LEXINGTON ? The University of Kentucky men?s 4×400 meter relay team closed out day two of the Rod McCravy Memorial with a meet record, NCAA provisional mark and season-best time of 3:09.31. Freshman thrower Ashley Muffet, one day removed from winning the weight throw, took first in the shot put.
In the final event of the day, the Cats? mile relay went toe-to-toe against SEC rival Ole Miss. After two legs, freshman Jose Acevedo pulled away and gave junior Luis Luna a comfortable lead as the native of Venezuela cruised to an easy victory. The mark broke the McCravy meet record, surpassing UK?s 1996 squad which currently owns the indoor school record (3:05.71). This year’s relay team currently sits fourth nationally.
Muffet improved her season-best by nearly two feet, moving her into third all-time at UK with a first-place toss of 49-9.75 in the shot put.
Freshman Gordon McKenzie won the 60 meters in a personal-best 6.73, just shy of an NCAA provisional mark (6.72). Fellow freshman Brandon Austin placed seventh with a personal-best mark 6.96.
Senior Kenya Patton took fourth in the women?s 200 in a new PR of 24.22. Acevedo paced the men in the 200 with a new personal-best 21.69, good for sixth. Sophomore Justin Harrison also reached a new PR, placing eighth in 21.73.
Junior Georganne Way doubled up in the 800 (2:12.51) and mile run (4:51), placing first and second respectively. Way?s mile time marked a new PR. Sophomore Lavera Morris and freshman Andrea Brown also doubled up in the two events with Morris placing fourth in the mile and second to Way in the 800. Brown finished sixth in the mile and third in the 800. All three athletes improved their mile times from the Kentucky Invitational (1/14).
Sophomore Stephan Smith also got into the act, racing in the mile and 800. Smith broke away from the field in the last 60 meters to take first in the 800 in a time of 1:51.05. Sophomore Gabe McClaren and freshman Ryan Finn ran their first races of the season with McClaren taking fourth (1:52.93) and Finn finishing sixth (1:53.98) in the 800.
Sophomore John Richardson showed a lot of guts and took the early lead in the 3,000, holding on until the final 400 before giving way to Eastern Kentucky?s Jacob Korir (8:13.23). Richardson finished third (8:22.43). Allison Grace placed fourth in the women?s 3,000 (9:55.81). UT-Chattanooga paced the field with the top three finishers.
Newcomer Gavin Ball placed second in the shot put with a toss of 57-3.50, ranking him ninth all-time at UK in the event.
Michelle Gales took sixth in the long jump, improving her personal-best to 18-6.50.
Kentucky travels to Bloomington, Ind. next weekend (Feb. 3-4) for the Hoosier Relays.
