The Kentucky track and field team will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. The Cats will be sending four individuals to the meet along with the women?s distance medley relay squad, all of whom are featured below.
David Freeman: David Freeman will be looking to improve upon his seventh-place finish last year at the NCAA indoor Championships in the mile. The junior is coming off his first-place performance in the event at the SEC Championships, where finished in a season-best time of 4:01.36 and passed last year?s NCAA mile winner Chris Mulvaney in the final lap. Freeman has the second-fastest time in the conference this season and his time ranks as the 14th-fastest in the country.
Jeff Chakouian: Despite a nagging injury, Chakouian became only the fourth person to sweep an event at the SEC Indoor Championships all four years of college when he claimed his fourth-consecutive title in the shot put at the SEC Indoors this year. The title was the senior?s fifth overall. Chakouian is ranked ninth in Trackwire?s Dandy Dozen in the shot put, and his throw of 63-11.00 earlier this season is the eight-best toss this year in the nation. Chakouian took 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2003.
Beth Heimann: Heimann earned her first All-American honor last year by placing 11th in the 800 meters at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships. The senior hopes to add to her accolades, which includes a fourth-place finish at this year?s SEC Indoor Championships, by making a run at an NCAA title in 2004. She is currently ranked 11th in America with her SEC Championships time of 2:05.93.
Brooke Patterson: Patterson has made her mark on the SEC and the nation in her brief two years at UK. The senior is looking to place at her first NCAA Indoor Championships as she competes in the mile run this weekend in Fayetteville. Patterson finished third at this year?s SEC Indoor Championships in a time of 4:42.00, which is the 16th-fastest time in the nation in 2004. The performance at the SEC?s also marked a personal best for the 2003 SEC Cross Country Runner-Up.
Women?s Distance Medley Relay: The women?s distance medley relay squad of Patterson, Jackie Gordon, Heimann and Caitlin Phillips have already etched their name into the record books at UK this year. The relay squad has broken the school record twice this season already, with their latest record-setting performance coming at the Meyo Invitational this season in South Bend, Ind. Their time of 11:17.66 in the event is 11th in the nation this year, and the squad?s most recent achievement came at the SEC Indoor Championships, where they finished third.
Results from the meet can be found at . The shot put and distance medley relay events will be held Friday as finals, with the preliminaries of all track events being held Friday as well. The top contenders in each event will then run in the finals on Saturday.
