March 7, 2003

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s and women’s track teams sit at 21st and 14th, respectively, this week in the Trackwire Top 25. Caitlin Phillips and Brooke Patterson are attending the Alex Wilson Invitational, a last-chance meet, before UK travels to Fayetteville, Ark., next weekend for the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships.

The teams, which both finished seventh at last week’s SEC Championships in Gainesville, Fla., already have several athletes automatically qualified for the NCAA meet, including the SEC triple jump champion, Simidele Adeagbo, who qualified in the first meet of the indoor season. David Freeman and Hunter Spencer have both qualified in the men’s 800 meters. Rounding out the men’s automatic qualifiers is the distance medley relay team of Kris Landers, Paul Ciurlys, Chad Johnson and David Freeman.

Beth Heimann has qualified in the 800 meters for the women with the sixth fastest time in the nation. Phillips will compete in the women’s 5,000-meter run.

The NCAA Championships begin on Friday, March 14 and continue through Saturday at the Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas.