June 29, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two members of the Kentucky track and field team, Raymond Dykstra and Keffri Neal, picked up medals at this weekend’s Canadian Championships in Athletics, which were held in Montcon, New Brunswick.

Dykstra, a junior, won the Senior Canadian Javelin Championship with a new school-record mark 257-feet, 9 inches/ 78.58 meters. That mark bettered his previous personal-best throw, which came in a Silver Medal performance at the NCAA Championships earlier this month, by six inches.

Keffri Neal, also a junior, finished second in the Canadian 800m Final, with a time of 1:46.91. Brandon McBride, who competes at Mississippi State, edged Neal by 0.21 seconds.

Both Dykstra and Neal will be eligible to represent Canada at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-23 Championships, which will be held in British Columbia, Canada in August by virtue of their performances this weekend.

“It felt good to be back on the Canadian track and field scene,” Dykstra said. “I’m extremely excited for my new personal best, and I’m looking forward to the NACAC U-23 Championships. My expectations are to end my season with a bang. Then once that’s finished I look forward to beginning training for next year.”

Three Wildcats – Sha’Keela Saunders, Kendra Harrison and Matt Hillenbrand – qualified for the American team that will compete at the NACAC U-23 Championships this weekend.

Elsewhere at National Championships over the past few weeks, UK alumnus Andy Fryman finished fourth in the United States Senior Hammer Throw Championship.

Mikel Thomas, also a UK alumnus who now trains in Gainesville, Florida, finished second at the Trinidad and Tobago Championships 110m hurdles Final, thus qualifying him to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.