Six Wildcats Punch Their Ticket to Eugene on Final Day of Men’s Qualifying in Lexington
LEXINGTON, Ky. – On the final day of qualifying for the men’s events, the Kentucky Wildcats totaled six individual NCAA Championship qualifiers and two top 10 program marks on day three of the NCAA East First Round in Lexington.
In addition to Kingi McNair and Grayson Brashear punching their ticket to Eugene on Wednesday, the Wildcats added six names to their national qualifying list during today’s quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
The men’s 4x100m relay team, consisting of Anthony Waterman, Miles Jones, Oscar Baltan Vivero and TK Pahuwa, ran the sixth-fastest time in school history at 39.01 to secure the final qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships to open the evening’s running events.
For the second consecutive season, Collins Kiprop Kipngok secured his national qualifying spot in the first round of the men’s 3000m steeplechase. The two-time SEC Outdoor Champion ran the fourth-fastest qualifying time of the first round at 8:25.83.
In his first of two hurdles appearances on the day, Waterman punched his ticket to nationals in the quarterfinal round of the 110m hurdles, running the 10th-best qualifying time at 13.45. Waterman ran the second fastest time in Kentucky program history at 13.43 during the first round event on Wednesday and will make his first career trip to the NCAA Championships.
Theo Mudzengerere featured as the final men’s national qualifier for Kentucky in the triple jump semifinal, posting a final distance of 15.83m/52-3.25. The Wildcat senior and SEC Indoor Champion is set to make his third appearance on the national championship stage, previously making it to Eugene in 2025 with South Carolina and in 2023 with TCU.
The 2026 NCAA East First Round in Lexington will conclude tomorrow with the final day of qualifying for the women’s events, starting with freshman sensation and two-time SEC Champion Kemarah Howard looking to secure her ticket Eugene in the women’s high jump semifinal at 2 p.m. ET.
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Event Schedule
| NCAA East First Round: Wednesday, May 27: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Men’s Hammer | 10:00 a.m. | SEMIFINAL | 27. Brock Conrad – 62.18m
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| Men’s Long Jump | 6:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 9. Kingi McNair – 7.72m (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)
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| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 6:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 8. Anthony Waterman – 13.43 (Q) (PR) (No. 2 UK All-Time)
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| Men’s Shot Put | 6:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 7. Grayson Brashear – 18.91m (PR) (National Qualifier)
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| Men’s Pole Vault | 6:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 33. Grant Harrison – 5.05m
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| Men’s 100m | 7:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 11. Miles Jones – 10.13 (Q)
14. Denzel Simusialela – 10.16 (Q)
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| Men’s 400m | 7:25 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 20. TK Pahuwa – 45.72 (Q)
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| Men’s 400m Hurdles | 8:20 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 8. Anthony Waterman – 49.89 (Q)
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| Men’s 200m | 8:45 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Denzel Simusialela – DNF
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| NCAA East First Round: Thursday, May 28: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s Hammer | 10:00 a.m. | SEMIFINAL | 18. Kate Powers – 60.33m
30. Meagan Ewers – 58.15m
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| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 6:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 1. Emmi Scales – 12.69 (Q)
7. Camden Bentley – 12.93 (Q) (PR) (T-No. 6 UK All-Time) 8. Rukia Nusra Omulisia – 12.96 (Q) (PR) (No. 8 UK All-Time)
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| Women’s 1500m | 6:30 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 17. Ally Kruger – 4:13.94 (Q) (PR)
21. Doricah Minsari Isoe – 4:15.42 (Q)
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| Women’s Pole Vault | 6:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 10. Sarah Ferguson – 4.27m (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)
13. Annie Murphy – 4.22m (PR) (No. 5 UK All-Time) 33. Chelsea Wetzel – 3.92m 33. Kaylee Daniel – 3.92m
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| Women’s 400m | 7:25 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 9. Hannah Douglas – 51.22 (Q)
15. A’Laji Bradley – 51.55 (Q)
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| Women’s 800m | 7:50 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 2. Janet Jepkemboi Amimo – 2:01.08 (Q)
30. Lyric Olson – 2:06.26
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| Women’s 400m Hurdles | 8:20 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | 2. Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera – 55.42 (Q)
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| NCAA East First Round: Friday, May 29: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Men’s Discus | 1:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 36. Grayson Brashear – 52.20m
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| Men’s 4x100m | 5:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 12. Kentucky – 39.01 (National Qualifier) (No. 6 UK All-Time)
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| Men’s 3000m Steeplechase | 5:40 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 4. Collins Kiprop Kipngok – 8:25.83 (National Qualifier)
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| Men’s Triple Jump | 6:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 8. Theo Mudzengerere – 15.93m (National Qualifier)
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| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 6:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | 10. Anthony Waterman – 13.45 (National Qualifier)
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| Men’s 100m | 6:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | 14. Miles Jones – 10.14
Denzel Simusialela – DNS
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| Men’s 400m | 6:50 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | 19. TK Pahuwa – 45.55 (PR) (No. 3 UK All-Time)
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| Men’s 400m Hurdles | 7:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | 24. Anthony Waterman – 56.86
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| Men’s 5000m | 8:10 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 17. Ed Bird – 13:59.57
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| Men’s 4x400m | 8:45 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | 20. Kentucky – 3:05.98
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| NCAA East First Round: Saturday, May 30: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s High Jump | 2:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kemarah Howard
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| Women’s 1500m | 5:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Ally Kruger, Doricah Minsari Isoe
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| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 6:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Emmi Scales, Camden Bentley, Rukia Nusra Omulisia
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| Women’s 400m | 6:50 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Hannah Douglas, A’Laji Bradley
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| Women’s 800m | 7:05 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Janet Jepkemboi Amimo
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| Women’s 400m Hurdles | 7:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera |
| Women’s 5000m | 8:10 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Ann Lemirisho
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| Women’s 4x400m | 8:45 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Kentucky |
