UKTF Open Competition at SEC Outdoor Championships

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Kentucky track and field program began competition at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships on Thursday. The Wildcats saw their first points of the competition come early in the day in the hammer throw and qualified two runners in the women’s 800 meters from the prelims.

Junior Logan Coles got the first points on the board for the Wildcats after his seventh-place finish in the men’s hammer throw. The Rhode Island native tossed for a mark of 202’10”/61.83 meters earning two points for the men’s side. Kate Powers followed up on the women’s side a little later with a fourth-place finish throwing for 207’07”/63.27 meters giving the women their first five points of the competition.

Senior Charity Hufnagel had a good day on day one of the women’s heptathlon. The SEC Indoor pentathlon champion currently sits in second after four events with 3,693 points after earning four top-five results in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200 meters. Hufnagel’s best result came in the high jump where she won after clearing 6’0.50”/1.84 meters to earn 1,029 points.

Seniors Sydney Steely and Bryanna Lucas punched their tickets to Saturday’s final in the 800 meters. Steely finished sixth overall in the prelims with a time of 2:05.81 but crossed the line second in her heat earning an automatic qualifier to Saturday’s final. Lucas qualified on time running a personal best of 2:05.86 in her heat to advance to her first SEC final.

The women finish day one in third with five points while the men are 12th with two points. UKTF will continue the SEC Outdoor Championships tomorrow.

PRELIMS RECAP

DISTANCE

800m

WOMEN – Seniors Sydney Steely and Bryanna Lucas punched their tickets to Saturday’s final. Steely finished sixth overall with a time of 2:05.81 but crossed the line second in her heat earning an automatic qualifier to Saturday’s final. Lucas qualified on time running a personal best of 2:05.86 for her first ever final.

FINALS RECAP

MULTIS

Heptathlon

WOMEN – Senior Charity Hufnagel sits in second after four events with 3,693 points after earning four top-five results in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200 meters. Hufnagel’s best result came in the high jump where she won after clearing 6’0.50”/1.84 meters to earn 1,029 points.

Junior Ariel Pedigo currently sits in 10th with 2,834 points with her best result coming in the shot put where she threw a mark of 37’9.50”/11.52 meters for 629 points. The heptathlon will conclude tomorrow starting at 11:45 a.m.

Hammer Throw

WOMEN – Freshman Kate Powers earned five points from a fourth-place finish with a mark of 207’07”/63.27 meters.

Senior Simi Akinrinsola finished 10th and set a new personal best throw of 181’6”/55.32 meters.

MEN – Junior Logan Coles earned two points after finishing seventh with a throw of 202’10”/61.83 meters.

Event Results

Event Lineup (all info tentative and subject to change before the meet)

Follow Kentucky Track and Field and Cross Country on Facebook, Instagram, X, and at UKathletics.com.