.m. EDT – They are about ready to begin the men’s hammer throw. Grietens is the first thrower in the opening flight. There are three flights and then the finals in the hammer throw immediately follow that. The top nine plus ties advance to a reverse-order final. Grietens, along with the other first-flight throwers, has just been announced over the speakers.
1:47 p.m. EDT – Grietens failed to advance to the finals of the men’s hammer throw.
1:49 p.m. EDT – Sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet (North Canton, Ohio) has just arrived at the track as she prepares to participate in the women’s shot put at 3 p.m. EDT. Muffet is the school record holder in both the indoor and outdoor shot puts.
2:13 p.m. EDT – The finals of the men’s hammer throw continues down in the cage at the North end of the track.
2:42 p.m. EDT – – Muffet continues to warm up in preparation for the shot put, which begins at 3 p.m. EDT. The women’s high jump has also commenced at the South end of the track.
2:54 p.m. EDT – It’s important to take a minute to thank the officials that work this and every other track and field meet around the country. At the majority of meets, track and field officials are not paid for the jobs they perform. These officials, who do their jobs mostly out of a love for the sport, perform roles that we could not live without in hosting meets. UK used a crew of 77 officials as it hosted the 2007 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships at Nutter Field House. They received food hospitality and a shirt for each day of competition. Coach Don Weber and his staff, along with coaches across the country, truly have an appreciation for what the officials do.
3:01 p.m. EDT – The women’s shot put is getting ready to get underway. Muffet throws fifth in the third of three flights. The top nine advance to a reverse-order final.
4:48 p.m. EDT – Muffet failed to advance to the finals in the women’s shot put, while the men’s 4×100 relay squad was 14th overall.
4:51 p.m. EDT – Junior mid-distance runner John Richardson (Ocean City, N.J.) , a two-time winner in the SEC men’s 1,500 meter, ran a smart race and qualified for Saturday’s final in the 1,500. He ran a time of 3:44.10 to finish fourth in his heat. Tomorrow’s final commences at 5:20 p.m. EDT.
4:54 p.m. EDT – Sophomore sprinter Jose Acevedo (Caracas, Venezuela) will prepare to participate in the preliminaries of the 100-meter dash, which takes place at 5:50 p.m. EDT.
5:01 p.m. EDT – A little history on the state of Missouri during our break in the action. It was admitted to the Union as the 24th state in 1821. Popularly known as the “Show Me State,” it is bordered by eight other states. The state was originally part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Famous Missourians include 33rd president Harry Truman, Walt Disney, Walter Cronkite, and Langston Hughes.
6:08 p.m. EDT – Acevedo finished the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.73.
7:51 p.m. EDT – Senior sprinter Luis Luna (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) tied for the second-fastest time in school history in the men’s 400-meter dash with a mark of 46.15. It matches the time set by Arnold Payne in 1996. Luna finished first out of all the heats of the 400 prelims. Junior Justin Harrison (Wheaton, Ill.) looked to qualify for tomorrow’s final, but was disqualified after being four steps inside the lane. Luna competes in Saturday’s final at 6:15 p.m. EDT.
7:57 p.m. – Freshman sprinter Jenna Martin (Nova Scotia, Canada) ran a strong race in the women’s 400 meter to set the freshman school record. Martin turned on the jets over the final 100 meters and finished second in her heat. Her time of 52.60 was a personal collegiate best and ranks third all-time in school history in the 400 meter. She had the fastest time of the non-automatic qualifiers to Saturday’s final which commences at 6:20 p.m. EDT.
8:09 p.m. EDT – Neither of Kentucky’s three runners in the 800 meter advanced to the finals of the event. Junior Stephan Smith (Tallahassee, Fla.) , junior Lavera Morris (Orlando, Fla.) and senior Georganne Way (Lititz, Pa.) each concluded their seasons in that event.
8:13 p.m. EDT – For those of you interested in traveling to the NCAA Championships June 6-9, they will take place in Sacramento, Calif., at the Alex G. Spanos Center. For ticket information, please call (916) 566-2400.
9:07 p.m. EDT – Sophomore distance runner Taylor Miller (Owensboro, Ky.) is preparing to run in the women’s 5,000 meter at 10 p.m. EDT to conclude UK’s opening day at the NCAA Mideast Regional.
10:37 p.m. EDT – – Miller concluded the race in a respectable 17:22.22. Kentucky begins action at Noon on Saturday.
Kentucky?s Schedule/Results at the NCAA Mideast Regional (Friday, May 25, 2007 ? Columbia, Mo.)
Men’s Hammer Throw ? 12 p.m. EDT
28. Alek Grietens – 175-1
Women?s Shot Put ? 3 p.m. EDT
15. Ashley Muffet – 47-8.0
Men?s 4×100 Relay (Preliminaries) ? 4 p.m. EDT
14. Mikel Thomas, Gordon McKenzie, Brandon Austin, Jose Acevedo – 40.44
Men?s Discus ? 4:30 p.m. EDT
9. Gavin Ball – 174-10
Men?s 1,500-Meter Run (Preliminaries) ? 4:30 p.m. EDT
4. John Richardson – 3:44.10 Q
Men’s 100-Meter Dash (Preliminaries) ? 5:50 p.m. EDT
21. Jose Acevedo – 10.73 (-0.7)
Men?s 400-Meter Dash (Preliminaries) ? 6:30 p.m. EDT
1. Luis Luna – 46.15 Q
19. Nathan Browning – 47.45
-Justin Harrison – DQ
Women’s 400-Meter Dash (Preliminaries) – 6:50 p.m. EDT
6. Jenna Martin – 52.60 q
Men?s 800-Meter Run (Preliminaries) ? 7:10 p.m. EDT
16. Stephan Smith – 1:51.22
Women?s 800-Meter Run (Preliminaries) ? 7:30 p.m. EDT
10. Lavera Morris – 2:08.14 16. Georganne Way – 2:10.46
Men?s 400 Hurdles (Preliminaries) ? 8 p.m. EDT
28. Mikel Thomas – 1:16.85
Men?s 200-Meter Dash Preliminaries ? 8:50 p.m. EDT
11. Jose Acevedo – 21.29
Women?s 5,000-Meter Run ? 10 p.m. EDT
18. Taylor Miller – 17:22.22
