The University of Kentucky track and field teams received good news Tuesday afternoon as five more individuals earned at-large berths to the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif., June 7-10. As a program, the Cats will send nine individuals (five men, four women) and the men?s 4×400 relay to this year?s meet.
Men
John Richardson, So., Ocean City, N.J.
Event ? 1,500 meters (personal-best ? 3:43.90; ninth-all-time UK)
Berth ? Automatic; second place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? SEC Champion at 1,500?second place finisher in the 800 at SEC meet?scored a team-high 18 points and tied for sixth in the standings for the men?s SEC Commissioners Trophy (highest scoring individual)?owns team-best marks in the 1,500 (3:43.90) and 800 (1:49.52)…placed second at the regional meet in the 1,500 to earn an automatic berth to NCAA champs.
Andy Fryman, Jr., Maysville, Ky.
Event ? Shot put (PR ? 63-4.25; fourth all-time)
Berth ? Automatic; Mideast Regional champion
Season Highlights ? Regional and SEC shot put title winner?qualified regionally in the shot put, discus (182-8, fourth all-time) and hammer throw (195-0, second all-time)?placed fifth in the hammer throw and sixth in the discus at SECs to go along with shot put title?finished SEC meet with 17 team points?will be making second consecutive NCAA shot put appearance.
Dedrick Tillerson, Sr., Henderson, Ky.
Event ? 400 hurdles (PR ? 50.29; second all-time)
Berth ? Automatic; fifth place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Ran close to a one second PR at the regional meet to finish fifth and earn his first career trip to the NCAA meet?placed sixth at the conference championships?filled in for an injured Justin Harrison at the SEC meet in the 4×400 relay, helping the Cats to a second place finish.
4×400 meter relay (So., Nathan Browning, Fr., Jose Acevedo, So., Justin Harrison, Jr., Luis Luna)
Berth ? Automatic; second place Mideast Regional (PR ? 3:02.97, first all-time)
Season Highlights ? Broke an 11-year old UK school record ? twice ? en route to the second fastest time in the country in 2006…placed first at the Sea Ray Relays?finished runner-up to No. 1-ranked LSU at the SEC and Mideast Regional meet.
Jose Acevedo, Fr., Caracas, Venezuela
Event ? 200 meters (PR ? 20.79w; fifth-all time, frosh record)
Berth ? At-large; sixth place finish Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Broke the UK freshman record in the 200 with a personal-best mark of 20.79 at the regional championships?also qualified regionally for the 400 (47.26)?part of the school record breaking 4×400 squad.
Gordon McKenzie, Fr., Queens, N.Y.
Event ? 100 meters (PR ? 10.29w, t-sixth all-time)
Berth ? At-large; eighth place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Finished eight in one of the strongest fields in the country at the Mideast Regional meet with a personal-best 10.29?ran a personal-best in the 200 (21.12, ninth all-time) at the regional meet?competed on the Cats? regional qualifying 4×100 relay.
Women
Ildiko Varga, Sr., Heves, Hungary
Event ? Discus (PR ? 185-10, first all-time)
Berth ? Automatic; fourth place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Reached the NCAA Championships for a third straight season with a fourth place finish at the regional meet?rebroke her school record in the discus with a toss of 185-10 at the Mesa Classic?also qualified regional in the hammer throw (186-6, t-second all-time)?scored a second place finish at the conference meet in the discus and sixth in the hammer.
Georganne Way, Jr., Lititz, Pa.
Event ? 800 meters (PR ? 2:06.39, fourth all-time)
Berth ? At-large; seventh place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Placed seventh at regional meet in the 800 to earn first-ever NCAA berth?doubled-up in the 1,500 (sixth) and 800 (seventh) at the SEC meet, combining for five team points?ran the ninth-fastest 1,500 all-time at UK (4:25.0)?also ran a leg on the 4×400 relay at the conference meet that finished eighth.
Lavera Morris, So., Orlando, Fla.
Event ? 800 meters (PR ? 2:06.55, fifth all-time)
Berth ? At-large; eighth place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Placed eighth at the regional championships in the 800 to earn first career NCAA appearance?competed in both the 1,500 (fifth place, PR 4:26.53) and 800 (fourth) at the SEC Championships to combine for nine team points?ran a leg on the eighth place 4×400 relay at SEC meet.
Ashley Muffet, Fr., N. Canton, Ohio
Event ? Shot put (PR ? 54-2.50, first all-time)
Berth ? At-large; sixth place Mideast Regional
Season Highlights ? Broke a 23-year old Kentucky shot put record at SEC meet, good for second place?ranks first in the shot put, tied for third in the hammer throw (frosh record) and eighth in the discus all-time at UK?placed eighth in the hammer throw at conference meet?qualified regionally in all three events?finished sixth at regional meet in the shot put.
Other notes ? Of the 12 Kentucky athletes headed to the NCAA Championships, all but two (Varga, Tillerson) are expected to return for the 2007 season?the Cats sent five athletes to last year?s NCAA meet?the women?s squad broke three school records in 2006 (Muffet, shot put; Varga, discus; and Nicole Allyn, hammer throw (194-7)?the men?s team broke the 4×400 school record and Acevedo broke the frosh 200 mark?as a program, the Cats amassed 25 regional qualifying marks in 2006 (15 men, 10 women)?Kentucky?s 58-point output and seventh place finish on the men?s side at the SEC Championships was the highest point total and finish since 1996 when the team placed sixth with 79 points?the total was also a 30-point improvement over last year?s performance?the women?s squad produced 45 points ? its highest mark since 2003 (49) ? to finish eighth, which was an improvement of 14 points from 2005?the men?s squad finish seventh ? out of 46 ? at the Mideast Regional to tie perennial NCAA Champion Arkansas.
The NCAA Championships will begin June 7 at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex (21,000 cap.) on the campus of Sacramento State. The venue has served as host to the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, the 2001 National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships and the 2003 and 2005 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hornet Stadium is also on tap to host NCAA Div. I outdoor championships in 2007. Four-day packages for the event begin at $55 for general admission and cost $70 for reserved seats. To purchase tickets, contact the Sacramento Sports Commission at (916) 566-6560.
