This weekend marks a series of NCAA Last Chance Qualifiers for the University of Kentucky track and field teams. Various Cats will travel to Gainesville, Fla. (Thu.) and Ames, Iowa (Sat.) in search of improving or earning NCAA provisional and automatic marks. Those who qualify will head to Fayetteville, Ark. for the national indoor meet, March 10-11.
Provisional Qualifiers ? Men
Gavin Ball (Jr., Shot Put)
Ball has set season-bests in four consecutive meets, culminating in a provisional mark of 61-1.25 and a first place finish at the SEC meet. Ball ranks 13th nationally and fifth all-time at UK.
Justin Harrison (So., 400)
Harrison ran a season-best 47.06 in the 400 at Iowa State (2/11). Harrison ranks fifth in the SEC, 31st nationally, and is also part of Kentucky?s nationally-ranked 4×400 relay squad. Harrison?s personal-best mark of 46.72 ranks second all-time at UK.
4×400 Relay (Harrison, Nathan Browning, Jose Acevedo, Luis Luna)
The Cats ran a season-best 3:07.65 at Iowa State, ranking them ninth nationally. Earlier this season, the team broke the McCravy Memorial (1/28) meet record, surpassing UK?s 1996 squad which currently owns the indoor school record (3:05.71). The Cats placed third at the SEC meet.
Provisional Qualifiers ? Women
Georganne Way (Jr., 800)
Way earned a provisional standard with a personal-best 2:06.49 in the 800 at the Iowa State Classic. Way?s time is shy of an automatic mark (2:05.70) but below the entry mark of the last 10 national indoor meets. Way?s mark ranks 12th nationally, first in the SEC, and second all-time indoors at UK. Last weekend at the SEC meet, Way placed seventh in the mile and anchored the first place distance medley relay.
Lavera Morris (So., 800)
Morris owns a personal-best and provisional mark of 2:07.88 in the 800. Morris ranks 30th nationally, sixth in the SEC, and third all-time indoors. Morris finished third in the 800 at the SEC Indoors and ran the opening leg of UK?s first place DMR.
Ashley Muffet (Fr., Shot Put)
Muffet claimed a provisional mark at the Hoosier Relay (2/4) with a toss of 52-2.75 in the shot put. Muffet ranks 19th nationally, second in the SEC, and third all-time at Kentucky. Last weekend, Muffet scored in both the shot (third) and weight throw (seventh) at the SEC meet. Muffet?s toss of 61-9 in the weight throw was a UK freshman record and ranks second all-time.
Other in search of marks
Freshman Gordon McKenzie remains close to hitting provisional marks in both the 60 and 200. McKenzie owns tops times of 6.73 in the 60 (6.72 prov., 6.62 auto) and 21.28 in the 200 (21.23 prov., 20.83 auto). Last weekend, McKenzie reached the finals of the 200 at the SEC meet. 400 specialists freshman Jose Acevedo (47.63), sophomore Nathan Browning (48.34) and junior Luis Luna (48.23) will all take stabs at qualifying (47.25 prov., 46.05 auto) this weekend at Iowa State. All three runners will also join Harrison in attempt to improve the Cats? ninth-ranked 4×400 relay squad (3:07.65). Stephan Smith will compete in the 800 after reaching the finals at the SEC meet. Smith owns a season-best time of 1:51.05 but will need to reach 1:49.50 for provisional and 1:47.80 for automatic. Miler John Richardson also reached the finals and enters this weekend?s meet with a season-best time of 4:06.65 (4:04.90 prov., 3:59.0 auto).
