May 13, 2000
BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Kentucky track and field squads finished day three of the 2000 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday with another fine showing.
Junior Shevan Threats made a career-best leap of 20-05.75 in the women’s long jump to claim sixth place and earn an NCAA provisional qualifying time by one and a half inches. Coming into the meet, Threats was not even in the conference top-10 having jumped only 19-11.50 this season. Her first preliminary-round jump did not indicate good things to come as she only cleared 18-09.75. However, on her next attempt, Threats made an adjustment and garnered her personal-best and longest jump of the meet to earn points for UK. She also improved her second-place standing on the UK all-time long jump list.
“This was a great showing after her hamstring injury at the SEC Indoors,” assistant coach Audrey Dempsey said. “She’s a winner, and she showed she can jump. The best thing is that she is still learning.”
Going into these championships, freshman high-jumper Janet Crawford was tied for seventh in the conference with her top leap of 5-07.00. However, on this day, that jump was the fifth best in the SEC. Crawford cleared that height easily before going on to the next at 5-8.25. She was close on each of her three attempts, but in the end, she was unable to get over the bar but scored fifth-place points for the Cats.
“Janet was real, real close,” assistant coach John Kenneson said. “She just brushed the bar with her ankle. It was a real good performance, for a freshman. To get fifth in this conference is an awesome accomplishment for her.”
In the women’s 400-meter dash, senior Roshell Russell made a move toward her past glory by qualifying for the finals. A two-time All-American in the event, Russell is finishing her career on a high note after a redshirt year in 1999. With her time of 54.51, she gained the last qualifying spot for Sunday’s finals. Sophomore Hazel Hanson-Monnie ran the 16th-fastest time of the day with a seasonal best 56.31.
Running their second-best times of the season in the 1,500 meters, freshmen Hunter Spencer (3:50.32) and Thomas Morgan (3:52.29) ran the 10th and 13th-fastest times of the day. Spencer narrowly missed qualifying for finals by just more than one second.
The meet concludes Sunday, May 14, with the Cats represented in a number of field events and running finals. The men’s discus gets the day started at 3 p.m. CST.
AGATE (Top three and UK finishers):
Women’s Long Jump (Finals):
1.) Tisha Parker Mississippi 21-09.00A 2.) Keisha Spencer LSU 21-08.25A 3.) Tasha Mahone Georgia 21-06.00A 6.) Shevan Threats Kentucky 20-05.75P$ 16.) Simidele Adeagbo Kentucky 18-06.50
Women’s High Jump (Finals):
1.) Latifah Long Georgia 5-11.50P 2.) Shelly Ann Gallimore Auburn 5-10.00 3.) Kathy Kilar Florida 5-08.50 5.) Janet Crawford Kentucky 5-07.00
Men’s 1,500-Meter Run (Preliminaries only):
1.) Sharif Karie Arkansas 3:48.24Q 2.) Ryan Travis Arkansas 3:49.25Q 3.) Rolando Ortiz Florida 3:48.63Q 10.) Hunter Spencer Kentucky 3:50.32 13.) Thomas Morgan Kentucky 3:52.29
Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (Preliminaries only):
1.) Vonette Dixon Auburn 13.07QA 2.) Brandit Copper Alabama 13.10QA 3.) Kyla Shoemake Arkansas 13.26QP 13.) Michelle Williams Kentucky 14.03
Women’s 400-Meter Dash (Preliminaries only):
1.) Demetria Washington S. Carolina 52.20QA 2.) Miki Barber S. Carolina 52.44QP 3.) Yolanda Brown-Moore Florida 53.63Q 9.) Roshell Russell Kentucky 54.51Q 16.) H. Hanson-Monnie Kentucky 56.31s
A = NCAA automatic qualifying time
P = NCAA provisional qualifying time
Q = time qualifies for finals
$ = personal best
s = seasonal best
