Daniel Roberts Runs 2nd Fastest NCAA Indoor Hurdles Time Ever

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  – Kentucky track and field junior Daniel Roberts authored another revision to the collegiate indoor hurdles record book en route to the NCAA silver medal on Saturday  inside the Birmingham Crossplex.

Roberts finished the NCAA 60-meter hurdles final in 7.41, the second fastest time in collegiate history. Florida’s Grant Holloway’s new collegiate record 7.35 to win the race is the only collegiate time faster than what Roberts ran. The margin between the two juniors only materialized across the final barrier and to the finish line.
 
Roberts moved to No. 12 on all-time American list, and No. 14 on the all-time world list in the 60m hurdles.
 
“I didn’t feel as fast as it was because I was running with him,” Roberts said. “I was like ‘I don’t know if I’m going fast or not?’ I was just running and I left it all on the track to be honest.
 
“It’s really a blessing every time I step on the track after my (high-school leg) injury it just means so much more to me. I wouldn’t say I took it for granted, but I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have and I know that now. I feel like that’s why god allowed me to go through that. To make me the athlete that I am today. To keep going on so I can try to get better and better.”
 
Roberts’ eight points gave Kentucky a 29th place team finish.
 
Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile turned in a gritty triple jump of 44’6.75″/13.58m to take the bronze medal. The senior needed a clutch third attempt to make the final after fouling on the first two attempts. She then moved up to bronze-medal position with her fifth-round mark that proved to be her best of the six-attempt series.
 
She claimed an NCAA triple jump medal for the first time indoors and third time overall (2017 outdoor silver, 2018 outdoor bronze).

The UK women’s team finished 21st with 10 points scored by Ebwea-Bile (six), Kianna Gray (three in the 60m and the women’s 4x400m relay (one for eighth place).

Senior Kianna Gray scored three points in the women’s 60m dash, tying her personal best 7.25 to place sixth.
 
The Kentucky women’s 4x400m relay of Faith Ross, Chloe Abbott, Masai Russell and Abby Steiner ground out a point with an eighth-place time of 3:32.89 to finish the meet.
 
Ellen Ekholm just missed scoring in the women’s high jump, placing ninth with a clearance at 5’9.25″/1.76m.
 
Friday report
Kianna Gray advanced to the women’s women’s 60-meter dash final and Daniel Roberts made the men’s 60m hurdles final as notable results for Kentucky on Friday at the NCAA Indoor Championships
 
Noah Castle placed ninth, a spot out of scoring position, in the men’s shot put. He tossed an indoor personal best 64’3.25″/19.59m to move to No. 3 on the UK indoor all-time list alone.
 
His first attempt was his best mark of the six-throw series. Castle’s mark came up 3.25 inches shy of the eighth-place last scoring spot.
 
Other Friday results
Freshman Abby Steiner ran 23.58 in the women’s 200m prelims, 14th fastest. She did not advance.
 
Faith Ross ran 8.25 in the 60m hurdles, 16th fastest in the prelims, not enough to advance.

Meet primer
A re-air of the championship will take place starting at 10 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 10 on ESPN2 and again Monday, March 11 starting at 10 p.m. Eastern time on ESPNU.
 
The top-16 declared entries, and top-12 declared relay teams from marks recorded this season qualified for the Championships.

The top-eight scorers in each of the 17 events on the men’s and women’s sides will score points by virtue of their place finish on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. The team with the most points at the end of the meet wins.
 
The UK women’s team placed third (a school record indoors) with 34 points and the men’s team was T-17th on 12 points at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.
 

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