Feb. 28, 1998

BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Kentucky turned in strong performances at the first day of the SEC track and field indoor championships Saturday. UK’s Ola Sesay and Valerie Williams recorded personal bests in the women’s long jump finals to finish second and third, respectively. Sesay improved her season-best mark by more than four inches with her jump of 20 feet 7.25 inches, while Williams, leap of 20 feet 4.5 inches smashed her previous season-best mark of 19 feet 5.5 inches.

Wildcats Shevan Threats and Rebecca Collinsworth competed in the women’s long jump competition as well. Threats finished 13th with her jump of 18 feet five inches, while Collinsworth placed 17th with her mark of 18 feet one inch.

Auburn’s Lacena Golding won the women’s long jump title with her performance of 21 feet 8.25 inches.

In the women’s shot put championship, UK’s Heidi Quast finished eighth with her throw of 46 feet 4.25 inches. South Carolina’s Crystal Brownlee claimed the title with her 54 foot 10.25 inch throw.

In other championship action, Leslie Henley of Tennessee won the SEC’s first women’s pole vault title. Henley’s vault of 11 feet 5.75 inches beat out Auburn’s Hannah Johnson and her mark of 11 feet 1.75 inches.