Track & Field
February 13, 2021 - 09:24 PM

Peare, Steiner, Men's 4x4 Set School Records

by Jake Most

CLEMSON, S.C. and NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With postseason on the horizon, the Kentucky men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams turned in their best overall performances of the season Friday and Saturday at Clemson’s Tiger Paw Invitational and the Music City Challenge at Vanderbilt.

Kentucky earned three victories at the Tiger Paw – Matthew Peare in the pole vault, Abby Steiner in the 200-meter dash and the men’s 4x400m relay – and the triumphs went well beyond first-place medals.

Peare began the day by improving his own school record with a winning lift of 18’0.5″/5.50m. It improved his own school record and was his first time clearing 18 feet. It also leads the Southeastern Conference and is the sixth-best vault in the NCAA this year.

Like Peare, Steiner improved her own school record by zipping 22.52 seconds to win the 200m. It leads the NCAA this year and ties for 10th in collegiate history. Her mark also broke the facility record for the Clemson Indoor Complex.

The 4x400m relay, manned by Jacob Smith, Lance Lang, Kenroy Wililams and Dwight St. Hillaire, blazed the oval at 3:05.46 winning in a time that broke the 14-year-old school record. Their time is No. 2 in the NCAA this year. It was quite a weekend for Hillaire, who broke the school record for 400m with a time of 45.64.

Additional notables from the Tiger Paw:

Jade Gates was second in the weight throw at 68’1″/20.75m. That’s No. 2 on UK all-time list, No. 18 in the NCAA this season.
Lance Lang was third in the 200m dash at 20.75 seconds. It rates No. 5 on UK all-time list and No. 9 in the NCAA this year.
Michael Browning was ninth in the weight throw with a distance of 62’11.5″/19.19m. It lengthened his personal best by three feet and rates No. 9 on UK the all-time list.

Meanwhile in Nashville, three Wildcats landed on the UK top-10 list:

Jenna Gearing was fourth in the 3000m run at 9:22.82. It rates No. 8 on the UK all-time list.
Jenna Schwinghamer placed fifth in the 800m with a time of 2:09.37 that is No. 10 on UK all-time list.
Jake Allen was seventh in the 3000m run with a mark of 8:06.22. It’s No. 10 on UK all-time list.

With the regular season complete, the Wildcats will work toward the Southeastern Conference Championships (Feb. 25-27) and the NCAA Championships (March 11-13), both of which will be held at the University of Arkansas.

Here are Kentucky’s results at this weekend’s meets:

