This Week?s Highlights
The University of Kentucky track and field squads will open the 2006 outdoor season at the Baldy Castillo Invtiational at host Arizona State this weekend. The meet will run Friday and Saturday, although Friday night will feature just one event, the hammer, which starts at 6 p.m. PT. On Saturday, the field events get underway at noon with the discus while the running events are slated to start at 5:30 p.m. PT with the short hurdles. Along with several unattached entrants, the field of competitors for the Baldy Castillo Invitational will be comprised of the following schools: Arizona State, Fordham, Kentucky, Louisville, Manhattan, Northern Arizona, Northern Illinois, Southern Utah, Texas A&M and Western State College.
Indoor Recap
Men’s Sprints
All six sprinters ran indoor personal-bests… Freshman Gordon McKenzie moved into the top ten all-time at UK for the 60 (seventh) and 200 (fourth)… Sophomore Justin Harrison ran UK?s top 400 time for a second consecutive season (46.92)… Newcomers junior Luis Luna (ninth, 47.50) and freshman Jose Acevedo (tenth, 47.52) moved into the top 10 at UK in the 400… The 4×400 relay team of Harrison, Nathan Browning, Acevedo and Luna ran the fourth fastest time nationally (3:07.01) and qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Men?s Middle Distance/Distance
Sophomore John Richardson ran the fifth fastest 800 (1:50.31) and eighth fastest mile (prov., 4:03.74, sixth all-time UK) in the SEC… Sophomore Stephan Smith owned the seventh fastest 800 mark in the conference (1:50.58).
Men?s Field Events
Newcomer junior Gavin Ball helped Kentucky win its fifth SEC indoor shot put title in the last six years with a toss of 61-2.25 at the conference meet…Ball?s mark ranks fifth all-time at UK, was the 16th-best toss in the country for ?06 and qualified Ball for the NCAA Championships.
Women?s Sprints
Senior Kenya Patton ran indoor personal-bests in the 60 and 200…Patton?s 60 (7.51) ranks her seventh all-time at UK and her 200 (24.22) ranks fourth… Freshman Ashley Trimble ran the 400 leg of UK?s first place distance medley relay at the SEC meet.
Women?s Middle Distance/Distance
Junior Georganne Way and sophomore Lavera Morris both qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships… Morris ran the second fastest indoor 800 all-time at UK (2:06.33, 12th nationally) and Way ran the third fastest (2:06.49, 15th nationally)… Way also ran the top mile for the Cats in ?06 (4:51.38)… Both runners, Trimble and freshman Andrea Brown helped UK bring home the SEC DMR crown… Senior Allison Grace finished off her UK career with an indoor personal-best 16:43.09 in the 5,000.
Women?s Field Events
Freshman Ashley Muffet broke the UK freshman indoor marks in the shot put and weight throw… Muffet?s personal-best toss of 52-4 in the shot put ranks third all-time at UK, while her weight throw toss of 61-9 ranks second… Muffet scored eight team points for the Cats at the SEC meet with a third place finish in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw… Former gymnast Michelle Gales made an immediate impact in both the long and triple jumps… Gales ranks eighth and sixth, respectively, in those events all-time at Kentucky…. Freshman Mary Durham broke the freshman and all-time indoor pole vault mark (11-11.75)… Freshman Lindsay Moody?s leap of 5-5 ranks t-tenth all-time indoor at UK.
Last Season?s Baldy Castillo Invitational
UK took top medalist honors in the women?s 200, as Kenya Patton recorded a regional qualifying and personal-best time of 23.96. Ildiko Varga also took top honors in the women?s discus with a toss of 173-08, while the men?s 4×800 relay team claimed first with a time of 7:29.56.
