LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky?s track & field squads travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Vanderbilt University May 12-15. The festivities begin Thursday, at 4 p.m. EDT with the men?s decathlon and the women?s heptathlon and conclude Sunday evening, at 9:35 p.m. EDT with the women?s 4×400-meter relay final.
The Wildcats are strong contenders in several events and hope to leave the Music City with a handful of top honors. Senior Jeff Chakouian should post a valiant effort in the men?s shot put for Kentucky. The five-time SEC champion finished second behind Auburn?s Edis Elkasevic last year at the SEC Outdoor Championships and the two continue to battle for first place in all categories. Elkasevic and Chakouian are ranked first and second in the nation, respectively, with just two inches separating the pair.
?Jeff is very capable of doing well at the SEC Championships,? head coach Don Weber said. ?He has to go out and not get too anxious and treat it like any other competition.?
Sophomore Andy Fryman should also be a strong competitor for the UK men?s field event squad. Fryman is to compete in the shot put, discus and hammer throw for the Cats, while teammate Michael Mason will challenge for the men?s high jump title. Mason brought home runner-up honors at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville earlier this year.
A young group of UK middle and long distance runners could have a break-out meet at a critical point in the season. Freshman Justin Harrison has recorded solid times in the 400 meters. In a highly competitive event, Harrison looks to improve on two previous regional qualifying marks. He will also compete in the 200 meters and will run the closing leg of the men?s 4×400-meter relay.
?Justin is in a very competitive event (400 meters),? said Weber. ?He is very competitive and we anticipate that he will have a good meet and run very well.?
Freshmen counterparts Andre Silva and Stephan Smith have the talent to record season-best times at this week?s events. Smith will compete in the 800-meter run, while Silva will run both the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters.
?Stephan is ready to run well in the post-season and Andre has been performing better at practice,? said Weber. ?Andre has been improving and we hope that he will build on that in Nashville and finish with a regional qualifying time.?
In the men?s 400-meter hurdles, two Cats are strong contenders. Juniors Dedrick Tillerson and Tom Masthay have both finished strong this season, with Tillerson clocking three regional qualifying times.
On the women?s side, senior Allison Grace could represent the UK women?s squad on the medalist stand in the 5,000 meters, while senior counterpart Brooke Patterson will compete in the 800 and 1,500 meters for Kentucky.
?This is the first season that Ali has seriously competed in the 5,000 meters,? said Weber. ?If Ali runs with confidence she can break through and be a contender at the championships.?
Also competing well in distance events are underclassmen Jackie Gordon and Lavera Morris. Both Morris and Gordon have improved their times throughout the season in the 800-meters.
The women?s field events squad is comprised of a solid group of upperclassmen with valuable post-season experience. Senior Gennessa Guzman and junior Ildiko Varga will compete in the discus, with Guzman also challenging in the hammer throw. Senior Rachel Kohler, known to peak during the post-season, will compete in the high jump for the Cats.
?Rachel?s distinguishing characteristic is that she typically has done well at SEC meets,? said Weber. ?She has been experiencing some issues with her knee, but if she can compete, she should have a chance to score for us.?
The SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships returns to Nashville and Vanderbilt University for the first time in nearly 60 years when competitors from the league?s 12 member institutions gather.
Annually, the SEC Track and Field Championships is one of the nation?s most competitive meets, featuring an array of national contenders, world-ranked athletes and participants in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The University of Arkansas men?s and women?s teams enter the meet as reigning team champions.
The SEC?s true strength is apparent at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2004, Arkansas, Florida and LSU led a 1-2-3 SEC sweep in the men?s division of the NCAA Outdoor Championships held in Austin, Texas. In the women?s competition, six of the top 10 teams in the final standings were members of the SEC.