Tiger Paw Invitational
Friday, February 12
Women	Long Jump	Prelim/Final	12. Annika Williams: 18’6″/5.64m
Men	Shot Put	Prelim/Final	3. Josh Sobota: 61’4.75″/18.71m
Women	Pole Vault	Final	3. Alison D’Alessandro: 12’8″/3.86m T4. Nicole Bagby: 12’8″/3.86m T4. Siobhan Szerencsits: 12’8″/3.86m
Women	60 Hurdles	Prelim	5. Masai Russell: 8.36Q 11. Darci Khan: 8.46 19. Shadajah Ballard: 8.63 23. Amaya Chadwick: 8.82 26. Annika Williams: 8.87
Men	60 Hurdles	Prelim	DNS: Tai Brown
Women	60 Meter	Prelim	1. Abby Steiner: 7.29Q 10. Dajour Miles: 7.48
Men	60 Meter	Prelim	1. Lance Lang: 6.70Q 4. Dwight St. Hillaire: 6.79Q 6. Rodney Heath Jr.: 6.84Q
Women	400 Meter	Final	DNS: Megan Moss
Men	400 Meter	Final	4. Dwight St. Hillaire: 45.64 \| UKTF indoor record 9. Jacob Smith: 46.89 \| PB, No. 7 on UK all-time list 18. Kenroy Williams: 48.09 38. Beck O’Daniel: 49.94
Women	Shot Put	Prelim/Final	4. Molly Leppelmeier: 51’5.5″/15.68m \| season best
Men	Long Jump	Prelim/Final	9. Trey Causey III: 23’3.5″/7.10m 11. Joseph Jardine: 23’2.75″/7.08m 16. Robbie Springfield: 21’4″/6.50m
Women	60 Hurdles	Final	2. Masai Russell: 8.09 \| (Top collegian), PB, improves No. 3 mark on UKTF all-time list
Women	60 Meter	Final	2. Abby Steiner: 7.21 \| .01 PB, improves No. 5 mark on UK all-time performers’ list
Men	60 Meter	Final	2. Lance Lang: 6.72 7. Rodney Heath Jr.: 6.86 DNS: Dwight St. Hillaire
Saturday, February 13
Men	Weight Throw	Prelim/Final	9. Michael Browning: 62’11.5″/19.19m \| 3-foot PB, No. 9 on UK all-time list
Women	High Jump	Final	2. Carly Hinkle: 5’7.75″/1.72m
Men	Triple Jump	Prelim/Final	11. Joseph Palmer: 46’4.75″/14.14m
Men	Pole Vault	Final	1. Matthew Peare: 18’0.5″/5.50m \| Improves school record, first time over 18′, No. 6 in NCAA this year, leads SEC 2. Dalton Shepler: 16’2″/4.93m \| T-No. 7 on UK all-time list 3. Joseph Jardine: 16’2″/4.93m \| T-No. 7 on UK all-time list 4. Lincoln Young: 16’2″/4.93m \| T-No. 7 on UK all-time list
Women	200 Meter	Final	1. Abby Steiner: 22.52 \| Improves school record, T-No. 10 in collegiate history, leads NCAA 10. Dajour Miles: 23.79 20. Shadajah Ballard: 24.63 40. Darci Khan: 25.36
Women	Weight Throw	Prelim/Final	2. Jade Gates: 68’1″/20.75m \| No. 2 on UK all-time list, No. 18 in NCAA 5. Molly Leppelmeier: 63’6″/19.35m
Men	200 Meter	Final	3. Lance Lang: 20.75 \| PB, No. 5 on UK all-time list, No. 9 in NCAA 17. Tai Brown: 21.71 19. Rodney Brown: 21.75
Men	High Jump	Final	7. Trey Causey III: 6’7″/2.01m
Women	4 x 400 Meter Relay	Final	4. UK: 3:40.58
Men	4 x 400 Meter Relay	Final	1. UK (Jacob Smith, Lance Lang, Kenroy Williams, Dwight St. Hillaire): 3:05.46 \| indoor school record, No. 2 in NCAA this season

Music City Challenge
Friday, Feb. 12
Women	Mile	3 sections	4. Tori Herman, 4:45.16 \| PB 5. Jenna Gearing, 4:46.79 10. Kaitlyn Lacy, 4:49.09 \| PB 14. Perri Bockrath, 4:49.87 \| PB 22. Rachel Boice, 4:56.83
Men	Mile	3 sections	10. Dylan Allen, 4:05.11 16. Jacob Brizendine, 4:09.99 \| PB 24. McLean Griffin, 4:13.90 \| PB 26. Gabriel Szalay, 4:14.39
Women	5000 Meter	2 sections	17. Sophie Carrier, 17:19.53
Saturday, February 13
Women	800 Meter	3 sections	5. Jenna Schwinghamer: 2:09.37 \| No. 10 on UK all-time list 8. Bryanna Lucas: 2:09.6 14. Deanna Martin: 2:12.35 17. Rachl Boice: 2:14.32 19. Tori Herman: 2:14.83
Men	800 Meter	3 sections	19. Gabe Szalay: 1:55.22
Women	3000 Meter	3 sections	4. Jenna Gearing: 9:22.82 \| No. 8 on UK all-time list 12. Kaitlyn Lacy: 9:37.31 13. Perri Bockrath: 9:37.79
Men	3000 Meter	3 sections	7. Jake Allen: 8:06.22 \| No. 10 on UK all-time list 11. Ethan Kern: 8:10.29 14. Matt Duvall: 8:20.04 22. Aaron Withrow: 8:31.29