TEMPE, Ariz. ? Senior thrower Jeff Chakouian continues his successful outdoor track and field career with another shot put title and a regional provisional qualifying toss at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. Friday. Chakouian took first in the shot by over three feet, recording a heave of 65-06 ?, his best of the season.
At the Joe Selleh Track, inside Sun Angel Stadium, Kentucky captured five additional top-five finishes. Junior Dedrick Tillerson secured a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 52.80. In the women?s 1,500 meters, senior Brooke Patterson recorded third with a time of 4:29.84, while Allison Grace finished fourth with a time of 4:31.15, smashing her personal-best of 4:38.91. Seniors Gennessa Guzman and Nikki Allyn claimed fourth and fifth-place, respectively in the women?s hammer throw. Guzman recorded a heave of 171-07, while Allyn finished with a mark of 170-04.
For the UK women, several top-ten honors were claimed, as freshman Lavera Morris recorded a personal-best in the women’s 1,500 meters, with a time of 4:34.60 to finish sixth. Fellow freshman Liliane Sparkes finished eighth in the same event with a mark of 4:41.38, while sophomore Georganne Way finished tenth, shattering her personal-best time of 4:45.50 with a time of 4:43.50.
The women?s squad success continued in the field events, as freshman Lauren Abney, in her collegiate debut, finished eighth in the women?s javelin throw. Abney recorded a throw of 120-02. Freshman counterpart Ashleigh Hayes also competed well for the Cats, finishing ninth in the women?s shot put with a toss of 36-05 ?.
On the men?s side senior Kris Landers also claimed top-ten honors with a time of 3:53.37 for a tenth-place finish in the 1,500 meter run.
Saturday?s field events begin at 10 a.m. MST with the women?s discus and continue until 2:00 p.m. MST with the men?s discus. The women?s 4×100-meter relay begins with the running events at 1:00 p.m. MST, while the men?s 4×400-meter relay will conclude the meet at 5:15 p.m. MST.
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